Death Becomes Her (musical)

Death Becomes Her is a musical, with a book by Marco Pennette and music and lyrics by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey. Based on the 1992 film of the same name directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis, the musical made its world premiere in May 2024 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago,^[1] and moved to the Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in November 2024.^[2]

Death Becomes Her
Broadway promotional poster
Music	Julia Mattison Noel Carey
Lyrics	Julia Mattison Noel Carey
Book	Marco Pennette
Basis	Death Becomes Her by Martin Donovan David Koepp
Premiere	May 19, 2024 (2024-05-19): Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago
Productions	2024 Chicago 2024 Broadway

The original Chicago and Broadway productions received mostly positive reviews^[3] by theatre critics, with Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard receiving universal praise for their comedic timing, chemistry, and performances.

Development

In December 2017, a Broadway musical adaptation of Death Becomes Her was reported to be in development, with Kristin Chenoweth tapped to star.^[4][5] The book is written by Marco Pennette and has an original score by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey.^[6]

Notably, the character of Lisle von Rhuman, originally portrayed by Isabella Rossellini in the film, was changed to Viola Van Horn, portrayed by Michelle Williams. When asked about the decision making behind the change, Williams said she did not know what caused the change, but stated that there were some plot elements in the production that may hint at the reason.^[7]

Production history

Chicago (2024)

In September 2023 it was announced that the musical was produced by Broadway In Chicago, Universal Theatrical Group, 321 Theatrical Management, and was directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.^[8] The production featured set design by Derek McLane, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Justin Townsend, sound design by Peter Hylenski, illusions by Rob Lake, hair and makeup by Charles LaPointe and Joe Dulude II.^[9]

The musical ran at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago from April 30 to June 2, 2024.^[10] The cast featured Megan Hilty as Madeline, Jennifer Simard as Helen, Christopher Sieber as Ernest and Michelle Williams as Viola Van Horn, a character originally named Lisle von Rhuman.^[11]

Broadway (2024)

In May 2024, the producers announced their plans to have the musical begin performances at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on October 23 of that year, with an official opening scheduled for November 21. Joining the producing team for the Broadway transfer were Marc Platt (in his first stage producing collaboration with Universal since Wicked), Debra Martin Chase and Steven Spielberg alongside his wife Kate Capshaw.^[12][13]

Cast and characters

Character	Chicago	Broadway
	2024[14]	2024[15]
Madeline Ashton	Megan Hilty
Ernest Menville	Christopher Sieber
Helen Sharp	Jennifer Simard
Viola Van Horn	Michelle Williams
Chagall	Taurean Everett
Stefan	Josh Lamon

Synopsis

Broadway Run Synopsis

Madeline Ashton (Megan Hilty^[16]) is a glamorous actress of the stage and screen, while Helen Sharp (Jennifer Simard) is a less-successful, mousy author who lives in her shadow. They have always had a turbulent relationship and were "frenemies", until Madeline "steals" Helen’s fiancé. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline's success dwindles, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, 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 with their youth and beauty restored…and a grudge to last eternity.^[17]

Plot

Act I

The show opens with Viola Van Horn and her group of immortals sharing "a secret you would die for" by offering the audience a magic potion to remain eternally beautiful and to achieve perfection ("If You Want Perfection").

Vain and self-absorbed actress Madeline Ashton performs in the Broadway show Me! Me! Me! ("For the Gaze"). She is visited by her former friend and struggling writer Helen Sharp, whom she frequently belittles and insults for her own amusement. However, Helen has one-upped Madeline by revealing she is engaged to a plastic surgeon, Ernest Menville, and relishes the opportunity to get back at her frenemy ("That Was Then, This is Now").

Madeline invites the two over to her home, where she seduces Ernest ("Tell Me, Ernest"), steals him from Helen, and ends up marrying him ("Madeline Ashton’s Intimate Wedding Extravaganza"), with Ernest promising during their wedding to stay "till death do us part". Helen, meanwhile, is sent to a psychiatric hospital for the next seven years, where she obsesses over killing Madeline ("Madeline").

Ten years later, Madeline and Ernest are still unhappily married. Ernest, now a plastic surgeon in Hollywood, copes by drinking ("Til Death"). Madeline has also begun to visibly age, costing her acting roles. The couple are invited to Helen’s first book publication, where they find Helen has become young, successful, and beautiful. At the party, Madeline is given the business card of Viola Van Horn by her assistant, Chagall, before Helen flirts with Ernest and further humiliates Madeline by mocking her age and failed acting roles ("Tell Me, Ernest (Reprise)"). Madeline vows not to let her career and image "fall apart" and visits Viola at her home ("Falling Apart").

Viola offers Madeline the potion on the condition that she vanish from the public eye after ten years to keep its existence a secret. She takes the potion, regaining her youth and beauty. Viola leaves Madeline with a warning: "take care of your body" ("Siempre Viva").

Back at Ernest and Madeline’s home, Helen breaks in and rekindles her relationship with Ernest, and the two plan to run away together by murdering Madeline ("Let’s Run Away Together"). Upon Madeline’s return home, she and Helen get into a fight, which results in Madeline falling down the stairs, breaking her neck. As Ernest calls 911, Madeline reanimates, accusing Helen of pushing her down the stairs ("Confrontation").

Act II

Viola returns to stage to warn the audience that they won’t like what they see ("Don’t Say I Didn’t (Warn You)").

