Betsy Wolfe to Play Madeline Ashton in Death Becomes Her on Broadway

New Year, new Madeline. Betsy Wolfe will step into the role of Madeline Ashton in the Broadway musical Death Becomes Her beginning Friday, January 16.

She will replace Megan Hilty, who originated the role during the musical’s Chicago world premiere and on Broadway, and who was nominated alongside her costar Jennifer Simard for the 2025 Tony Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical. Hilty will play her final performance January 4.

Wolfe was last seen on Broadway in the Max Martin jukebox hit & Juliet, originating the role of Anne Hathaway and earning her own Tony nomination.

Based on the 1992 film from Universal Pictures, Death Becomes Her is about frenemies Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp, who discover the secret to immortality but never quite figure out how to be happy with themselves or each other, falling into an unhealthy codependency. TheaterMania’s review called it, “the most realistic depiction of a marriage I’ve ever seen on a Broadway stage.”

The show features direction and choreography by Christopher Gattelli, a book by Marco Pennette, and a score by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey.

In addition to Hilty, the Broadway cast currently features Jennifer Simard (Helen Sharp), Christopher Sieber (Ernest Menville), Michelle Williams (Violet Van Horn), Taurean Everett (Chagall), and Josh Lamon (Stefan). The ensemble includes Marija Abney, Sarita Colón, Kaleigh Cronin, Alexa De Baar, Natalie Charle Ellis, Michael Graceffa, Neil Haskell, Ximone Rose, Bethany Ann Tesarck, Mitch Tobin, Sir Brock Warren, Bud Weber, Ryan Worsing, Warren Yang, Kyle Brown, Kristine Covillo, Alex Hartmanm, Lakota Knuckle, McKinley Knuckle, Johanna Moise, Justin O’Brien, Amy Quanbeck and Dee Roscioli.