Megan Hilty to Take Leave of Absence from Death Becomes Her

Tony nominee Megan Hilty is taking a leave of absence from Death Becomes Her.

Hilty, who had been playing the role of Madeline Ashton in the musical comedy since last October, that she will be out of the show for "three to four weeks" to recover from a vocal injury. In the interim, the role of Madeline will be filled by standby Dee Roscioli and understudies Kaleigh Cronin and Natalie Charle Ellis.

Wrote Hilty: "We are athletes. And just like a professional basketball player, we are going to get injured from time to time—not because we aren’t good at our jobs, it simply comes with the territory because of the extraordinary demands we put on our bodies. Thank you for your patience and support while I take this time to take care of myself to ensure my longevity with the show and my career, in general."

In an interview with the , Hilty said she was recently diagnosed with tendinitis in her throat, "because of the physical stuff I do with my neck in the show. It pulls on my voice box and I ultimately have to call out of the show if it’s affecting my voice and it’s too painful."

Hilty's full statement can be read below. Hilty was nominated for a 2025 Tony Award for Death Becomes Her; watch her performance of "For the Gaze" at Sunday's Tonys broadcast here.

I love my job. Madeline Ashton is by far the most challenging and rewarding role I have ever taken on. The lengths to which I have gone to make sure I can physically do the show is a job in itself—the regimen is too long for this post—but I do it joyfully because, as I mentioned before, I LOVE what I do.

Which is why it is so painful to say that I will be stepping away from my beloved DBH family for 3-4 weeks while I recover from a vocal injury that only time can heal.

It’s hard for me to admit I am human, particularly because performers are often asked to push through and pretend that we’re not. I am so fortunate to work with the best producers, company, & stage managers, who don’t subscribe to that way of thinking and fully support me and my fellow cast mates when our bodies tell us it’s time for a break.

I kindly ask for your patience and understanding—not just for me, but for all Broadway performers. What we do with our teeny tiny vocal cords is nothing short of a Herculean task—one that most people take for granted and very few actually understand. I encourage you to do the research and see for yourself how your own vocal cords work—it is fascinating and I guarantee it’ll make you all the more impressed the next time you see a live performance.

We are athletes. And just like a professional basketball player, we are going to get injured from time to time—not because we aren’t good at our jobs, it simply comes with the territory because of the extraordinary demands we put on our bodies.

Thank you for your patience and support while I take this time to take care of myself to ensure my longevity with the show and my career, in general.

In the meantime, Madeline’s fabulous shoes will be filled brilliantly and I’ll be counting the seconds until I can meet you back at the Lunt-Fontanne. 💋