Profile for HaveAGoodShow

Quick observation:

I get that understudies.org isn’t a flawless source for tracking Broadway cast changes, but shows like "Moulin Rouge," "The Great Gatsby" and "The Outsiders" are popping up on that board night after night. Compared to them, "Death Becomes Her" barely registers — it really seems like it's in the minority when it comes to frequent understudy appearances.

Hi everyone –

This is my very first BroadwayWorld chat post, so go easy on me! I'm here to keep things positive and (hopefully) help move the conversation forward.

I’ve been following many of the threads here, but the one that’s really grabbed my attention is the discussion around "Death Becomes Her." I’m a big fan of the show — it’s full of joy and theatrical flair, and frankly, I think we could all use more of that right now.

I wanted to share a few thoughts, especially about the ongoing absences. Just to be clear: I have no insider info — these are just my own observations and opinions.

From the outside, it looks like Megan and Jennifer are on a mostly six-performance-a-week schedule. The show is a beast for both of them and between that and the demands of press, pre-Tonys, and other commitments, six shows a week seems like a smart and sustainable choice. Whether that should be officially communicated by the production is another question.

Someone on here mentioned that the show isn’t any harder than "Wicked" and I have to disagree. From what I can tell, there’s barely a moment of downtime for either lead. On top of that, "Wicked" tends to cast younger performers — and that’s not a knock on age, just an observation. Megan and Jennifer are veterans, not fresh out of college, and they’re carrying A LOT of weight up there.

On the topic of covers: while I haven’t seen Dee Roscioli in other roles, I’ve now seen her twice in "Death Becomes Her" and, for me, she hasn’t quite clicked in this part. Megan brings such drive and fearlessness to the stage and you never catch her working. Dee, on the other hand, hasn’t quite carved out a fully realized character, she's not "big" enough and many of the punchlines just don’t land (which surprised me, given her strong buzz in "Titanique".

And finally, a quick note on Robyn Hurder. She’s undeniably talented. She’s got the voice and the dance chops, no question — but I think we might be underestimating just how tough these "DBH" lead roles are. Honestly, she was great in "Smash," but I didn’t see anything that a number of other top-tier performers couldn’t also have delivered. Meanwhile, finding someone who can realistically step into "Death Becomes Her" and truly own one of those lead roles? That’s a much taller order.

Anyway, those are my two cents. Hopefully this sparks some good conversation and not a brawl! (Kidding. Sort of.)