Hilty & Simard to lead DEATH BECOMES HER in Chicago spring 2024; Broadway in the fall
Hilty & Simard to lead DEATH BECOMES HER in Chicago spring 2024; Broadway in the fall
jacobsnchz14
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
#1Hilty & Simard to lead DEATH BECOMES HER in Chicago spring 2024; Broadway in the fall
Posted: 4/11/23 at 10:51am
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Megan-Hilty-Nicole-Scherzinger-and-More-Will-Lead-a-Private-Reading-Of-DEATH-BECOMES-HER-20230411
Universal Theatrical Group will host a private reading for the new musical comedy DEATH BECOMES HER in New York City this week. Based on the 1992 Universal Pictures film written by Martin Donovan and David Koepp.
The musical features a book by Marco Pennette, with music and lyrics by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, and it is directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.
The cast for the private reading includes:
Megan Hilty as Madeline Ashton
Jennifer Simard as Helen Sharp
Christopher Sieber as Ernest Menville
Nicole Scherzinger as Viola Van Horn
Kevin Smith Kirkwood as Zander Medly
Additional cast includes: Marissa Rosen, Nikki Kimbrough, Ellyn Marie Marsh, Abigail Stephenson, Evan Harrington, Josh Lamon, Austin Ku, and Mike Millan.
Additional creative team members for the private reading include:
Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Music Supervisor)
Ted Arthur (Music Director)
Tara Rubin Casting (Casting)
321 Theatrical Management (General Management)
#2Megan Hilty, Nicole Scherzinger, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES HER
Posted: 4/11/23 at 10:54am
Sorry, not putting the fact that JENNIFER SIMARD is playing the Goldie Hawn role in the headline is truly burying the lede!
jacobsnchz14
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
#3Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 10:57am
Literally what I said when I read it!
#4Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 11:16am
Exciting! Hoping that Nicole Scherzinger is able to see this through to Broadway.
#5Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 11:53am
Simard!! I can see her as either part, but she is PERFECT for this. I’m on the fence about Hilty as the Streep part.
#6Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 12:52pm
I think this is a dynamite cast. I hope they don’t get ditched for bigger names if this makes it to Broadway. I also could see both leading ladies in the opposite role. Maybe they can pull a Little Foxes?
Can anyone speak on the creative team? That’s what I’m more interested in. I looked them up, but I’m not familiar with any of their work.
#7Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 1:02pm
Julia Mattison works with Joel Waggoner on a seasonal music comedy duo called The Advent Carolers, which has a cult following.
#8Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 1:11pm
I squealed when I saw this! What a brilliant cast.
Noel Carey's music is awesome. He wrote an opening number for a hypothetical Hocus Pocus musical years back, there was a video of Bonnie Milligan (as Winnnie) singing the crap out of it (with Natalie Walker as Sarah I believe) at a concert of his at 54 Below. I don't know if it got taken down because its not popping up when I search Twitter now. But he's very talented.
Julia Mattison performed in Godspell on Broadway but does a lot of comedy work, often in The Advent Carolers who have a few popular comedy music videos.
#9Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 1:15pm
But who the hell are Zander Medly and Viola Van Horn? lol
I want to know who is playing Dakota, though. Casey Garvin should do it.
nasty_khakis
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/15/07
#10Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 1:22pm
Jordan Catalano said: "But who the hell are Zander Medly and Viola Van Horn? lol
I want to know who is playing Dakota, though. Casey Garvin should do it."
I'm assuming Viola is Lisle.
#11Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 1:25pm
i figured that but it’s always so weird when they change some character names and not others.
#12Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 1:31pm
wonder how much they're planning to expand the Lisle role if they cast Nicole?
JSquared2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
#13Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 1:40pm
NOWaWarning said: "I think this is a dynamite cast. I hope they don’t get ditched for bigger names if this makes it to Broadway. I also could see both leading ladies in the opposite role. Maybe they can pull a Little Foxes?
Can anyone speak on the creative team? That’s what I’m more interested in. I looked them up, but I’m not familiar with any of their work."
Marco Pennette is a very much in demand TV writer/producer, who was written and/or produced for Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Mom and B Positive. He is also BFFs with Kristin Chenoweth -- who had been attached to DEATH BECOMES HER for years. I assume she was doing the Madeline Ashton part?
At one point, he was working on a "revisal" of the book of BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS that Chenoweth was considering.
#14Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 1:52pm
Kad said: "Julia Mattison works with Joel Waggoner on a seasonal music comedy duo called The Advent Carolers, which has a cult following."
This is going to be a wonderfully weird show. I didn’t realize this was Julia of “Joel and Julia.”
#15Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 2:46pm
Ke3 said: "wonder how much they're planning to expand the Lisle role if they cast Nicole?"
If they were smart about adaptation, they wouldn’t expand the role much. It’s a part that is built on mystique.
#16Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 9:03pm
It’s 30% mystique, 30% Isabella Rossellini, and 40% the shock of Isabella being funny unexpectedly. The fact that David Lynch’s ageless and slightly mysterious foreign muse has wonderfully deadpan comic chops and high camp styling is a revelation in the film.
I’d have loved to see Sofia Vergara make her return to the stage in this one.
#17Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/11/23 at 10:44pm
Also, I kinda love the fact that one of the most anticipated new musicals in a decade is based on a Tales from the Crypt movie (which removed its branding and Cryptkeeper interstitials for fear that they would alienate women and gay men from seeing it).
jacobsnchz14
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
#18Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/12/23 at 2:48pm
I wanna know how they heck they're gonna recreate/reimagine the visual effects of the film and all of the body stuff!
DaveyG
Broadway Star Joined: 8/11/05
#19Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/12/23 at 3:49pm
jacobsnchz14 said: "I wanna know how they heck they're gonna recreate/reimagine the visual effects of the film and all of the body stuff!"
Oh yes, the illusions better be great.
#20Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/12/23 at 5:38pm
I’d rather not see another one of my favorite films be ruined by musical theater.
nasty_khakis
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/15/07
#21Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/12/23 at 5:51pm
Kad said: "Ke3 said: "wonder how much they're planning to expand the Lisle role if they cast Nicole?"
If they were smart about adaptation, they wouldn’t expand the role much. It’s a part that is built on mystique."
Agreed, She doesn't need a song about being a girl in, I dunno, Romania in 1487 and discovering magic. She's just there, she's got some magic, and it's none of your business how where or why.
RunnyBabbit
Stand-by Joined: 2/3/20
#22Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/13/23 at 12:27am
Hilty, Simard, and Sieber?! Not entirely sure how I feel about this being adapted, but those are 3 of my favorite performers today and I would kill to see this.
jacobsnchz14
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
#23Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 4/13/23 at 7:56am
RunnyBabbit said: "Those are 3 of my favorite performers today and I would kill to see this."
Given the title and plot... 😂
jacobsnchz14
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
#24Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 9/5/23 at 12:02pm
Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen. Helen Sharp is the long-suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best of frenemies…until Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé away. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for.
After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored…and a grudge to last eternity.
Starring Tony Award® nominees Megan Hilty (Wicked, Smash) and Jennifer Simard (Company, Disaster!), Death Becomes Her, based on the classic 1992 film, is a drop-dead hilarious new musical comedy about friendship, love, and burying the hatchet…again, and again, and again.
Life’s a bitch and then you die. Or not!
https://deathbecomesherbroadway.com/
cadillac palace theatre
april 30 — june 2, 2024
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#25Hilty, Simard, and More Will Lead a Private Reading Of DEATH BECOMES H
Posted: 9/5/23 at 12:09pm
How exciting!!! Can’t wait to see the first preview!
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