At the hospital, it is confirmed that Madeline is clinically dead, yet still alive. Madeline realizes Helen has taken the potion as well and shoots her with a shotgun, leaving a massive hole in her torso. Their bickering leads to further violence and more injuries: Helen is impaled by an umbrella and Madeline is decapitated before Ernest stops them ("Hit Me"). The two women beg Ernest to use his surgical skills to repair their bodies, and he agrees on the condition that he be allowed to leave afterward. A drunk and delirious Ernest plans to fix them with glue and spray paint ("The Plan"). He also fires Stefan, Madeline’s long-suffering assistant, to prevent him from discovering the secret ("Stefan’s Turn").

Madeline and Helen realize they’ll need Ernest to maintain their bodies. They plot to drug him and have him drink the potion so he can become immortal too. After knocking Ernest out, they take him to Viola's, where she is hosting a ball with the other immortals ("Live to Serve"). Ernest awakens, and Viola tempts him with the potion, but he rejects it and tries to flee the house with it ("Siempre Viva (Reprise)"/"The Chase"). He is chased to the roof, where he states that he would rather die than spend eternity with Madeline and Helen before he is pushed off the roof to his apparent death by Viola ("Til Death (Reprise)").

Helen despondently realizes she's doomed to outlive all of her friends and family and be alone forever. Madeline, apologizing for the first time, says that they have one another and can be each other's "person" ("Alive Forever"). The two drop their rivalry, embrace, and head home.

Fifty years later, Madeline and Helen visit their own graves to maintain them. They meet an elderly Ernest, who had survived the fall, fell in love with his nurse, married her, and had children and grandchildren. As Ernest and his wife leave, Helen and Madeline momentarily lament they will never have an "ending" of their own before leaving to get Arby's ("The End").

Musical Numbers

Broadway Run

Act I If You Want Perfection — Viola, Immortals For the Gaze — Madeline, Ensemble That Was Then, This is Now — Helen Tell Me, Ernest — Madeline, Helen, Ernest Madeline Ashton's Intimate Wedding Extravaganza — Ernest, Madeline, Luciano, Ensemble Madeline — Helen Till Death — Ernest Tell Me, Ernest (Reprise) — Helen Falling Apart — Madeline Siempre Viva — Viola, Immortals Let's Run Away Together — Helen, Ernest Confrontation — Madeline, Helen

Act II Entr'Acte Don't Say I Didn't (Warn You) — Viola, Immortals Hit Me — Helen, Madeline The Plan — Ernest, Ensemble Stefan's Turn — Stefan Live to Serve - Chagall, Immortals Siempre Viva (Reprise) — Viola, Madeline, Helen The Chase — Immortals Till Death (Reprise) — Ernest, Madeline, Helen Alive Forever — Helen, Madeline This Is Not the End — Helen, Madeline, Ensemble

Chicago Run

Act I Prelude — Viola, Ensemble For the Gaze —Madeline, Ensemble That Was Then, This is Now — Helen, Ernest Tell Me, Ernest — Madeline, Helen, Ernest The Vows — Ensemble Madeline — Helen (I See) Me! — Madeline, Ensemble Till Death — Ernest Tell Me, Ernest (Reprise) — Helen, Ernest Madeline's Lament — Madeline Siempre Viva — Viola, Madeline, Ensemble Let's Run Away Together — Helen, Ernest Disrespect Me (The Stairs) — Madeline, Helen Let's Run Away Together (Reprise) — Helen, Ernest, Madeline, Viola

Act II Don't Say I Didn't Warn You — Viola, Ensemble Hit Me Like You Mean It — Helen, Madeline, Ernest Ernest Menville — Ernest, Ensemble Siempre Viva (Reprise) — Viola, Madeline, Helen, Ernest Goodbye Forever — Ernest, Helen, Madeline That Was Then, This is Now (Reprise I) — Helen, Madeline Alive Forever - Helen, Madeline Gone (The Procession) — Ensemble That Was Then, This is Now (Reprise II) — Ernest Finale — Helen, Madeline

Critical response

Chicago production

The original Chicago production received generally positive reviews, praising the cast performance, especially appreciating Williams, Hilty and Simard.^[18][19][20] Steven Oxman of Variety wrote that book writer Marco Pennette "makes many smart choices in this adaptation" writing that the narrative has a proper rhythm between singing performances and acting.^[21]

Broadway production

The Broadway production was mostly praised by critics.^[22][23][24] In a positive review, Benjamin Lee of The Guardian stated that "after a buzzy initial run in Chicago, Death Becomes Her has been reborn on Broadway as a rousing, raucously entertaining hit", emphasizing that the acting performances equal those in the film.^[25] Greg Evans of Deadline Hollywood wrote that the musical production "improves in every way over the 1992 film" in which "Mattison and Carey have concocted a knock-’em-dead collection of killer songs that send up show tune convention while celebrating each and every one with love and care".^[26] Johnny Oleksinski of New York Post gave the production 3 out of 4 stars, appreciating that "the lyrics are often clever and naughty, but melody is cast aside in favor of vocal acrobatics" with the direction which "finds nifty ways of nodding to that legacy onstage" for an "appropriately over-the-top production".^[27]

In popular culture

The show has gained popularity through what could be called a small TikTok trend where partaking content creators would lip-sync the lyrics to "Tell Me, Ernest".^[28][29]