And now, a reminder.... Attendees to the Broadway production of Death Becomes Her at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre will be in for a delightful treat at the top of the show: A recorded message from Isabella Rossellini, who starred in the 1992 film on which the musical is based.
See Rossellini record the welcome message in the video below, which reminds audiences to turn off their phones and ends with a spirited "Sempre viva!"
In the film, Rossellini plays Lisle von Rhuman, a mysterious woman who distributes a potion that contains the key to eternal life—with some nasty side effects. Former Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams plays Rossellini's role in the musical, though the character has been renamed to Viola van Horn.
That's not the only time during the show that the Broadway show musical references the film its based on. In the Playbill, star Megan Hilty had some fun with her bio, writing: "Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton) has been lauded as 'the best actress of her generation.' The countless accolades for her career include 9 Golden Globe Awards and 21 Oscar nominations, winning three for Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979), Sophie's Choice (1982) and The Iron lady (2011). President Barack Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was awarded the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2017. Film credits: Mamma Mia!, The Devil Wears Prada, Death Becomes Her, Postcards From the Edge, It's Complicated, Doubt, Out of Africa, Julie & Julia and The River Wild. Television credits: Smash. @ThisIsTotallyMegansRealBio"
Knowledgable showgoers may recognize that the bio actually belongs to Meryl Streep, who played Hilty's role in the Death Becomes Her film. Hilty's credits include Wicked, Noises Off, and the television show Smash. (This isn't the first time stars have gotten creative with their Playbill bios—just read what Barbra Streisand wrote in her first bio.)
Theatre—and camp—lovers definitely do not need an immortality potion since Death Becomes Her is already giving us life.
Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard
Christopher Sieber in Death Becomes Her
Michelle Williams and company of Death Becomes Her
Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber, Megan Hilty, and Michelle Williams in Death Becomes Her
Jennifer Simard, Megan Hilty, and Christopher Sieber in Death Becomes Her
Company of Death Becomes Her
Michelle Williams and company of Death Becomes Her
Death Becomes Her began performances at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre October 23 ahead of a November 21 opening night.
Hilty and Jennifer Simard are leading the company as Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp, respectively, two rivals who gain eternal youth via a magic potion with some dirty side effects. Christopher Sieber and Michelle Williams are co-starring as Ernest Menville and Viola Van Horn, respectively. All four are reprising their performances from the musical's Chicago pre-Broadway tryout earlier this year.
Joining them are Marija Abney, Lauren Celentano, Sarita Colon, Cronin, Natalie Charle Ellis, Taurean Everett, Michael Graceffa, Neil Haskell, Kolton Krouse, Josh Lamon, Sarah Meahl, Ximone Rose, Sir Brock Warren, Bud Weber, Ryan Worsing, and Warren Yang. Swings Kyle Brown, Lakota Knuckle, Johanna Moise, and Amy Quanbeck round out the company. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting.
The work features a book by Marco Pennette, adapted from the screenplay by Martin Donovan and David Koepp; and songs by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey. Newsies Tony winner Christopher Gattelli is directing and choreographing.
The production features scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Justin Townsend, sound design by Peter Hylenski, hair and wig design by Charles J. LaPointe, makeup design by Joe Dulude II, fight direction by Thomas Schall, music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, orchestrations by Doug Besterman, dance and incidental music arrangements by Sam Davis, and music direction by Ben Cohn. Rachel Sterner is production stage manager.
The 1992 film, directed and co-produced by Robert Zemeckis, was noted for its relatively early use of CGI to achieve effects like star Meryl Streep's head turned completely backwards and a gaping hole going through her co-star Goldie Hawn. This musical version has been kicking around since at least 2017, when Kristin Chenoweth was attached to star, then with a separate creative team.
Universal Theatrical Group—overseen by Jimmy Horowitz and led by Lowe Cunningham—is producing.
Visit DeathBecomesHer.com.
