'Zombies' star Meg Donnelly is enjoying her Broadway debut, on and off stage
- - 'Zombies' star Meg Donnelly is enjoying her Broadway debut, on and off stage
Ralphie Aversa, USA TODAYJanuary 9, 2026 at 6:40 PM
0
NEW YORK – Meg Donnelly doesn't mind bending the rules. The actress, who is making her Broadway debut in "Moulin Rouge! The Musical," was exhausted one Sunday night after the day's two performances. So she treated herself to something most vocalists say isn't great for your voice: dairy.
"I ordered a tub of ice cream and I ate the chopped cheese (sandwich)," Donnelly, 25, says of a recent food delivery from her local bodega (New York's signature corner stores). "It was glorious."
Donnelly admits it "didn't sit well" and "probably didn't feel good for my voice" but thankfully with Monday off from performing she had plenty of time to recover.
Meg Donnelly is back home. The actress, who was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, makes her Broadway debut in "Moulin Rouge! The Musical."
While the actress is new to the grind of Broadway, she's no stranger to the hustle of Manhattan. Donnelly was born in New York City and raised in the northern part of New Jersey, spending summers vacationing down the Jersey Shore. While she now calls Los Angeles home (that's where her boyfriend, actor Drake Rodger is taking care of her two cats), Donnelly says she grew up a "huge theater kid" and it's "surreal" returning to Manhattan's bright lights.
"I feel like the younger version of myself would just be so excited and so happy that I finally got to do Broadway," she says. "I auditioned for all of these Broadway shows and there's just so much rejection that comes with it. And at a young age, it's really hard because it kind of becomes part of your personality almost. There are a lot of moments where I'm like, 'Am I capable?' But being able to perform every night and prove to myself that I can get through a show is just really empowering."
Meg Donnelly stars as Satine in "Moulin Rouge! The Musical." The role marks Donnelly's Broadway debut.Meg Donnelly breaks down her role as Satine in 'Moulin Rouge!'
In "Moulin Rouge!" Donnelly plays Satine, a cabaret star suffering from tuberculosis. Despite her illness, Satine continues to perform and catches the attention of Christian, an aspiring songwriter who falls in love with her. The musical is based on the 2001 film, which earned 8 Oscar nominations including best picture.
"I feel like the first act is more fun and the second act is more serious," Donnelly says of the show and her character's arc. "So I think doing the dramatic stuff, I've really enjoyed it because I feel like every night I find new things. Satine doesn't want to show that she's dying to anybody because she has a lot of pride and wants to protect everybody. So finding new ways to portray that every show is really cool."
"Moulin Rouge!" is a jukebox musical that interprets a litany of popular songs for its story, so many that Donnelly has a hard time choosing which one is her favorite. She says the difficulty of performing the "Elephant Love Medley" is her favorite moment in the production. The medley mashes up over a dozen tracks including The Love Affair's "Everlasting Love," Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" and Elton John's "Your Song."
As for choosing a favorite song interpreted, she eventually lands on "Backstage Romance," which combines Britney Spears' "Toxic" with Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance."
Donnelly, who is known for playing Addison in the Disney Channel's "Zombies" movie franchise, isn't sure what's next for her after Broadway. But the performer says that she enjoys her current gig and being closer to home.
"I also think this just gave me a newfound confidence and excitement for my own music," she says. Donnelly released an EP, "Dying Art," in 2025. "I would love to perform my own stuff live and I feel like singing in front of people, even though I've done it my whole life, (the perception of my singing) was a really hard thing for me to overcome. Now that I do it every single night, I feel like I'm starting to slowly but surely get more comfortable and I would love to bring that into my music."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Moulin Rouge!' star Meg Donnelly dishes on Broadway debut
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
