Review of the Saturday, February 8, 2025 evening performance at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City. Starring Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber, Michelle Williams, Josh Lamon and Taurean Everett. Book by Marco Pennette. Music, lyrics and vocal arrangements by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey. Based on the Universal Pictures Film written by Martin Donovan and David Kopp, and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Scenic and video design by Derek McLane. Costume design by Paul Tazewell. Lighting design by Justin Townsend. Sound design by Peter Hylenski. Direction and choreography by Christopher Gattelli. 2 hours, 30 minutes including one intermission.
I went into this show completely blind, never having seen the film version. And to be honest, I was looking forward to seeing it simply for the cast, which stars three of my all-time favorite stage stars, and not that excited to see yet another stage adaptation of a movie. Well, they had me at the show curtain, and I was thrilled all the way out the door at the end. It is no exaggeration to say that Death Becomes Her is the most consistently funny show I have seen in years!
Marco Pinnette's book is pretty tight, and Julia Mattison and Noel Carey's score feature so many jokes per minute that there is barely time to breathe, not to mention song after song filled with rapid fire lyrics that are razor sharp and happily bitchy. I found myself trying not to laugh so that I wouldn't miss anything, but to no avail - we all howled with delight without abatement. And where there was any pause in the words, the sight gags and choreography (equally brilliant and perfectly integrated by Christopher Gattelli) guaranteed even more joy. The first ten minutes, including the wickedly dark "If You Want Perfection," and the season's best production number, "For the Gaze," are unparalleled, and yet, the show just gets better from there!
Visually, Death is just as satisfying and full of theater magic and razzle dazzle. Special mention must be made about Peter Hylenski's masterful sound design, with great effects and a balance that assured that we didn't miss a word. But in a rarity these days, you could see every penny of your ticket price on the stage in front of you, be it Derek McLane's sumptuous and hilarious set designs, or Paul Tazewell's dazzling and consistently surprising costume designs, or the exciting (and devilish!) lighting design by Justin Townsend. It truly is a feast for all the senses, and brilliantly executed.
The very game ensemble oozes charm and sex (I'd think long and hard before bringing a small child...) and are every bit as funny as the principal cast. Standout "Immortals" include Kolton Krouse, Ryan Worsing, Neil Haskell and Warren Yang. As the mysterious Viola Van Horn's assistant Chagall, Taureen Everett threatens to steal every scene he's in. Of course, Josh Lamon does his own scene-stealing thing as Madeline's long-suffering assistant, Stefan. Both are truly welcome every time they enter, always adding to the hilarity - no mean feat considering what they are up against.


Going into this, I didn't think I could love either Megan Hilty or Jennifer Simard any more than I already did, but I was wrong! Holy cow are these two comedy gold! They are yin and yang personified: they play with and off of each other on par with the craziest antics Lucy and Ethel ever pulled off. Each one is absolutely in control of their equally challenging roles, and considering that these women are literally trying to outdo each other, it is a tribute to both actresses that the competition stays within the story. These are a pair of performances remarkably in sync. I don't envy awards committees at the end of the season.
The show's tag-line is "Musical Comedy. Revitalized." Gotta love such truth in advertising. This one is a killer - or should I say unkillable - musical to be seen to be believed.
📸: M. Murphy, E. Zimmerman