Death Becomes Her Divas Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard Drink Up Their Time Together on Broadway

It's been over 30 years since Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn made gruesome and glamorous frenemies of Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp. The Death Becomes Her divas are badly behaved and beloved for it, unapologetically grasping at youth and beauty, no matter the price. Not every actress can win hearts that way, but the musical adaptation of the cult classic—with a score by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, a book by Marco Pennette and direction by Christopher Gattelli—depended on finding two equally matched belting comediennes (who can also do some light magic). Enter Megan Hilty (Madeline) and Jennifer Simard (Helen), two women who know how to chomp on some scenery and have three collective Tony nominations to prove it.

The pair of leading ladies joined The Broadway Show for a sleek photo shoot at Le Rock, channeling the high-fashion alteregos that are now on display nightly at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Their bitter rivalry, fortunately is reserved exclusively for the stage. In a sitdown with Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek, it's nothing but mutual admiration and delight in each other's company. 

Read an edited version of their conversation below. 

Hey ladies! I’m so thrilled you’re back on Broadway together. How's it feeling to be launching this major Broadway musical?

MEGAN: I still don't really believe that it's real. I know that we're all dressed up and we're having a fabulous time here today, but it's so grand and it's so wonderful. So I'm still pinching myself every day.

This is also one of those titles based on a movie that everybody's like, “That should be a musical.”

JENNIFER: Oh yeah, I think I still have the ticket stub from when the movie came out somewhere. I think everyone knew this would make a great musical, and I'm happy to report that not only is the movie as exceptional as it is, but what these writers and artists collectively have done to translate it to the stage is one for the books. Isn’t it really wonderful?

MEGAN: Absolutely. Because it's one of the most iconic movies ever made. But what they've done is taken that and made it completely its own wild homage to what's been done before us. And we get to be the first to voice all of these incredible original songs by Julia [Mattison] and Noel [Carey].

JENNIFER: One of the things I'm most excited about is what it's going to do for this incredible writing duo because they deserve the moon. It's that good. I've been in things where you're like, “This could be better.” They knock it out of the park.

MEGAN: They're about to be so famous, they're not going to have time to talk to us anymore. We gotta get our facetime in now.

I've loved both of you forever. I've followed your careers for decades.

JENNIFER: I mean, decade. We’re only 20.

MEGAN: We just started this whole Broadway thing.

But it's not every day you get a lead in a brand-new Broadway musical. I mean, this is huge.

MEGAN: It’s humongous.

JENNIFER: We were saying once too, the canon of two women on Broadway, it's not that large. And so it is quite an honor. I don't take it for granted for a second. They just put up our artwork this week, and how I've always wanted this, right? And how many people would love to be in our shoes? So we are treating it with great respect and hope we live up to it.

MEGAN: I'm looking forward to the day where I'm taking the subway and there's really terrible things drawn on my face. That's when I'll know that I've made it.

Did you guys know each other at all?

MEGAN: I was just a fan of hers for—not decades, because we're just babies. But for a very long time, I've been a huge fan of Jennifer's.

JENNIFER: You can find the photo of the day we met. It was at the 2016 Tony breakfast.

MEGAN: When we were nominated for Tonys?

JENNIFER: The same year. For Noises Off and Disaster! And there's a lovely picture. Megan's in black and white and I'm in pink and there we are. It was a mutual admiration society and we both heard great things about the other. I'm happy to report they're all true.

MEGAN: It’s all true.

So these characters—Madeline and Helen—wow. They're a lot.

MEGAN: What makes you say that?

They’re very large characters to inhabit. But you also have to make them very human and build these real human relationships. What is that balance?

MEGAN: I feel like at this point I'm just waiting for somebody to say, "No, that's too much. Please don't do that." but I love that we have this space where we get to do that. Inherently you have to bring yourself to it, otherwise it's not real. I don’t know how to put words to that balance, but it is very much at the center of what we're doing.

JENNIFER: You have to know that even when you're using the largest brush stroke, that it has to be based in something real. Sometimes you can go in with a fine brush stroke and usually, to Megan's point, if you bring yourself to it, it's always going to be grounded. Our friend Jerry Zaks always says, "When in doubt, just plant your feet, look the other guy in the eye and tell the truth." I think we're both really good at listening to each other on stage and talking with our eyes, and I really appreciate that as your scene partner. That keeps it honest even when we're doing the most ridiculous things.

Not since Roxie and Velma have two showbiz ladies rivaled each other but needed each other so much.

MEGAN: Like any friendship, there are dynamics, you know? Their range is a little maybe wider, but at the core they love each other. Everything that drives what we do is because we want to impress the other one. It might come across as like we want to top the other one, but it comes from a place of admiration and love. Otherwise, it doesn't work.

JENNIFER: In every relationship, there are going to be times where you're in sync and you're not in sync and you have to ride those waves. And eventually you get on each other's nerves, especially with the people you love the most and feel safest with. These two definitely have known each other for years, so that's all there. But they ultimately [realize] there's deep love. You are my person and I am yours.

This movie is also known for incredible special effects that you are tasked with recreating on stage, and it's really fun to watch how you do it in a theatrical way.

MEGAN: It's very fun because it's not something that I'm used to doing at all, being introduced to this illusion world. And from what I understand, a lot of these things are going to evolve even more for Broadway. So I'm really excited to see how these things are going to change.

But to be clear, you can't actually turn your head around and you don't actually have a hole in your chest?

MEGAN: Yes, of course I can. I just learned how—safely.

JENNIFER: That's right. We have a hole workshop. I am sitting here with a hole in my stomach as we speak. That’s why I’m not drinking.

MEGAN: She’s that good.

JENNIFER: But I think we are magicians now. Is there a union we need to join?

MEGAN: We are multi-hyphenates now.

JENNIFER: Illusionists, action stars…

MEGAN: ...a singer who moves well.

So what are you looking forward to with actually bringing this show to Broadway audiences and to the fans?

JENNIFER: The thing I'm looking forward to the most is that it's a really good show. They shall remain nameless, but I've been involved in some clunkers. It's just a winner, in the purest sense of that word. And the audiences are going to eat it alive. They're just going to love it.

MEGAN: It's an event. And yes, it's a beautiful story about friendship. But it is a good time. You come, you check your worries at the door and you just laugh at us being silly for two-and-a-half hours.

The Broadway Show Credits: Directed by Zack R. Smith | Producers: Paul Wontorek and Beth Stevens | Senior Producers: Caitlin Moynihan and Lindsey Sullivan | Videographers: Nick Shakra and Ryan Windess

Photo Credits: Photography by Emilio Madrid |  Photo Assistants: Miles Haber, Gracie Paulson and Sergio Villarini | Location: Le Rock

Styling Credits: Styled by Jake Sokoloff |  Styling Assistant: Ashley Stephens | Megan Hilty Hair & Make-Up Artist: Bruce Wayne | Jennifer Simard Hair Stylist : Dom Forletta | Simard Make-up Artist: Amanda Thesen | Hilty Purple Dress: Zhivago | Hilty Red Dress: Alessandra Rich | Simard Gold Dress: Zhivago | Simard Purple Dress: Zhivago | Shoes: Aquazzura | Accessories: Alexis Bittar & Nickho Rey