The splashy musical adaptation couldn’t sustain its early momentum — but a national tour is already waiting
Broadway’s Death Becomes Her is closing. The musical adaptation of the 1992 cult film will end its run at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on June 28, wrapping a roughly 20-month journey that began with strong buzz and big box office numbers before gradually losing steam.
The show opened November 21, 2024, following previews that began October 23. Built on camp, spectacle, and dark comedy, it quickly became one of the season’s more commercially visible productions, often grossing over $1.2 million weekly in its early stretch. By January, however, the numbers began to cool, with weekly grosses slipping to just above $760,000 as of the week ending May 10. By its final curtain, the production will have played over 650 performances and sold roughly 900,000 tickets.
Despite a high-profile promotional run — spanning national television appearances across morning shows, late-night, and awards broadcasts — the show was never able to recoup its reported $31.5 million capitalization, a challenge that has become an increasingly familiar reality for large-scale Broadway musicals.
The production made a strong awards showing nonetheless, landing 10 Tony nominations, tying for the most of the 2024-2025 season, and winning for Best Costume Design. Original leads Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard both earned Tony nominations for their roles as Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp, respectively. Hilty departed the show on January 11, with Betsy Wolfe taking over the role. The current cast also includes Simard, Christopher Sieber, Michelle Williams, Taurean Everett, and Josh Lamon.
The musical was directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, with a book by Marco Pennette and music by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey.
In a statement, Lowe Cunningham of Universal Theatrical Group expressed pride in what the production accomplished, crediting the cast and crew for delivering a “wildly entertaining spirit” to audiences night after night.
Death Becomes Her isn’t disappearing entirely. A multiyear North American tour launches this September at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio — where the show will test whether its biggest audience was always waiting outside of Manhattan.