The movie “Beetlejuice” has been a cult classic and staple of Halloween ever since Tim Burton originally released it in 1988. Twenty-nine years later in 2016, a Broadway composer named Eddie Perfect decided to adapt that movie into a full-fledged musical.
So, with the aid of the brilliant director Alex Timbers, known for his work in “Moulin Rouge,” the musical premiered in Washington, D.C., with a star-studded cast, including Tony nominee Alex Brightman (“School of Rock”) and Kerry Butler (“Catch Me If You Can”).
The musical then immediately transferred to Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre where it was met with mixed reviews. The musical was subsequently nominated for eight Tony Awards, including one for Best Leading Actor honoring Brightman’s unique, guttural voice, that is exemplified in the original cast recording.
When looking at the movie, “Beetlejuice,” from an outsider’s perspective, it is difficult to see how it could turn into a long-running Broadway musical.
So, the writers took much creative license in adapting the musical to create a show. Brightman, who plays Beetlejuice, describes it as “a bold departure from the original source material” in the lyrics at the end of the prologue.
Along with the immensely talented Brightman, the cast of “Beetlejuice” includes Sophia Anne Caruso as Lydia Deetz, who brilliantly portrays a “strange and unusual” teenager who is trying to recover from the recent death of her mother, with the assistance of her father (Adam Dannheiser) and the life coach he hired for her, Delia (Leslie Kritzer).
Unlike the movie, the musical focuses more on Lydia and her grieving process after her mother dies. In the end, Lydia also has to choose whether to stay in the netherworld with Beetlejuice or return to her family.
Also, Rob McClure (“Something Rotten!”) and Butler portray the Maitland couple, who perish at the beginning of the musical and subsequently meet Beetlejuice.
If you’re looking for a delightful musical, which is both darkly comic and genuinely warmhearted, to round out the Halloween season, I highly recommend seeing or listening to “Beetlejuice,” a musical currently haunting sold-out audiences on Broadway.
