'Death Becomes Her' review — cult-favorite movie gets a fabulous musical facelift

Read our review of Death Becomes Her on Broadway, a musical adaptation of the 1992 Meryl Streep/Goldie Hawn movie now starring Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard.

The new Broadway musical Death Becomes Her bursts onto the scene with excellent homophone humor: “We all know that this whole damn show is for the gaze!” Or, depending on how you hear it, the "gays." It’s kind of the perfect summary. The show is an musical adaptation of the 1992 film, which explores the lengths women will go in the face of societal pressure about aging. But its status as a cult classic in the LGBTQ community has given it an afterlife most movies can only dream of, which may be how it ended up on Broadway.

It’s hard to follow the film's leading ladies Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, but if anyone is up for it, it’s Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard. Hilty bursts with star power as the glamorous and self-indulged actress Madeline Ashton, and Simard’s dry delivery is hilarious in author Helen Sharp’s meeker getup — and even better after she transforms into a femme fatale to show up Ashton.

Christopher Sieber is the perfectly bumbling plastic surgeon Ernest Menville, who can’t get a song in edgewise when Madeline and Helen are at their finest - though he manages to sneak away for a ludicrously funny song of his own in one of the campiest scenes of the show. Michelle Williams, a Broadway veteran and former Destiny’s Child member, opens the show and is ever-present as the otherworldly Viola van Horn (based on Lisle von Rhuman from the film). Aloof in contrast to the hotheadedness of the main characters, with a voice to bring the house down, she is a fitting choice for a character offering eternal youth.

There is love and fandom in every element of this show, like recreations of the movie's outfits and iconic lines, but the story is also amplified for a 2024 audience. Madeline feels the external pressures of being a woman of a certain age more acutely than her movie counterpart. Josh Lamon as Stefan, Madeline’s long-suffering assistant, both grounds the story and contributes to its camp with zingy interjections. And maybe most importantly, the ending is touchingly optimistic without letting go of the absurdity of it all.

Death Becomes Her summary

Based on the 1992 film starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, Death Becomes Her follows the lifelong rivalry of frenemies Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp. When alluring film and stage star Madeline steals timid writer Helen’s fiance, Ernest, Helen vows revenge.

Meanwhile, Madeline spirals as she realizes that the older she gets, the fewer career opportunities she has in Hollywood. Desperate, she takes a magic potion from the mysterious Viola van Horn to keep herself young forever. But when Helen shows up on Madeline’s door to settle the score, both women realize the magic potion has unexpected effects.

What to expect at Death Becomes Her

In my audience, Madeline Ashton's opening number, “For the Gaze,” earned a standing ovation from several audience members. Many of the references and direct quotes from the film were also met with a lot of clapping and whooping. Homages to the movie are part of what make this show so fun, so theatregoers who have never seen the original might want to watch it first in order to fully appreciate the callbacks.

True to its name, Death Becomes Her revolves around some deadly, supernatural happenings. The musical pulls these off with unmatched scenic design by Derek McLane and illusions by Tim Clothier, costumes by Paul Tazewell and makeup by Joe Dulude II - all of which create flesh-and-blood theatre magic just as impressive as the movie’s computer-generated visual effects were in 1992.

What audiences are saying about Death Becomes Her

With a 92% rating on Show-Score at the time of publication, Death Becomes Her has rave reviews from theatregoers.

• “This is everything a Broadway musical should be.” - Show-Score user Goldenboy
• “Hilarious, enchanting, incredible singing and acting, costumes go hard, sets go crazy, pitch perfect.” - Show-Score user Alaruz
• “I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a spectacle, glamour and comedy all rolled up into a one-of-a-kind show.” - Show-Score user mewantbroadway

Read more audience reviews of Death Becomes Her on New York Theatre Guide.

Who should see Death Becomes Her

• Anyone who can appreciate the 1992 movie in all its campy glory, this is the musical for you: a love letter to the original and to the cult following it has since gained.
• The sets and special effects in this show are to die for, and anyone with an interest in elaborate scene design and staging should see it for themselves.
• Fans of Megan Hilty or Jennifer Simard, both Tony-nominated actors, will delight in seeing them star as these vivacious leading ladies.

Learn more about Death Becomes Her on Broadway

Decadent and a lot of fun, Death Becomes Her is a musical that knows what it is and what its audience wants. For that it just may “siempre viva” — live forever.

Photo credit: Death Becomes Her on Broadway. (Photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)