Mitra I. Arthur | May 19, 2025In Death Becomes Her, the main characters kill each other multiple times … for laughs! Robert Zemeckis' 1992 film is a cult classic; its stage adaptation — with a book by Marco Pennette and lyrics and music by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey — is a delightfully unhinged musical that I knew needed the Tiny Desk treatment. But If you're wondering if the performers recreate any of the physical comedy gags in the NPR Music office, you'll have to head to the theater.Mattison and Carey were on hand to shepherd the Tiny Desk audience through the world they helped create. Michelle Williams (of Destiny's Child fame) plays Viola Van Horn, the potion slinging sorceress, with enticing mystique; she performs "If You Want Perfection" and reminds us that actions have consequences in the grooving "Don't Say I Didn't (Warn You)." In "Tell Me, Ernest," Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton), Jennifer Simard (Helen Sharp) and Christopher Sieber (Dr. Ernest Menville) bring the weird and competitive love triangle of their characters to life (with a memorable appearance from Josh Lamon). Despite the fact their characters' "hatred escalated into murder" a few times, Hilty and Simard showcase their dysfunctional and codependent love for each other in the show's 11 o'clock number, "Alive Together."SET LIST"If You Want Perfection""Tell Me, Ernest""Alive Forever" "Don't Say I Didn't (Warn You)"MUSICIANSMichelle Williams: vocalsJennifer Simard: vocalsMegan Hilty: vocalsChristopher Sieber: vocalsNoel Carey: keys, background vocalsJulia Mattison: cowbell, background vocalsDillon Kondor: guitarRob Jost: bassBen Cohn: keysDamien Bassman: drumsJosh Lamon: background vocalsTaurean Everett: background vocalsXimone Rose: background vocalsTINY DESK TEAMProducer: Mitra I. ArthurDirector/Editor: Kara FrameAudio Technical Director: Josh NewellHost/Series Producer: Bobby CarterVideographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Alanté Serene, Nikki BirchAudio Engineer: Hannah GluvnaProduction Assistant: Ashley PointerPhotographer: Michael ZamoraTiny Desk Team: Joshua Bryant, Lars GotrichExecutive Producer: Suraya MohamedSeries Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen ThompsonVP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins#nprmusic #tinydesk #deathbecomesher Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Presenting sponsor of the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest. What's in your wallet? Learn more at CapitalOne.com.
