Displaying items by tag: Christopher Sieber
So Be-Coming: Death Becomes Her Brings Magic and Dark Comedy to Cadillac Theatre
It’s often quoted in reviews that we are unworthy of such beauty or splendor the arts and humanities afford us. The turn of phrase elicits images of Wayne and Garth of Wayne’s World bowing at the feet of Alice Cooper, or a dashing Bridgerton man dropping to a knee at the feet of a lithe debutante to profess his unworthiness of her affections. But in a world that increasingly takes more and more from us, we mere mortals, I challenge that we are worthy. We are worthy of beauty, of art, of the humanities. We are worthy to see the amalgamation of when talented artists bring a work of fiction to a stage, to hear clever prose intermingled with catchy musical numbers, and be visually wowed and transported out of our reality, if only for a few short hours. We are worthy of magic. And magic is precisely what Cadillac Palace Theatre is granting us in Death Becomes Her, the musical, now playing through June 2nd.
(l to r): Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton), Jennifer Simard (Helen Sharp)
Death Becomes Her, hailed as musical comedy revitalized, is a new musical adaptation based on the 1992 Universal Pictures movie of the same name. When a novelist loses her man to a movie star and former friend, she winds up in a psychiatric hospital. Years later, she returns home to confront the now-married couple, looking radiant. Her ex-husband's new wife wants to know her secret and discovers that she has been taking a mysterious, magical potion which grants eternal life to the person who drinks it. The actress follows suit but discovers that immortality has a price in this supernatural, dark comedy. Producer and writer Marco Pennette transformed the play for the theater, which is directed and choreographed by Tony-nominated Christopher Gattelli. Tony Award nominees Jennifer Simard and Megan Hilty take the lead roles as Helen Sharp and Madeline Ashton, the former friends competing for the same man’s affection and finding a solution that is simply to die for. Renowned stage actor Christopher Sieber and millennial’s goddess Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child round out the cast as Dr. Ernest Menville and Viola Van Horn (que thunder and lightning). It’s a dark comedy essential to add to any playbill collection.
Christopher Sieber (Ernest Menville)
Few Broadway shows, let alone any play, have had such an illustrious reception in Chicago. The gays, the theys, girlies young and old, allies and kings all donned their best summer theatre attire to attend last night’s performance, all dutifully in their seats the moment the play started with a literal CRASH of magenta-hued thunder. Lightning struck and we were all worthy to be transported to the magical world of New York City to follow the story of best frenemies Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp. For the entire run time of 2 hours and 30 minutes (with a 15-minute intermission), Chicagoans were treated to an artistic cornucopia for the senses. The live orchestra playing catchy tunes, lavish scene and stage designs, alluring and dramatic costume designs, the illusion and fight sequencing, the lighting, the makeup, the sound, the dancing and musical arrangements, the orchestration, every single solitary artistic element left the audience spellbound and awestruck. Brought to life with the incredible talents of the four main cast members, supported by an inclusive, talented, and drop-dead gorgeous ensemble cast, Death Becomes Her is sure to be a powerhouse on the Broadway circuit for decades to come.
The cast of Death Becomes Her
In addition to the production quality and value delivered, what makes this adaptation so flawless is the story itself. The elegant-gothic motifs in Death Becomes Her are timeless and hold up in 2024 just as well as it did in 1992; beautiful women feeling the pressure of unrealistic societal beauty standards and attempting to defy the natural order of aging, friends as fierce rivals and competitors, love triangles, and the desire to remain as we are, to stop time. While Death Becomes Her might not be able to defy gravity, it does stop time for a blissfully fun three hours. And that is pretty damn magical.
Balanced with witty banter, clever one-liners, raunchy humor, and exceptionally timed comedic delivery, Death Becomes Her is exactly the realistic escapism we need in our chaotic world and one we are all supremely worthy to behold. The musical comedy is now playing at The Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W Randolph St, Chicago) through June 2nd. Get your tickets today before they magically disappear.
