Hilty & Simard to lead DEATH BECOMES HER in Chicago spring 2024; Broadway in the fall- Page 12

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/5/24 at 1:50pm

Countless multi Tony Award winning performers and creatives have been attached to productions that heavily flopped so that doesn’t guarantee anything. Even LuPone has been involved with flops. 

[Adeliciaboy]

Posted: 5/5/24 at 9:16pm

Dear Betty:  I wouldn't be so sure they are going to do the massive amount of work needed to fix this turkey.  The bones to build from are simply NOT there.  Two and one-half hours of poorly done camp is not enough.  And right now, if one is being generous, that's all the creative team has got to work with.  I'm shocked that none of the posters  on this board -- or almost none -- are talking about the near total absence of a memorable  score and choreography in this train wreck of a musical.  I guess the many gays in the audience at the first preview didn't come  to see a musical.  They just wanted to whoop it up..   If the disaster that was "The Devil Wears Prada" should have taught Chicago audiences anything, it's that you can't tweak your way to success in musical theater when you are starting with something as deeply flawed as both "Death" and "Prada."  BalconyClub's interesting posts about how the show has changed in just one week are an indication of what's changing -- a word or line here, a blocking adjustment there.  Puh-leze.  This show needs major rewrites from top to bottom, new composers and probably before it's over a new director and choreographer if it is still eyeing Broadway a month from now.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/5/24 at 9:41pm

I’m getting War Paint vibes from the final number with the two ladies. Especially with the blue and pink contrasting colors. Gattelli was the choreographer on War Paint, so I’m sure it was in the back of his head when he was envisioning the number.

[MatthewS1]

Posted: 5/5/24 at 11:44pm

Saw tonight’s show! Had a ton of fun. The wedding scene reference was “Kool-Aid! Oh Yeah” and got huge applause. A couple tech hiccups- the grand drape got stuck once on the Viola mansion door near the end of act 1 and Megan ad-libbed something. Chris also tipped his entire chair back again during his Act 2 number- I think it came out of the automation track, and a stagehand had to push it manually during the next scene change. The move took longer than expected and Megan and Jen were basically slo-mo walking down the stairs. Also, some of the proscenium lights looked like they were flickering during the middle of Act 2. Otherwise, the show is in great shape. I agree with what has been said about Williams and the score feeling all over the place, but I had a lot of fun and I’m sure it will only get better. Christopher Gattelli was sitting right near us taking notes and I’m excited to hear about what continues to change.

(Note: Michelle did not stagedoor tonight- it was their first 2 show day. Chris Sieber was the only lead to sign things.)

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 12:15am

Adeliciaboy said .... I'm shocked that none of the posters on this board -- or almost none -- are talking about the near total absence of a memorable score and choreography in this train wreck of a musical. ..."

Agreed. Choreography should advance the story line, but it misses the mark. Why is there a tango? Why is there a waltz? Why is the Ensemble stomping Viola's mansion floor during the forgettable chase sequence?  At least the awkward ending of the waltz now smoothly transitions into the next moments in Viola's mansion.

On the other hand, the score is winning me over. When the house opens, you can often hear one of the 2 trombone players warming up with MADELINE'S BEEN ON MY MIND

My (titles are guesses) favorites are

• EVERYTHING I DO IS FOR THE GAZE/GAYS (Madeline)
• THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW (Helen)
• MADELINE'S BEEN ON MY MIND (Helen)
• MADELINE'S LAMENT (Madeline)
• LET'S RUN AWAY TOGETHER (Helen and Ernest)
• GOODBYE FOREVER (Ernest)
• ALIVE FOREVER (Madeline and Helen)

Updated On: 5/6/24 at 12:15 AM

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 4:00am

I’m just starved for a good original score with good lyrics. I hope this show delivers that. With the cast and source material, I’m really rooting for it to succeed. 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 5:01am

My favorite review so far : There’s smoke coming out of Helen’s hole! 
that alone makes me want to see it for all the wrong reasons. 

Updated On: 5/6/24 at 05:01 AM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 10:26am

https://www.playbill.com/article/photos-see-megan-hilty-and-jennifer-simard-on-stage-in-death-becomes-her

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 10:30am

rosscoe(au) said: "My favorite review so far : There’s smoke coming out of Helen’s hole!
that alone makes me want to see it for all the wrong reasons."

