PicksInSix Review: Death Becomes Her - Broadway in Chicago

“Death Becomes Her” - Masterful Musical Macabomedy!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The world premiere of the rollicking new musical “Death Becomes Her” opened Sunday at the Cadillac Palace Theatre combining an all-star cast with eye-popping special effects for a high-flying, side-splitting show. The book by Marco Pennette, with an original score by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, is remarkably true to the absurd 1992 film directed by Robert Zemeckis starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis and Isabella Rossellini about the search for immortality.

The new show is a masterful musical macabomedy with an unmatched, award-winning creative team led by director/choreographer Christopher Gattelli with music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell and an equally outstanding cast starring Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber as the love triangle in the sights of the mystical temptress Viola Van Horn played by Michelle Williams who promises physical perfection and “Siempre Viva” (forever life) for a not-so-small fee and some stringent strings attached.  

At the heart of the storyline is the embattled relationship between the aging actress Madeline Ashton (Hilty) and struggling author Helen Sharp (Simard) who have been competing for the other’s riches all their lives. Everything Helen has Madeline wants which includes her doctor fiancé Ernest (Sieber) who is an easy mark for the wily starlet. The two are married which spirals Helen into a nervous breakdown.

Seven years pass and while Madeline and Ernest are trapped in an unhappy, loveless marriage, Helen emerges as a youthful, successful author seeking revenge for all of the misery Madeline has wrought. As she begins to plot with Ernest to put her out of the way so the two can live happily ever after, Madeline returns from her own meeting with Viola and the two face off, well, to the death. And that’s just the beginning of Ernest’s problems to keep the two looking fresh and fit in their forever lives.

At its best, the Mattison/Carey score—with magnificent orchestrations by Doug Besterman and dance and incidental music arrangements by Sam Davis all under the music direction of Ben Cohn—is terrific as evidenced by the electrifying crowd-pleaser “For The Gaze,” showcasing Hilty and the ensemble in the show within the show. Individually, Simard’s vocal and versatile comic abilities are on full display from the tortured, outcast in “Madeline” and “Falling Apart” to vengeful ex-lover who stands up for what she believes is rightfully hers. Williams’s stoic Viola, and the cast of immortals who surround her, delivers the soaring anthems “If You Want Perfection” and “I Warned You” in high style.  Sieber shines throughout as someone we can root for in “Till Death” and “The Plan” but it is the musical duel of Hilty and Simard evidenced in “Confrontation,” “Hit Me” and “Alive Forever” that propel the show forward to life ever after.

Derek McLane robust scenic design with Justin Townsend’s dazzling lighting provides the perfect backdrop for an array of magnificent costumes by Paul Tazewell. Peter Hylenski’s sound and Rob Lake spellbinding illusions  make the Broadway-bound “Death Becomes Her” a visual feast for the senses. Previews begin in October with opening scheduled for November 21, 2024, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, but you can see it now at the Cadillac through June 2.

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman, 2024

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
presents
World Premiere
DEATH BECOMES HER
Cadillac Palace Theatre
through June 2, 2024

TICKETS

SHOW WEBSITE

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

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PicksInSix Review: Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas

Delightful Holiday Treat for All Ages!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Kaitlyn Linsner

The stars of this show—Ma, Emmet Otter and a darling group of critters—have been warming the hearts of many for over fifty years. They first appeared in an illustrated 1971 children’s book by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban. Jim Henson then brought the book to life in a one-hour 1977 television special featuring puppets from his Creature Shop and a delightful score from Academy Award-winning songwriter Paul Williams. Folks fell in love, and now, old fans, and anyone looking for 75 minutes of sheer joy, can visit the Studebaker Theatre for the charming holiday celebration that is the live theatrical adaptation of “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” with music and lyrics by Williams, book by Timothy Allen McDonald and Christopher Gattelli, who directs and choreographs.

This is the Chicago premiere of “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” and should not be missed when planning this year’s holiday festivities. The story follows Ma and Emmet Otter who so badly want to buy each other the perfect Christmas gift. Ma (Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone) wants to buy Emmet (Andy Mientus) a guitar, and he wants to buy Ma a piano. You see, these two come from a family enriched with musical talents and traditions—Ma with her lovely singing voice, and Emmet with his own set of pipes and a mean rhythmic streak on the washboard bass. Problem is, they don’t have enough money to buy these special gifts for each other. So, when the mayor of nearby Waterville announces the town will be having its first annual talent show, Ma and Emmet decide to take their chances at entering and vying for that first-place prize of fifty dollars.

Turns out Ma and Emmet Otter are up against some stiff competition. Toward the end of the production, the audience becomes the patrons of the inaugural talent show and get to see humans and puppets alike showcase their talents. The magnificent Madame Squirrel (Sawyer Smith) delights in a performance with acrobatic squirrels. Mrs. Mink (Sharriese Hamilton) heats up the stage with a wildly entertaining burlesque performance, and we cannot forget a skunk on a tuba and tap-dancing rabbits.

At the core of “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” is true enchantment. Each scene bursts with charm, clever humor and whimsical visuals. Take, for example, the costumes by Gregg Barnes and the makeup by Megan E. Pirtle. The costumes, like Madame Squirrel’s playfully large tail and Wendell Porcupine’s quills (Steven Huyhn), and the makeup both do well to transform the cast into their cute furry characters on Anna Louizos whimiscal set.

The puppetry, though, is what takes this family-friendly musical to the next level of creative, good fun. There are many laughs to be had when a band of squirrels tries to grow an evergreen tree in the winter by blowing hot air on it. There are also big feelings to be felt when puppet Pa Otter, deceased, appears to tell Ma to never stop dreaming and when that same band of squirrels advises Emmet to follow his heart and take flight. The opening-night audience audibly reacted in wonder when the puppet jug band practiced in a tree house, which looked exactly like the scene in the television special. The Jim Henson way of blending both worlds together worked seamlessly on stage and truly elevates the production.

Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas with music and lyrics by Paul Williams, book by Timothy Allen McDonald and Christopher Gattelli, directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli. Now playing at Studebaker Theatre through December 31, 2023.

Of course, there are also plenty of themes and lessons that make “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” a true holiday classic. Ma and Emmet Otter show us how to heal together after experiencing loss. We see bravery and growth in characters learning to trust themselves and each other when facing challenges. We also get to experience a show filled with so much love, which, in and of itself, is enough of a reason to join everyone in Frogtown Hollow and Waterville this season.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | KAITLYN LINSNER is a Chicago-based attorney practicing construction and surety law.

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

ITheatrics with Broadway & Beyond Theatricals,
in association with the Jim Henson Company
presents
Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas
Music and Lyrics by Paul Williams
Book by Timothy Allen McDonald and Christopher Gattelli
Directed and Choreographed by Christopher Gattelli

Studebaker Theatre
Fine Arts Building
through December 31, 2023

WEBSITE
TICKETS

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

ARCHIVE

PicksInSix® is a registered trademark of Roxbury Road Creative, LLC