The curtain is closing on one Broadway star’s plum role, but fear not, another big name is already rehearsing in the wings.
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Megan Hilty is departing Death Becomes Her, with her final performance as Madeline Ashton scheduled for Jan. 4, 2026. The two-time Tony nominee will then pass the role to Betsy Wolfe, who joins the production later that month, PEOPLE reports.
Wolfe, also a Tony nominee for her role in & Juliet, will take over the role starting Jan. 16, according to the outlet.
Hilty originated the role of Madeline in the show’s 2024 Chicago premiere and its Broadway run. She earned her second Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for this role. Hilty has been involved with the project since its early development in 2023.
In June, Hilty described her role in the musical as “the most challenging and rewarding role” she has “ever taken on.” She temporarily left the show for four weeks to recover “from a vocal injury that only time can heal.” She returned to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in July.
The Hit Broadway Show is Based on the 1992 Robert Zemeckis Film
Based on Robert Zemeckis’ 1992 dark comedy, Death Becomes Her has become a certified Broadway smash. The musical snagged 33 nominations for the 2024–2025 theater season, including 10 Tony nods, delighting audiences with its drop-dead hilarious take on vanity and fame.
The show has an original score by Tony nominees Julia Mattison and Noel Carey. Tony nominee Marco Pennett also wrote the book. Tony winner Christopher Gattelli is the director and choreographer.
Starring alongside Hilty is three-time Tony nominee Jennifer Simard as Madeline’s frenemy, Helen Sharp. They are joined by two-time Tony nominee Christopher Sieber as Ernest Menville—the man caught between them—and Grammy winner Michelle Williams as the enigmatic Violet Van Horn.
Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis and Isabella Rossellini originally played these roles in the film.