How Composers Julia Mattison and Noel Carey Brought Broadway's Death Becomes Her to Life

Published: May 27, 2025

The Tony-nominated composers and lyricists open up to PEOPLE about their journey to crafting one of the biggest hits of the season.

A Dream Debut

Julia Mattison and Noel Carey are having a Broadway debut most people would die for. The songwriting duo are on the boards for the first time with Death Becomes Her, the hilarious musical comedy they adapted from the 1992 Robert Zemeckis film that starred Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn.

The duo met in college and landed the gig after submitting original songs during the pandemic shutdown. Speaking with PEOPLE, Mattison and Carey open up about crafting Death Becomes Her's score — including that viral "That was rude" sound.

"This whole experience has just been a series of dreams realized," Mattison tells PEOPLE. "And it feels overwhelming, in a way."

Yeah, you work so hard to get somewhere that when it finally happens, it's almost surreal," Carey adds. "But opening, that was the goal. Everything else that's happened since then has just been icing on the cake."

A Viral Sensation

Death Becomes Her is undeniably one of the theater season's biggest hits. Since opening back in November to rave reviews, the Christopher Gattelli-directed show has been driving audiences to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, making it a hot ticket on Broadway.

Its fresh and fearless score — a mixture of brass Broadway numbers, emotional ballads, cinematic songs, contemporary hits, and pop perfections — has been praised not just for its versatility but how it effortlessly blends those genres together.

One song, "Hit Me," has even inspired a viral sound on TikTok ("That.. was... rude...").

The musical is currently up for 10 Tonys, including the coveted Best Musical prize as well as leading actress nods for stars Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard.

For more on the 2025 Tony Awards, check out our coverage of the American Music Awards winners list, the best-dressed stars on the red carpet, and the Machine Gun Kelly's red carpet appearance.

For more on Broadway, check out our article on Audra McDonald's performance in Gypsy.