Betsy Wolfe Will Take Over as 'Madeline Ashton' in DEATH BECOMES HER
Megan Hilty will play her final performance on January 4, 2026.
By: Nicole Rosky Oct. 20, 2025
Madeline's been on our mind today... BroadwayWorld has just learned that Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe (& Juliet) will join the company of the Tony Award winning smash hit musical comedy, Death Becomes Her, as ‘Madeline Ashton’ beginning Friday, January 16, 2026.
Megan Hilty originated the role of “Madeline Ashton” in both the world premiere production in Chicago and the Broadway run. She has been involved in developing the show since Spring 2023 and earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance. Hilty is set to give her final performance as “Madeline” on Sunday, January 4, 2026.
Produced by Universal Theatrical Group and based on the Universal Pictures 1992 film, Broadway’s drop-dead hilarious musical comedy, Death Becomes Her was the most nominated show of the 2024-2025 Broadway season with 33 total nominations, including: 10 Tony Award Nominations, 12 Outer Critics’ Circle Award Nominations, 5 Drama Desk Award Nominations, 4 Drama Leage Award Nominations, and 2 Chita Rivera Award Nominations.
Death Becomes Her features direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli, a book by Tony Award Nominee Marco Pennette, and an original score by Tony Award Nominees Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, and currently stars Tony Award nominees Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton), Jennifer Simard (Helen Sharp), Christopher Sieber (Ernest Menville), and Grammy® Award winner Michelle Williams (Violet Van Horn) with Taurean Everett (Chagall) and Josh Lamon (Stefan). The cast also features Marija Abney, Sarita Colón, Kaleigh Cronin, Alexa De Baar, Natalie Charle Ellis, Michael Graceffa, Neil Haskell, Ximone Rose, Bethany Ann Tesarck, Mitch Tobin, Sir Brock Warren, Bud Weber, Ryan Worsing, Warren Yang, Kyle Brown, Kristine Covillo, Alex Hartmanm, Lakota Knuckle, McKinley Knuckle, Johanna Moise, Justin O’Brien, Amy Quanbeck and Dee Roscioli.
Death Becomes Her features scenic design by two-time Tony Award winner Derek McLane, costume design by Tony Award winner Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Tony Award winner Justin Townsend, sound design by Tony Award winner Peter Hylenski, hair and wig design by two-time Drama Desk Award winner Charles LaPointe, make-up design
by Joe Dulude II, fight direction by Drama Desk Award winner Cha Ramos, with music supervision by Drama Desk Award winner Mary-Mitchell Campbell, orchestrations by three-time Tony Award winner Doug Besterman, music direction by Ben Cohn, dance & music arrangements by Tony Award nominee Sam Davis, vocal arrangements by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Julia Mattison & Noel Carey, music coordination by Kristy Norter, casting by Tara Rubin Casting, production stage management by Rachel Sterner, and general management by 321 Theatrical Management. Marcia Goldberg serves as Executive Producer.
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. Life’s a bitch and then you die. Or not!
Death Becomes Her is currently on sale through Sunday, June 7, 2026.
BIO:
Betsy Wolfe (Madeline Ashton) recently originated and starred in the title role in Joy, a new musical based on the life of inventor Joy Mangano, where her performance earned widespread critical acclaim. She had a celebrated tenure with the hit musical & Juliet as Anne Hathaway, where her performance was nominated for the 2023 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Previously, Wolfe starred in the Tony nominated musical Waitress where she gave a multi-faceted performance as Jenna. Prior to that, she played Cordelia, one of the lovable “lesbians from next door,” in the Broadway revival of Falsettos, which airs frequently on PBS. She is perhaps best known for her critically acclaimed
performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Betsy’s other Broadway credits include Ellen in the 2014 production of Bullets Over Broadway, directed by Susan Stroman, and Rosa Bud in the revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Wolfe can be seen in the indie feature First One In (on all streaming platforms) and starred in the holiday film Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol With A Twist. Wolfe had a guest starring role on the CBS series “Instinct.” Other notable productions include Beth in the City Center Encores! production of Sondheim’s, Merrily We Roll Along, a world premiere production of Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez’s musical Up Here, and Mary Ann Singleton in ACT's world premiere of Tales of the City. Betsy made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus (Ida). She has been a guest artist for over 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras across the U.S. and internationally, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra. She has collaborated with The New York Pops and played to sold- out crowds at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center with their Broadway Today and Women of Notes concerts. Originally from California, Betsy received her BFA in musical theatre from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. At age 20 she made
her Carnegie Hall debut with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under Maestro Erich Kunzel. After receiving her BFA, Betsy quickly moved on to star as Rona Lisa Peretti in the San Francisco and Boston companies of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Soon after, she made her Broadway debut in the revival of 110 in the Shade. Betsy gained attention for her next role in both the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Sherie Rene Scott’s Everyday Rapture, where she played one of the two Mennonettes. Recordings include & Juliet, Falsettos, Bullets over Broadway, The Last Five Years, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, Stage Door Canteen, 35MM, and Merrily We Roll Along. She can also be seen in the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. In 2018 Wolfe founded BroadwayEvolved, a groundbreaking musical theatre training program for students which has been named (seven years in a row) as one of the best summer programs along with top universities. www.broadwayevolved.com.
