Tony Award-nominated actress and singer Megan Hilty relishes the opportunity to perform in Hingham at a Sept. 8 fund-raiser for the Pat Roche Hospice Home, a nonprofit 12-bed hospice residence run by Norwell-based NVNA and Hospice. “It’s such an amazing organization, and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Hilty, a star of stage (Broadway performances including “Wicked,” “9 to 5: The Musical,” and “Noises Off,” for which she was nominated for a Tony Award in 2016) and small screen (including “Smash” and “Sean Saves the World”) who has lent her voice to several animated shows, including “T.O.T.S.” and “Trolls” on Disney+. Hilty said she will sing a variety of songs at the benefit, including at least one number from “Wicked” — in which she made her Broadway debut as Glinda. “[The song] ‘For Good’ works really well as a solo and applies to so many different situations,” said the Bellevue, Wash., native who is also looking forward to returning to Massachusetts and exploring Boston. She said her past performances singing with the Boston Pops have been “unbelievable … it’s a singer’s dream — and such a luxury — to be singing with some of the best musicians on the planet.” We caught up with Hilty, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Brian Gallagher, and their two children — Viola, 6, and Ronan, 4 — to talk about all things travel.
Favorite vacation destination? Hawaii. Time seems to stand still whenever I’m there. It’s almost as if you have no choice but to relax.
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Favorite food or drink while vacationing? One of the best parts of traveling is experiencing the local cuisine, so I always try to do a little research before I go to find where the locals eat and what the specialty is.
Where would you like to travel to but haven’t? I’d really like to spend some time in Ireland and Switzerland to learn about our family history and visit with our relatives.
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One item you can’t leave home without when traveling? A silk pillowcase — for my hair and skin.
Aisle or window? Window. I don’t like getting bumped when people are walking up and down the aisle.
Favorite childhood travel memory? We traveled by RV a lot and my favorite trip was taking an RV down to Disneyland and then taking the train back home to Seattle.
Guilty pleasure when traveling? Room service. It’s so expensive but I love it so much!
Best travel tip? Bring cash and leave a generous tip for housekeeping. Also, be sure to leave a short note of gratitude that makes it clear that you meant to leave it for them.
JULIET PENNINGTON