Broadway Access Review -
Death Becomes Her

General:

• I would recommend earplugs for this show

• the primary light cue of note is the full stage lightning that happens frequently throughout the show - most of the time it is purple flashes rather than white, but it is still fairly strobey. I was not able to note many of the cues, but as the show goes on you begin to know when to expect it. The other lighting cue tendencies are uses of quick shifts and pulses

• most scenes have extremely sparkly costumes that can cause a disco ball effect

• pre-show (and during intermission and post-show) there are strong blue LED lights pointed directly at the audience

• the sensory accessibility of this show is similar to that of Six, Moulin Rouge, Spamalot, and Titanique

Act I:

• Opening - “siempre viva” - quick light shift, full stage white lightning (later becomes purple lightning) & smoke; this song is incredibly flashy

• For the Gaze - bulb lights, sparkles, spinning wall projections, lots of color; this song is also incredibly flashy, also there are confetti streamers over the orchestra at the end (no accompanying sound)

• Wedding - ~30 seconds of mostly on/off lights with increasing frequency for the dance break

• Madeline - brief imagery of psychiatric inpatient treatment 

• After Ernest exits at the end of ‘Til Death, ~20 sec of camera flashes

• “Viola Van Horn” - purple lightning (this happens every time her name is said) 

• Camera flashes return after Helen enters, and ~5 sec of them when she exits 

• lightning after “Madeline Ashton’s mother”

• Falling Apart - big ~15 sec of purple/green lightning after this song with smoke when the curtain comes up, lots of lightning

• “My flock - siempre viva!” - flashing lights pointed at the audience in many colors that are very strobey for ~30 sec, with some alternating moving lights afterwards

• “You’ll never see her again” - white lightning flash

• “I knew you didn’t have it in you”, ~30 sec of white lightning (starts as just the windows, then expands)

Act II:

• Full stage lightning to begin the act, as well as some flashes while they’re in the car

• “Wabbit season!” - gunshot that’s not very loud at all

• “We don’t have a dead body” - lightning

• The Plan - Ernest sprays something that may be able to be smelled by the audience 

• Small pulses after each time Ernest’s head is bonked

• “Wanna bet?” - the song after this (Live to Serve) has strong pulsing bass that you can feel; there’s also lots of smoke, neon lights, and quick on/off transitions 

• The chase scene gets rather flashy and the neon arches move in and out 

• White lightning after the two exit the graveyard 

• Pink flashing & moving lights during bows that go into the audience (they tone it down a bit when the curtain comes up) - then becomes very strobey after the final bow for about ~5 seconds