Goodman’s Iceboy! Is a Full‑Tilt Blast of Comic Mayhem
30 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewGoodman Theatre’s Iceboy! arrives as a gleefully off the rails musical that blends Broadway glamour, Neanderthal chaos, and theatrical myth…
All The World's a Stage and Chicago Merely The Best Player: 'As You Like It' in Chicago Parks this summer
30 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewIs there anything more alluring than a summer night in Chicago? The lakefront beaches, the meandering pathways, the festivals and…
Opera Festival of Chicago Delivers an Assured, Full‑Hearted La Bohème
28 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewOpera Festival of Chicago continues its season with two mainstage productions - La Bohème and Adriana Lecouvreur - each featuring…
A Quietly Ravishing Night: Marriott’s A Little Night Music
26 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewMarriott Theatre’s in‑the‑round intimacy turns A Little Night Music - which premiered on Broadway in 1973 and later became a 1977…
GDC's Full 64th Season: "untamed passion:" Features New Works, New Voices and More
26 June 2026 in Upcoming DanceGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC), America's original jazz dance company, has announced its 2026-2027 "untamed passion" season. Highlights of the season include a November…
The Art of Awe: Water for Elephants Balances Spectacle and Soul
25 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThe musical Water for Elephants, presented by Broadway In Chicago and based on Sara Gruen’s 2006 novel, is the rare touring…
Overshadowed Theatrical Productions Announces 2026-2027 Season: “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Moments”
23 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreOvershadowed Theatrical Productions announced their 2026-2027 season entitled “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Moments,” which includes five main stage productions and special…
Kokandy Productions presents SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at Chopin Theatre August 13 – November 1, 2026
23 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreKokandy Productions is pleased to announce full casting for its revival of Stephen Sondheim's stunning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George, playing August 13 –…
Goodman Theatre’s Summer: Musicals, Park Performances & New Voices
23 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreGoodman's Centennial 25/26 Season concludes on a high note, with programming for all ages, interests and neighborhoods. The theater announces…
Astonrep Approaches Uncle Vanya’s Appeal from a Novel New Angle
21 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewAnton Chekhov, a Russian playwright who was also a doctor, can claim a level of regard few writers achieve and…
Couch Penny Ensemble’s An Oak Tree: A Raw, Unrehearsed Descent Into Grief
21 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewCouch Penny Ensemble, in association with Theatre Arcana, presents the ambitious and experimental An Oak Tree, a raw, unconventional approach…
A People: A Sweeping, Soul‑Stirring Journey That Celebrates Jewish Identity
21 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewAn extraordinary eight-person ensemble fuels the sweeping storytelling of A People - a production presented collaboratively by Arts Judaica and…
Lookingglass' Untitled Vampire Play has bite
19 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewLookingglass Theatre Company continues its tradition of staging visually inventive and thought-provoking world premieres with its latest production, Untitled Vampire…
Tom Stoppard’s epic finale Leopoldstadt is an instant classic at Writers Theatre
19 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewWhat would you do if you found out your heritage wasn’t what you thought it was? In Tom Stoppard’s case,…
Champions of Magic Captures the Thrill of Live Performance
18 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewOne of the things I have always thought that concerts and other live events had over theatre is the energy…
Nunsense, Not Quite Immaculate - But Blessed With a Strong Cast
18 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewFollowing its recent winter production of Sister Act, Drury Lane Theatre returns to the convent with Nunsense, a light-hearted musical…
League of Chicago Theatres welcomes Summer with the return of "Thank You 5," Juneteenth and Pride Month
17 June 2026 in Theatre BuzzThe League of Chicago Theatres announces the return of the "Thank You 5" summer promotion, running from June 18-July 3, 2026. "Thank You 5"…
Cedric the Entertainer brings laughter, life lessons to Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, one-night-only, Saturday, August 8
17 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreYou know him from “The Neighborhood,” “The Last O.G.,” “The Proud Family” and much more. Don’t miss your chance to…
