The Tony®-Winning Hit Musical Comedy
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.
Now a warning! You may not be ready for the unbelievable amount of comedy, glamour, and magic onstage at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Death Becomes Her is a “wildly entertaining, perfect musical comedy. It grabs the audience by the jugular and doesn’t let go” (Deadline). With direction and choreography by Tony winner Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her is “a laugh-filled, tuneful musical to die for” (Variety) and “a cheek-aching laughter roller coaster — the most fun night out on Broadway!” (The Daily Beast). Experience the “savagely funny” (Time Out) pop-culture phenomenon that’s been certified “hilarious” by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Z100, Beyoncé (!!), Goldie Hawn, Superman aka David Corenswet, Michelle Williams (the other one), and countless fans on Instagram, TikTok, and beyond. See it now, and laugh for eternity.
The momentum during the two-hour and 30-minute runtime also does stall somewhat in the second act — perhaps gently reminding audiences that indeed not everything should last, or take, forever — yet eventually recovers with a welcomely recrafted ending. The new finish may lack the side- (and arm- and leg- and head-) splitting gag of the film, but offers a touching and terrifically funny send-off to our tragic love triangle of doom. Madeline and Helen may have faked their deaths, but we’ll doubtlessly see them again. After all, the only thing more eternal than these brawling broads is the intellectual property that birthed them. Grade: B
“Death Becomes Her,” a stylishly macabre Broadway musical comedy about a love/hate triangle, has much the same plot, catty repartee, and even some of the same comically gruesome special effects as the 1992 Meryl Streep/Goldie Hawn/Bruce Willis movie on which it is based. Although not as starry a draw as their cinematic predecessors, Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber — all Broadway favorites — do a fine job in the principal roles, and there are several memorable supporting players. But if I’m being honest, one theater artist stood out for me: Paul Tazewell, the costume designer.
| 2024 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Marco Pennette |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design of a Mus | Paul Tazewell |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical | Jennifer Simard |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair Design | Charles G. LaPointe |
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE | Jennifer Simard |
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE | Megan Hilty |
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL | Christopher Gattelli |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Marco Pennette |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Christopher Gattelli |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Paul Tazewell |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Musical | Christopher Gattelli |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical | Christopher Sieber |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical | Jennifer Simard |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design | Justin Townsend |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Death Becomes Her |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Doug Besterman |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design | Derek McLane |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Noel Carey |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Julia Mattison |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Sound Design | Peter Hylenski |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Marco Pennette |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Christopher Gattelli |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Paul Tazewell |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Christopher Gattelli |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Justin Townsend |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (Music and/or Lyrics) | Julia Mattison |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (Music and/or Lyrics) | Noel Carey |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Megan Hilty |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Jennifer Simard |
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Derek McLane |
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