On April 15, 2026, Ms. Melissa Gentile’s Theater Arts class and five members of the drama club had the opportunity to see the Broadway musical Death Becomes Her at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City. The show thrilled the audience with its blend of musical comedy, dark humor, and a story about friendship, rivalry, and the pursuit of eternal beauty.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

The plot centers on frenemies Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp, who compete for the affections of Ernest Menville. Madeline, a glamorous actress, invites her old friend Helen, a struggling author, to meet her new fiancé, Ernest, a plastic surgeon. Sensing an opportunity, Madeline seduces Ernest away from Helen, leaving Helen heartbroken and institutionalized.

Years later, Madeline’s star has faded, and she’s desperate to regain her youth and relevance. At Helen’s book release party, Madeline is shocked to see Helen looking more radiant than ever. Soon after, Madeline receives a mysterious business card for Viola Van Horn, who offers her a magical potion called Sempre Viva, promising eternal youth if she can keep the secret and take care of her body. What follows is a dramatic storyline with a witty script, memorable musical numbers, and over-the-top performances.  Along the way, the characters learn a great deal about the downsides of vanity and the quest for perpetual youth along with some important lessons about friendship and loyalty.

The play featured some powerhouse performances by actors like Michelle Williams, Christopher Sieber, and Jennifer Simard among other talented cast members.

When asked about their favorite acting performances, freshman Avery Tallman said, “Betsy Wolf is my favorite because of her ability to act entitled, but still stay a fan favorite!”

“My favorite actress was Michelle Williams, Viola Van Horn. She’s absolutely beautiful and amazing. She reminds me of a scar as a woman,” said senior Cheyenne Langhorn.

The theater students enjoyed the character Viola’s memorable entrance in the play along with her costume. 

For some students, it was hard to pick just one favorite performer. “I liked everyone, but I loved the ensemble. I liked Viola and her assistant too. They ate down the whole show,” said sophomore Samantha Morris. 

The play is known for its intricate special effects and illusions onstage, especially as one of the main characters loses her head, literally. 

“The costumes were great and I love the missing head scene,” said English teacher and play chaperone Ms. Melissa Roush. “[My favorite performer was] Madeline Ashton because she is hilarious.”

The show also featured many entertaining musical performances.

“‘So Tell Me Ernest’ was great,” said Morris. “I love the silly banter between the lyrics. ‘If You Want Perfection’ was an AMAZING opening number too!”

Langhorn and Mrs. Roush also agreed that “If you want Perfection” was a memorable song. 

It was hard for the theater students to pick just one favorite scene since each moment onstage was filled with humor, hijinx, and drama. 

“My favorite scene in the show was when Renst was drinking and singing in the basement about the steps to put the woman back together, and the talking spray paint,” said Tallman.

The moral of the play, in spite of its humor, was very profound and taught a good lesson about chasing eternal youth and vanity. 

“Chasing external youth is a great moral,” said Langhorn. “The way they execute it was very visual instead of outright spilling it with no sense of humor.”

Since the characters were offered an elixir to stay young forever called “sempre viva”, it made the audience consider whether taking the potion is worth it in the end. 

“I definitely would take the potion because I could do whatever I want, fake my death, and move on! It’d be so fun especially if I could take a friend with me!” said Tallman. 

Others would exercise more caution when playing with immortality. 

“I would take the potion, but be way more careful than the characters in the show,” said Morris. 

Mrs. Roush has no plans of taking an eternal potion any time soon saying, “No I plan to enjoy the privilege of growing old.”

The play not only brought laughs and powerhouse performances, but it also left the theater group with a memory that will live forever in their memories even without a dose of “sempre viva”.