A couple of my favorite one-liners from Helen:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Ernest keeps staring at the hole in Helen's stomach and she tells him: "Stop looking at my hole, you pervert."

She later says something along the lines of "And I stand before you, now holier than thou."

 

[itsahopi]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 11:52am

Adeliciaboy said: "Dear Betty: I wouldn't be so sure they are going to do the massive amount of work needed to fix this turkey. The bones to build from are simply NOTthere. Two and one-half hours of poorly done camp is not enough. And right now, if one is being generous, that's all the creative team has got to work with. I'm shocked that none of the posters on this board -- or almost none -- are talking about the near total absence of amemorablescore and choreography in this train wreck of a musical. I guess the many gays in the audience at the first preview didn't come to see a musical. They just wanted to whoop it up.. If the disaster that was "The Devil Wears Prada" should have taught Chicago audiences anything, it's that you can't tweak your way to success in musical theater when you are starting with something as deeply flawed as both "Death" and "Prada." BalconyClub's interesting posts about how the show has changed in just one week are an indication of what's changing -- a word or line here, a blocking adjustment there. Puh-leze. This show needs major rewrites from top to bottom, new composers and probably before it's over a new director and choreographer if it is still eyeing Broadway a month from now."

Nothing will be as campy as this overly theatrical hater’s multiple unhinged comments.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 1:06pm

It is wild to me that Playbill started posting all photos so severely downscaled in size and resolution. You have photos by talented photographers like Jenny Anderson and Matt Murphy rendered almost pointless. 

[SkidRow82]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 3:29pm

I saw this Friday night and am definitely on team "LOVED IT" ... Very funny book with jokes coming a mile a minute and all of them landing. The audience was eating it up. I agree with what most have said in regards to Williams sounding and looking great but not landing the camp of it all. I think the songs do the trick, but none were so catchy that they stay with you on first listen. Would I still buy the cast album? (yes. 100%). 

The vibe is very niche (and by niche, I mean gay)... but the crowd was a mix of a typical Broadway house and everybody was laughing and everybody was talking about how funny it was while walking out. If they can get people in the door on Broadway, I think the strong book will help drive word of mouth. 

It's clear they are tweaking every night and I think its "got legs" to be successful on Broadway (especially if next season isn't as crowded). 

Updated On: 5/6/24 at 03:29 PM

[Popular]

Posted: 5/6/24 at 10:20pm

itsahopi said: "Adeliciaboy said: "Dear Betty: I wouldn't be so sure they are going to do the massive amount of work needed to fix this turkey. The bones to build from are simply NOTthere. Two and one-half hours of poorly done camp is not enough. And right now, if one is being generous, that's all the creative team has got to work with. I'm shocked that none of the posters on this board -- or almost none -- are talking about the near total absence of amemorablescore and choreography in this train wreck of a musical. I guess the many gays in the audience at the first preview didn't come to see a musical. They just wanted to whoop it up.. If the disaster that was "The Devil Wears Prada" should have taught Chicago audiences anything, it's that you can't tweak your way to success in musical theater when you are starting with something as deeply flawed as both "Death" and "Prada." BalconyClub's interesting posts about how the show has changed in just one week are an indication of what's changing -- a word or line here, a blocking adjustment there. Puh-leze. This show needs major rewrites from top to bottom, new composers and probably before it's over a new director and choreographer if it is still eyeing Broadway a month from now."

Nothing will be as campy as this overly theatrical hater’s multiple unhinged comments."

EXACTLY!!  I don’t know what show they were watching. The show I saw last night was , IMHO, so much better during its first week of previews than much of what’s on Broadway right now! I had a blast and Megan and Jennifer are doing it all and more up there!!! Loved it!!!

[MNVeryOwn]

Posted: 5/7/24 at 12:01am

I saw this on Thursday and, because I had such an incredible time, went back again on Sunday afternoon.  Whether YOU measure the success of a show on how an audience reacts or not, both times I saw it, the crowd lost their minds for it and responded (as they should) to the catty, biting material.

Reading through the comments here, the amount of abject fuddy-duddy-ism is bewildering.  This is Death Becomes Her, a movie originally meant to be an episode of Tales From the Crypt.  Subtle it never has been and never was intended to be. Campy it always has been, and it shall remain ever so.  I sat by a gaggle of soccer moms the first night and they were hooting and then the second time I sat next to a couple of season subscribers in their 80s who hadn’t seen the movie and they said they were going to come back. This is not even discussing the gays who are already giving their feedback loudly at the b****iest lines.

