Death Becomes Her

The American iconic surrealistic comedy fantasy film of the last century “Death Becomes Her” was revived thirty-two years later as a musical comedy on the stage of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.

The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and shot according to the traditions of dark humor from a script by David Koepp and Martin Donovan, was remembered by viewers primarily due to its brilliant cast: Meryl Streep (Madeline Ashton), Goldie Hawn (Helen Sharp), and Bruce Willis (Ernest Menville). The film received an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

Madeline and Helen – are fighting for one sweet man – Ernest, Helen’s fiancé. Madeline takes Ernest away from Helen, but the marriage turns out to be a disaster. Madeline cheats on Ernest and is obsessed with her appearance. Ernest turns from a successful plastic surgeon into a reconstructive mortician. Having met her former rival fourteen years later, Madeline sees Helen who looks significantly younger… Madeline buys a bottle of the mystical elixir of youth. “Bottoms up!”, and Madeline transforms before her own eyes. Turns out, Helen had taken the same potion. The side effect of the elixir is… immortality. An attempt to give Ernest the potion is unsuccessful: he escapes and lives a happy life with a new wife and kids. Later, at his funeral, we see frenemies – Madeline and Helen, doomed to an eternal coexistence.

Special effects associated with the deformations of bodies and dismemberment in the film are crucial. Thus, Meryl Streep was very believable in portraying the impossible – moving around with her neck twisted and head turned back…

The new musical “Death Becomes Her” was directed by Christopher Gattelli, with book by Marco Pennette, music, and lyrics by Julia Mattison, Noel Carey. In the musical, there were no visual special effects. They were replaced by a spectacular fall down the stairs (performed by Madeline’s double from the ensemble) and “decapitation.” We also witness a “smoking hole” on Helen’s dress, from the gunshot.

The film creators presented a fantasy canvas, woven with precision and elegance, in which the subject of mockery was the desire of women to preserve their beauty and youth at any cost. The consequences of the side effects of the elixir of youth from Lisle Von Rhuman (Viola Van Horn in the musical), manifested in the form of immortality, reconcile Madeline and Helen. Immortality is the price they pay for the eternal beauty – that's yet another “joke” of the film.

The subject of irony in this musical has been changed and now reads as “I know a secret you would die for”. It is not surprising that with the new take on the story, the main heroines have changed. Megan Hilty (Madeline) and Jennifer Simard (Helen) created characters very different from the ones in the movie. The elegance of dark humor was replaced with parody and “overacting.” In the book of the musical some storylines were changed. Thus, the role of Viola Van Horn, who looks like Cruella De Vil now, with her entourage of “immortals” – became more significant. The character of Ernest became richer. However, his climax is missing – when he gives in to Helen’s persuasion and kills his wife (in the movie). ?hristopher Sieber undoubtedly shines like a diamond in the role and showcases impeccable vocals.

The dance choreographed by Christopher Gattelli doesn’t serve the purpose of developing the plot. The ensemble is assigned the role of extras, they “create a pretty picture”, be it in the extravagant “Me, Me, Me”, where Madeline is the soloist, or the festive reception at “The Songbird” lounge, or at Viola’s magical mansion. Most of the spectators loved the ensemble more than anything. Indeed, some ensemble scenes were breathtaking but it was also clear that such a strong cast of dancers can handle a more complex choreography.

The music score consists of a set of forgettable melodies, songs are replete with primitive rhymes, and the rap number was a failure. Often a thought crosses the spectators’ mind: “This song sounds familiar…” The creators of this broadly comic musical got carried away with the exploitation of the “recognizability principle”: presenting to us Liza Minnelli (For the Gaze), an “Elphaba and Glinda” duet similar to “For Good” from Wicked (Alive Forever), or an allusion to Little Shop of Horrors (The Plan). The creators “winked at” the representatives of the LGBTQ community, feminists, body-positive supporters. Usually, with such a commercial approach, new shows don’t last long. Whether “flirting” with various important representatives of the audience helps this show – time will tell.

The musical “Death Becomes Her” didn’t add anything new to the world of musical theatre. However, it is an entertaining show suitable for those who are ready to laugh at corny jokes that “seem” relevant, want to see the “over the top” glam and glitter and meet the four famous performers.