#BehindtheCurtain: Get to Know Meghan O'Brien Lowery

#BehindtheCurtain: Get to Know Meghan O’Brien Lowery

Posted May 3, 2023

It’s opening weekend for our production of Xanadu and our actors and actresses are ready to shine! This week, we got to sit down with one of those stars, Meghan O’Brien Lowery, and get the answers to some of our burning questions about her. Meghan’s story is certainly a unique one, as she just returned to the world of musical theatre after thirteen years! In her long hiatus from musical theatre, Meghan was off changing the world by pursuing her other passions of non-profit service and philanthropic consulting. She has spent time around the world on this work, and in 2016 she decided to leave her home in Kenya and make the brave move to San Diego. She opened MegLow Consulting and settled down with her husband and family. We’re so happy to have Meghan as part of our SDMT family as she returns to the stage for our production of Xanadu! Keep reading below to get to know this amazingly talented individual before you see her shine on the SDMT Stage!

What inspired you to get into musical theatre?

My love of and inspiration for musical theatre definitely came from family. My maternal grandmother had a beautiful soprano voice. She sang in church and always encouraged singing around the home. Between my grandmother and my mother, and also many hours of watching the movie Funny Girl, my love of musical theatre was born!

Does Xanadu have any special meaning to you? And if you could tell the audience anything about the show, what would it be?

Xanadu is a show about big dreams, family, and staying true to yourself. The show has an incredible amount of heart, comedy, and love. I think the audience will deeply enjoy this fantastic show!

Photo by Julie Licari

Who is your Broadway idol?

That’s an easy answer for me. It definitely Stephanie J. Block. The emotion and acting she infuses into every songs she sings, I find extraordinary.

What’s one 80s trend that you’d love to see come back?

I enjoyed the pre-cell phone days of taking a long walk and connecting with our communities. That’s a big reason why I came back to theater after 13 years, to establish a sense of community in San Diego.

What’s your favorite scene or number in the show?

I adore hearing Krista sing “Suspended in Time”. That song is beautiful and her voice is just magic. I get to wait in the wings and watch her shine. It’s a special moment in the show for sure.

Photo by Julie Licari

What’s your dream role or dream show to be in?

I may possibly have aged out of this character, but I would love to play one of the conjoined twins in Side Show. It is such a special story that is rarely shared, and the music is fantastic!

If you were a muse, what would you be the muse of? (i.e. the muse of comedy, the muse of great haircuts, etc.)

I would be the muse of organizing closets! A way that I tend to relax on the weekends is to declutter, organize, and clean every closet in my house!

Do you have any epic roller skating stories? If not, what’s your favorite jam that you would love to roller skate to at the rink and why?

My very epic roller skating story is quite recent actually. The second week of rehearsal for Xanadu, I was showing off on skates and fell and broke my wrist. The experience was quite humbling and challenging, but I am so proud to have continued, and to be a part of the show still. The entire cast, crew, and SDMT family supported me through that process, and I’m really grateful. Major lesson learned, no roller skating after 40. Or at least… NO showing off after 40!