Need a new musical to die for? Based on the iconic 1992 film, Death Becomes Her is Broadway's new laugh-out-loud musical comedy. The acclaimed new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli, features a book by Marco Pennette, and an original score by Julia Mattison & Noel Carey.
Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen. Helen Sharp is the long-suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best of frenemies…until Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé away. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for. After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored…and a grudge to last eternity.
The film on which the musical is based (starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis) has earned cult status for its biting satire, groundbreaking special effects, and iconic performances by Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film explores themes of vanity, immortality, and the absurd lengths people go to in pursuit of eternal youth. Its sharp humor and campy tone, coupled with its innovative use of early CGI technology, have made it a standout in the genre.
Over the years, Death Becomes Her has become a cultural touchstone, celebrated for its queer appeal, memorable one-liners, and commentary on society's obsession with beauty and aging. Its enduring popularity is reflected in frequent revivals, tributes, and its influence on subsequent works in film and fashion.
Before the musical arrived on Broadway, it played at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago in early 2024. Both the Chicago and original Broadway productions were led by Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber, and Michelle Williams.
So if you want perfection, look no further than Death Becomes Her.
A perfect rejoinder to the ubiquitous Broadway Sucks These Days gripe about the too-many movie-to-stage adaptations has arrived at long last, and it’s a simple three-word response: Death Becomes Her. A virtually perfect big-budget, broad-appeal musical comedy that improves in every way over the 1992 film, director-choreographer Christopher Gattelli’s wildly entertaining vehicle for two of our best singer-actor-comedians on any stage today renders the movie-as-source snipe worthless.
Marco Pennette’s book gives Hilty all the grand-dame one-liners, but it’s Simard who gets the more unexpected laughs with delightful line readings that take a second or two to register. The sharp dialogue is in perfect tune with Julia Mattison and Noel Carey’s lyrics, and that duo’s music, which is merely serviceable, manages not to get in the way of the characters and the story, which Pennette has made far less convoluted than its source material.
2024 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
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