I loved the three leads (the person that negged Hilty’s number late in Act 1 should go back again and watch what she's doing with that material), and while Williams still has nerves to work out, her vocals were thrilling, and she got entrance applause every time she came onstage BOTH nights. I can't remember any live performance I've seen in almost 40 years of attending theater where that has happened.

I think this will be a massive hit because it plays like a true musical comedy, it's easy to stunt-cast Viola (I can already see Deborah Cox singing her name on the dotted line for the tour now), and the fans of the material will turn out.

 

 

 

[Observation]

Posted: 5/7/24 at 12:10pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Countless multi Tony Award winning performers and creatives have been attached to productions that heavily flopped so that doesn’t guarantee anything. Even LuPone has been involved with flops."

I must admit, with some of the responses I've been reading, I am definitely hoping Death Becomes Her doesn't become the next "Women on the Verge..." in that it's got some heavy hitters, some talent, but they never quite figured out how to get it right. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/7/24 at 12:33pm

Runtime?

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/7/24 at 12:36pm

RippedMan said: "Runtime?"

Act One was about an hour and fifteen minutes and Act Two was right around 45 minutes, I believe.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/7/24 at 2:40pm

Press night is on Sunday, the 19th. Looks like they’re only selling tickets to the balcony, but that might change closer to the day.

[itsahopi]

Posted: 5/7/24 at 2:51pm

Observation said: "BrodyFosse123 said: "Countless multi Tony Award winning performers and creatives have been attached to productions that heavily flopped so that doesn’t guarantee anything. Even LuPone has been involved with flops."

I must admit, with some of the responses I've been reading, I am definitely hoping Death Becomes Her doesn't become the next "Women on the Verge..." in that it's got some heavy hitters, some talent, but they never quite figured out how to get it right."

People here seem to be forgetting the ratio of negative to positive chatter that WAR PAINT and VERGE had from jump. That's not what's happening here.

[Mskuphantm]

Posted: 5/7/24 at 4:00pm

To me this is what has been missing in some newer shows.   It's original music, paying homage to the film, using yes a song from the film and similar underscoring from the film.  The camp is just right personally.

 When I heard about first wives club that they changed the music from its original run in San diego, i was hoping it would work better when to me it worked much better with its original music from the san diego run, than it's covers of already known songs with some of original songs.   

Chicago is a great out of town run for shows, the ones that aren't utilizing that experience, where so far it seems death becomes her has been changing little things around, are missing on an out of town response from audiences.  

I have big hopes for this show, it's already in a great response, and still many days remaining to tweak out some things.  

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/8/24 at 12:08am

OOOOOOOK, so let's talk. 

 Back at the hotel after the show tonight. There's a lot to really like here - A LOT. My biggest fear has been the show wouldn't land the tone of the film (as I described before) but it really doesn't matter here since the musicals' Helen & Madeline are not Meryl and Goldie's in any way. They're their own things and that's for the best because it frees them of need to live up to the film. It's clear very fast that's what they're doing and it lets you just sit back and enjoy. Act One is VERY VERY funny with some scream-out-loud one liners and jokes. Hilty is fabulous but Simard is the one who surprised me most here. She's her usual dry hilarious self but it's more contained/restrained than I've ever seen her and she plays it perfectly. Most of the changes they made really work (Hell, I didn't even miss the frosting in the can!) and again just lets you enjoy this without comparing it to the film.

So let's talk about what didn't work for me (and there will be spoilers in here that I'm sure have been discussed earlier but I dunno). I'll start with the Act One opening. Opening with Michelle Williams doing a song about the potion is pointless. We don't need a whole song and dance about what it is and what it does - we know. That's why we're here. Even if you don't know, you'll find out soon enough. It's awful and needs to be cut. While we're talking about Williams, none of it with her is working. And it's really not her fault. She seemed fine up there tonight but her character is entirely overused and everything that comes out of her mouth is horribly written. The role is little more than a cameo and needs to be kept that way, there's no point for her being onstage so much other than she's Michelle Williams. 

