DEATH BECOMES HER: CAMP THROUGH AND THROUGH

The new musical DEATH BECOMES HER is the newest on Broadway to take its place in a long line of movie-into-musicals. The 1992 film, a mix-up of social satire, surrealism, black comedy horror and fantasy, starred Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn as two aging, sparring Beverly Hills divas who take extraordinary steps to get eternal youth. The film has become a cult classic, especially among gays, who have embraced its camp aspects. If there’s one word to describe DEATH BECOMES HER as musical comedy it is camp.

The book by Marco Pennette, who has spent most of his career creating and writing sitcoms, is a facile adaptation of the original screenplay, that allows for, well, comedic situations, the stuff that traditional musical comedy is made of. A once glamorous, celebrated Broadway and Hollywood star, Madeline Ashton (Megan Hilty) is desperately trying to hold on to her beauty and career. Her “frenemy” from the old days, novelist Helen Sharp (Jennifer Simard), of ordinary looks and with a so-so career, has still not gotten over how Madeline stole her fiance, plastic surgeon Ernest Melville (Christopher Sieber). After years of estrangement, Helen with new confidence and a new look visits Madeline, with the ulterior motive to finally seek revenge. Madeleine feels threatened so when the exotic and mysterious Viola Van Horn (Michelle Williams) offers Madeline a magical potion that promises eternal life, Madeline takes it. When Helen sees how it has transformed Madeline, she wants it too. Eventually, their bodies start to break down, but horrifyingly they realize they cannot die. Meanwhile Ernest, embroiled in their fates, has to choose to take the potion and join their fate, or break free from the women who have ruined his life.

There's plenty of material to plumb notions of immortality and life values, which the movie did from a satirical point of view, Pennete’s treatment allows director and choreographer Christopher Gatelli to play the comedy broadly and physically. Gatelli, who won the Tony for choreography for “Newsies” years ago, stages a very athletic, kinetic production. Indeed, Gatelli cleverly re creates and choreographs the famous scene from the movie (though in a different setting), where the pair fall down a flight of stairs to disastrous effect. It’s all rather flamboyant; hair/wig, costume design and set design are all high-gloss.

The music and lyrics team of Julia Mattison and Noel Carey in their first Broadway production deliver a pop-based score that suits the material. Pop diva Michelle Williams (who started out with pop group Destiny’s Child) gets some big production numbers including “If You Want Perfection” which kickstarts the show. The dance has an old-fashioned Las Vegas night club style. The always reliable Sieber (“Company”, “The Prom”) gets a star turn with the ensemble in a big production number “The Plan”. Divas Helen and Madeline, either in duet or solo, account for 13 of the 22 numbers. Both Tilly and Simard are vocal powerhouses. They close both acts. It's a diva draw right to the end.