Theater Update: ‘Death Becomes Her’ takes its youth potion to Broadway

November 20, 2024

Dear Theater Fans,

Now this is rare: A newsletter that notes our review of a newly opened show and gives its closing announcement. Though “Tammy Faye” was well-reviewed in London, its Broadway outing was not, Michael Paulson wrote in his report about the closing. (In her review, Elisabeth Vincentelli called it a “disjointed, strangely bland musical.”) For those curious about the production, you have until Dec. 8 to see it (and you can read Erik Piepenburg’s article about the musical here).

● Notable openings: Jesse Green was “fully entertained and harrowed” by the new Avett Brothers musical “Swept Away,” which he made a Critic’s Pick; Laura Collins-Hughes called Grey Henson “enchanting in his silliness” as Buddy the elf in an otherwise “creaky” revival of “Elf the Musical”; and though Maya Phillips found Robert O’Hara’s “Shit. Meet. Fan.” entertaining, eventually the “drama has a saturation point.”

● Shakespeare quiz: As if proving a point about the pervasiveness of “Romeo and Juliet” in pop culture, my 4-year-old, swinging in the park the other day, started belting “You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess.” Whether or not you know the song (or songwriter) this “Romeo and Juliet”-inspired lyric belongs to, you can test your “Romeo and Juliet” pop culture knowledge by taking this superfun quiz by Elisabeth — inspired by Sam Gold’s youthful Broadway adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy. (You can listen to the answer — spoiler alert! — right here.)

Please reach out to me at theaterfeedback@nytimes.com with suggestions for stories or to offer your thoughts about our coverage. And urge your friends to subscribe to this newsletter.

Have a wonderful week,

Nicole Herrington

Theater Editor

A portrait of two women whose reflections are seen in a large mirror. The women are surrounded by costumes and props and one of them is wearing a purple top hat.

Lanna Apisukh for The New York Times

The ‘Death Becomes Her’ Frenemies Take Their Youth Potion to Broadway

The campy supernatural movie comes to Broadway as a big, bawdy musical starring Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard.

By Erik Piepenburg

A film still of a woman, who is wearing a white dress and angel wings, and a man, dressed in armor, who is bowing slightly has he kisses her left hand.

Merrick Morton/20th Century Fox

What’s Your ‘Romeo and Juliet’ I.Q.?

Test your knowledge, for never was a quiz of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

By Elisabeth Vincentelli

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NEWS AND FEATURES

Onstage, a group of people standing in knots, looking at a man in a long coat and top hat.

Violette Franchi for The New York Times

‘Les Misérables’ Returns Home

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By Laura Cappelle

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Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

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Universal Pictures

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