Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The peppy musical adaptation of DEATH BECOMES HER is elevated by leading ladies Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard

• By drediman
• November 22, 2024
• No Comments

Last night, the new musical Death Becomes Her opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Of course, the show is the musical adaptation of the Robert Zemeckis’s 1992 film of the same name, which over the years has ascended the ranks of popular films of that era to become a queer cult classic. For those unfamiliar with the movie, the piece tells the story of Madeline and Helen, two lifelong “frenemies” who have a habit of taking out their respective frustrations on womanhood on each other. This longstanding tug-of-war relationship takes a fabulously supernatural turn when both happen to take an elixir that restores their youthful looks and basically grants them eternal life.

Featuring a book by television’s Marco Pennette and a score by relative newcomers Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, the production comes close to musical theater nirvana — but doesn’t quite reach it. Pennette’s book is a laugh machine, even if its surface-level critique of our beauty obsessed culture is only used as an excuse to show off Paul Tazewell’s eye-popping costumes and drastically amp up the subtle if uncomfortable camp of the underlying movie to cartoonish levels. Indeed, in conjunction with Mattison and Carey’s peppy, smart score, the musical leans in heavily on tried-and-true Broadway glitz and the adoration of its built-in (gay) fan base. Admittedly, the formula works like a charm for a while. However, the second act eventually loses some of the comic buoyancy of the first half, falling into a predictable holding pattern of one big production number after another. Thankfully, director-choreographer Christopher Gattelli has enough tricks up his sleeves to distract most ticket buyers.

At the helm company, best of all, are two utter pros — Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard — in the roles iconically played by Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in the film. Not only are both deliciously busty and impossibly glamorous, they’re also inspired comedians and sensational belters. In a certain light, they’re essentially drag queens, and they work hard for their paycheck. In particular, Simard is finally given the green light to originate a leading role in a big Broadway musical, and she makes the most of the opportunity, striking comic gold time and time again (as always). Also in the cast is Destiny Child’s Michele Williams (sexy and elusive) and an arguably underutilized but always game Christopher Sieber.

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DEATH BECOMES HER
Broadway, Musical
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run