The other big thing that doesn't really work (yet) is act two. There's a lot of reasons why this is unsuccessful and I'm sure I'll be able to articulate more later but just want to get my initial thoughts down right now. Act One ends after the push down the stairs - done excellently. Picking it up after that there's not a LOT left to the story which is why Act Two is about 35 minutes shorter than Act One. But one of the things that made the film so exciting  was the special effects and yes I know this is a stage show but we kind of don't get much of anything besides the prosthetic neck and a "hole" (no smoke came out tonight) that's just a black circle of cloth? There's also a song with Chris Sieber (who's otherwise great) in a tool shed trying to think of a way to keep them looking young that (for me) was probably the weakest of the night complete with talking paint cans. 

So yeah, there's a lot to work on but this is far from "Devil Wears Prada" where the script needed to be burned and redone from scratch. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/8/24 at 12:15am

Waited for your review and it did not disappoint. Not gonna lie, I loved the opening number for Viola, though. 😂 Cannot wait to read more of your thoughts down the line. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/8/24 at 12:23am

Absolutely HAAAAAAAATED that opening lol.

And I was fully prepared to grit my teeth and roll my eyes through the "For the Gaze" number but damn that was GOOD - THAT is what should open the show. That's the tone the show is going for and that's how it should begin.

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 5/8/24 at 12:28am

Jordan Catalano said: "OOOOOOOK, so let's talk.

Back at the hotel after the show tonight. There's a lot to really like here - A LOT. My biggest fear has been the show wouldn't land the tone of the film (as I described before) but it really doesn't matter here since the musicals' Helen & Madeline are not Meryl and Goldie's in any way. They're their own things and that's for the best because it frees them of need to live up to the film. It's clear very fast that's what they're doing and it lets you just sit back and enjoy. Act One is VERY VERY funny with some scream-out-loud one liners and jokes. Hilty is fabulous but Simard is the one who surprised me most here. She's her usual dry hilarious self but it's more contained/restrained than I've ever seen her and she plays it perfectly. Most of the changes they made really work (Hell, I didn't even miss the frosting in the can!) and again just lets you enjoy this without comparing it to the film.

So let's talk about what didn't work for me (and there will be spoilers in here that I'm sure have been discussed earlier but I dunno). I'll start with the Act One opening. Opening with Michelle Williams doing a song about the potion is pointless. We don't need a whole song and dance about what it is and what it does - we know. That's why we're here. Even if you don't know, you'll find out soon enough. It's awful and needs to be cut. While we're talking about Williams, none of it with her is working. And it's really not her fault. She seemed fine up there tonight but her character is entirely overused and everything that comes out of her mouth is horribly written. The role is little more than a cameo and needs to be kept that way, there's no point for her being onstage so much other than she's Michelle Williams.

The other big thing that doesn't really work (yet) is act two. There's a lot of reasons why this is unsuccessful and I'm sure I'll be able to articulate more later but just want to get my initial thoughts down right now. Act One ends after the push down the stairs - done excellently. Picking it up after that there's not a LOT left to the story which is why Act Two is about 35minutes shorter than Act One. But one of the things that made the film so excitingwas the special effects and yes I know this is a stage show but we kind of don't get much of anything besides the prosthetic neck and a "hole" (no smoke came out tonight) that's just a black circle of cloth? There's also a song with Chris Sieber (who's otherwise great) in a tool shed trying to think of a way to keep them looking young that (for me) was probably the weakest of the night complete with talking paint cans.

So yeah, there's a lot to work on but this is far from "Devil Wears Prada" where the script needed to be burned and redone from scratch."

I've seen it twice now. First time, first preview, with a fairly negative reaction and review here. A few days later, with better seats, sightlines and sound, and some settling in of the cast, I am leaning much more positive, and agree with just about everything Jordan says here. The only difference is that I wish that, rather than reducing the role of Viola, they could find a way to make it better, maybe with her somewhat as a narrator or maybe an outside commenting observer, with better dialogue and songs. It's too promising of a character in the right hands to lose. There are really only four characters in the show, and cutting 25% would be a shame.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/8/24 at 12:34am

I disagree there because there really are only 3 characters in "Death Becomes Her" with some side characters, Lisle (or Viola here, I don't understand the name change) really being the most prominent of them. Personally, I wish she had that one big scene and then the scene toward the end at the party and that's it - I think that's all that's needed from her.