Nasia Thomas (center) as Viola Van Horn in a typically high-energy scene from the American touring production of Death Becomes Her (Photos by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
By Richard Ades
After seeing Death Becomes Her Tuesday night at the Ohio Theatre, I can understand why the musical won a 2025 Tony Award for its costumes. Designed by Paul Tazewell, they’re simply fabulous in a slinky, sparkly kind of way.
That’s fortunate, because otherwise they’d be overshadowed by the equally gorgeous scenery and lighting, designed by Derek McLane and Justin Townsend, respectively.
Musically, the show also soars, with the cast and orchestra making the most of the strong tunes and lyrics composed by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey.
All that sounds like the makings of a great night at the theater, and it was for many on Tuesday night. Indeed, some audience members apparently were already rabid fans when they arrived, including two patrons near me who started screaming at the outset and didn’t stop until the final curtain call.
If some people’s reactions are a little more muted, it could be due to Marco Pennette’s book, based on the 1992 Robert Zemeckis-directed flick of the same name. There are jokes galore, many of the naughty variety, but the overall plot is less than compelling.
At its center is the frenemy-ship between glamorous Hollywood star Madelyn Ashton (Jackie Burns) and struggling writer Helen Sharp (Kristen Beth Williams). After years of living in Madelyn’s shadow, Helen looks forward to flaunting her new fiancé, plastic surgeon Ernest Menville (Ken Marino).
Unfortunately for Helen, Madelyn sees Ernest as a challenge that she refuses to take lying down. Or, rather, she does take him lying down, seducing him and turning him into her new husband.
Fast forward several years, when Madelyn’s formerly flawless face and body have begun showing her age, and her career is suffering the consequences. Enter Viola Van Horn (Nasia Thomas), a mysterious figure with a magic potion that promises eternal youth. Naturally, the fame-addicted Madelyn can’t resist taking it, with predictably disastrous results.
Kristen Beth Williams (left) as Helen Sharp and Ken Marino as her former fiancé, Ernest Menville
The main problem with the musical’s storyline is that it can’t decide just what it’s about.
Is it a farce about female competitiveness? A satire about society’s unfair treatment of aging women? A morality tale about the importance of family and friends and/or female solidarity? A reverie about the disadvantages of immortality?
Death Becomes Her tries to touch all those bases and, as a result, falls well short of a home run. That’s probably why director/choreographer Christopher Gattelli tries to goose up the entertainment level with flashy sights, sounds and dance steps, as well as amazing special effects.
It also helps that the touring show’s cast is top-notch, displaying fine voices and nimble feet. Leading ladies Burns, Williams and Thomas all sing impressively, while Marino actually sings a little too well as Ernest, undercutting a running joke about the surgeon’s supposedly faulty pipes.
The show’s abundant flash and glitter add up to a spectacle that, depending on your theatrical tastes, will either keep you charmed throughout or leave you wishing for a bit more substance and cohesion.
Broadway in Columbus will present Death Becomes Her through Oct. 11 at the Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., Columbus. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. through Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (including intermission). For ticket information, visit columbus.broadway.com. For information about future tour stops, visit deathbecomesher.com/tour/.