Northlight Theatre to celebrate its new home in Evanston with a Grand Opening Gala "Celebrating our Past, Building our Future" Saturday, August 15, 2026
16 June 2026 in Theatre BuzzNorthlight Theatre's Board of Directors proudly presents Northlight Theatre's Grand Opening Gala, "Celebrating our Past, Building our Future," marking the culmination of the company's 50th Anniversary…
A Red Orchid Theatre Announces Remount of Hit Production BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA September 10 – October 4, 2026
16 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreA Red Orchid Theatre is thrilled to announce a remount of its critically-acclaimed, father-daughter drama Birds of North America, returning for a limited…
Raven Theatre's *OCTET* Makes Downtown Debut at The Goodman
16 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFollowing an acclaimed extended run at Raven Theatre, Dave Malloy's "unique, ravishing and resplendent" (Chicago Theatre Review) a cappella musical Octet transfers to…
Funny, Incisive 'Southern Rapture' Skewers All Parties in 'Angels in America' Fracas
15 June 2026 in Theatre in Review“Southern Rapture” quickly elicits loud guffaws from the audience, a heartening circumstancve, as it means playwright Eric Coble’s script is…
Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music - Marriott Theatre - Through August 9th
15 June 2026 in Now PlayingMarriott Theatre, Chicagoland's longest-running musical theatre, presents A Little Night Music, a Tony Award-winning musical from Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler that explores…
Where Identity Slides: Steppenwolf’s Mesmerizing Catch as Catch Can
15 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewMia Chung’s Catch as Catch Can, which premiered with Page 73 in New York in 2018, arrives at Steppenwolf Theatre…
PlayMakers Laboratory Celebrates That's Weird, Grandma's 25th Birthday August 23 – September 6, 2026
14 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreJoin the fun this summer as PlayMakers Laboratory (PML) celebrates a major milestone at That's Weird, Grandma's 25th Birthday, marking a quarter century of the…
Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes Tour Lands in Rosemont With Subtle Force
13 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewNate Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes tour made its stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont with the steady, understated presence…
BrightSide’s intimate staging of The Producers shines with Broadway-sized power
13 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewBrightSide Theatre’s The Producers storms into Meiley Swallow Hall with the kind of swagger only Mel Brooks can inspire: brash,…
Factory Theater’s Two Out of Three Falls is a Theatrical Event
13 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThose familiar with the Factory Theater space might feel themselves do a double take upon entering the theater for Two…
Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre presents IN THE CONTINUUM, playing July 25 - August 9
12 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreTim Rhoze, Fleetwood-Jourdain's Producing Artistic Director, today announced the cast and production team for the company's upcoming production of IN THE…
Magic Pairs with Artistic Expressions of Empathy in EAM’s Summer Art Exhibitions
11 June 2026 in BCS SpotlightElmhurst Art Museum’s two new exhibitions feature a pair of artists with Midwestern roots whose outlooks and perceptions of the…
Latest Articles
-
Goodman’s Iceboy! Is a Full‑Tilt Blast of Comic Mayhem
Written by Ken PayneGoodman Theatre’s Iceboy! arrives as a gleefully off the rails musical that blends Broadway glamour, Neanderthal chaos, and theatrical myth making into one of the most delightfully strange premises to hit Chicago in years. It’s a satire, a love letter… -
All The World's a Stage and Chicago Merely The Best Player: 'As You Like It' in Chicago Parks this summer
Written by Kendall RoyzenIs there anything more alluring than a summer night in Chicago? The lakefront beaches, the meandering pathways, the festivals and street foods, the hidden gardens where free art productions are staged, whatever you like, you can find it in the… -
Opera Festival of Chicago Delivers an Assured, Full‑Hearted La Bohème
Written by Kimberly KatzOpera Festival of Chicago continues its season with two mainstage productions - La Bohème and Adriana Lecouvreur - each featuring the Opera Festival of Chicago Orchestra and Chorus and performed at the George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore… -
A Quietly Ravishing Night: Marriott’s A Little Night Music
Written by Kimberly KatzMarriott Theatre’s in‑the‑round intimacy turns A Little Night Music - which premiered on Broadway in 1973 and later became a 1977 film - into a quietly seductive swirl of glances, secrets, and second chances, the kind of production where the waltz…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.