Death Becomes Her Diva Michelle Williams Talks Grammy Nomination, Mental Health and Girl Group Legacies

For the past year, Grammy winner Michelle Williams has been casting a spell on Broadway as the Swarovski-clad sorceress Viola Van Horn in Death Becomes Her. The Destiny’s Child singer sat down with The Broadway Show's Tamsen Fadal to talk about her triumphant return to the stage.

“I love hearing the audience. We get a variety of laughter, squealers. Or someone will say a line and then an audience member will catch on later, and then it'll be this random laugh,” says Williams. “Even in my monologue the other day, I said something and the laugh was delayed. And so I made a gesture like, ‘Duh, finally. You got my joke. I want you to understand my joke.’ I think the liberty to acknowledge, without coming out of character, those things are a blast.”

Williams has been open about her mental health throughout the years and speaks candidly about prioritizing self-care amid the demands of being a Broadway performer. “It's chilling out, it's decompressing, it's putting your phone on silent for a few hours throughout the day. It's whatever you need to fill yourself up,” she tells Fadal.

On top of giving her a chance to shine comedically, Death Becomes Her has also amounted to a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album. The nomination came as a surprise for Williams. “I remember the day we recorded the cast album, and then I just put it back in the memory like, ‘Oh, that's a great memory.’ That was a great experience and you keep it moving.” As someone familiar with the ins-and-outs of the nomination process, Williams was especially honored. “I'm a member of the Recording Academy, and so I know what it's like when you get the ballot and the links to listen to."

Destiny’s Child propelled Williams to stardom and she recently reunited with the group on a stop of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour. Reflecting on the legacy of Destiny’s Child, Williams said, “There are other groups that we've looked up to that are still touring as well, still getting along, so you know it's doable. And so when I see upcoming girl groups, it's like, just keep the main thing the main thing. Focus, be kind and honest with one another and I think you'll see the dream manifested. And I think that's what we were able to do.”

Williams has kept this spirit of camaraderie intact while on Broadway. “It's the friends and family that's built that you will keep in touch with even after the show is over. There are people in this show, we're planning on trying to go get these sweet honey butter pancakes this weekend. The relationships stay beyond the stage. We’re going to get them sweet honey pancakes.”

Watch the video below for the full interview.

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