Beetlejuice The Musical. The Musical. The Musical., or simply Beetlejuice, is a musical with music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect and book by Scott Brown and Anthony King. It is based on the 1988 film of the same name. The story concerns a deceased couple who try to haunt the new inhabitants of their former home and call for help from a devious bio-exorcist ghost named Betelgeuse (after the star; the name is pronounced and often spelled "Beetlejuice"), who is summoned by saying his name three times. One of the new inhabitants is a young girl, Lydia, who is dealing with her mother's death and her neglectful father.
The musical had a tryout at the National Theatre, Washington, D.C. in October 2018, prior to opening on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on April 25, 2019. It is produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures (a unit of franchise owner Warner Bros.). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show played its final performance at the Winter Garden on March 10, 2020. It reopened at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway on April 8, 2022, and closed on January 8, 2023; a US national tour of the production began in December 2022.[1]
Background[]
In 2016, a musical adaptation of the 1988 film Beetlejuice (directed by Tim Burton and starring Geena Davis as Barbara Maitland, Alec Baldwin as Adam Maitland, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice) was reported to be in the works, directed by Alex Timbers and produced by Warner Bros., following a reading with Christopher Fitzgerald in the title role. In March 2017, it was reported that Australian musical comedian Eddie Perfect would be writing the music and lyrics and Scott Brown and Anthony King would be writing the book of the musical, and that another reading would take place in May, featuring Kris Kukul as musical director. The musical had three readings and two workshops with Alex Brightman in the title role, Sophia Anne Caruso as Lydia Deetz, and Kerry Butler and Rob McClure as Barbara and Adam Maitland.[2]
Plot[]
Act I[]
A group of people at a graveyard mourn the passing of Emily Deetz. Emily's daughter, Lydia, reflects on the death of her mother and her own inability to be noticed by her father, Charles ("Prologue: Invisible"). A millennia-old demon named Beetlejuice appears and mocks the idea of living life to the fullest, as it will all be worthless once death comes ("The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing"). Beetlejuice then addresses the audience directly, explaining that, as a demon, he is invisible to all living beings unless he gets a living person to say his name three times, and reveals that he has come up with a plan to accomplish this.
Beetlejuice then introduces Adam and Barbara Maitland, a normal married couple who desperately want to start a family, but are not emotionally ready and project their insecurities onto their hobbies. As the Maitlands reason to themselves why they are not ready for a child, they fall to their deaths through unstable floorboards in their home ("Ready, Set, Not Yet"). The Handbook for the Recently Deceased falls from the sky, but Beetlejuice burns it, wanting the newly deceased Maitlands to haunt their house and get a living person to say his name three times. When the Maitlands awaken from their fall and realize that they are dead, Beetlejuice reveals himself to the couple and offers to help them adjust to the Afterlife ("The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing, Pt. 2"). He also reveals to the Maitlands that a new family, the Deetzes, have bought their house and that in order to get rid of them, they will have to scare them away, so the Maitlands accept his help ("The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing, Pt. 3").
While moving in, Charles reveals to Lydia that he wants to start a gated community, using the house as a flagship model home, and is holding a dinner party with some business friends. Lydia expresses her desire for her mother to return, mentioning the fact that nobody seems to care that she is gone. Praying for her to send a sign that she is still there, Lydia vows to make her father acknowledge the fact that tragedy struck their family ("Dead Mom"). In the attic, Beetlejuice is trying to teach the Maitlands how to be scary. Despite his best attempts, they prove to be not scary at all ("Fright of Their Lives"). Beetlejuice becomes frustrated with the couple and abandons them, so they vow to scare the Deetz family away themselves ("Ready Set" (reprise)). Meanwhile, Delia, a woman whom Charles hired to be Lydia's life coach and his secret lover, tells Lydia how everything happens for a reason but fails to get her in a positive state of mind ("No Reason"). After their session, Lydia meets the Maitlands as they are roaming the house trying to scare the Deetzes. Lydia wants to leave the house just as much as the Maitlands want her family out, so she tries to convince her dad that the house is haunted, only to find out that he and Delia are engaged.
Feeling as if Charles is just trying to replace her mother, Lydia flees to the roof, considering suicide, where a depressed Beetlejuice laments that he will never be seen ("Invisible" (reprise)). He becomes ecstatic however when he realizes Lydia can see him; he advises her not to kill herself, with the intention of getting her to free him from his curse. Lydia teases Beetlejuice but does not say his name the necessary three times. The Maitlands come to check on Lydia, only to be possessed by Beetlejuice into saying positive things about him to further convince Lydia. Upon learning about possession and that any ghost can do it, regardless of skill, Lydia decides not to work with Beetlejuice and instead teams up with the Maitlands to ruin Charles' party ("Say My Name").
At the dinner party, Barbara and Adam possess Charles, Delia, and their guests ("Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)"). However, instead of being scared, the investors see the ghosts as a selling point; making them more interested in Charles' project. Feeling desperate, Lydia resorts to summoning Beetlejuice. Now visible to the living and able to affect the world around him, he forces the Maitlands to the attic before throwing Charles, Delia, and the investors out of the house, much to Lydia's joy.
Act II[]
A Girl Scout named Sky explains to the audience, she has a heart disease where any shocking thing could stop her heart, but she is nevertheless excited to be a Girl Scout. She rings the doorbell of the Deetzes' house, to be greeted by Lydia, who invites her inside ("Girl Scout"). Beetlejuice frightens Sky into leaving and duplicates himself to help Lydia scare every visitor to the house ("That Beautiful Sound"), and gives her the Handbook for the Recently Deceased. Lydia realizes the book could help her reunite with her mother, and runs to the attic for Barbara and Adam's help. Beetlejuice remarks to his duplicates that he wants to leave the house to connect with people, and decides to trick Lydia into marrying him, which will allow him to roam free in the living world ("That Beautiful Sound Reprise").
In the attic, Barbara and Adam help Lydia open the Handbook. Under its guidance, Adam opens the door to the Afterlife, but Barbara shuts it, afraid of leaving the house. Lydia berates them because she hoped to use the book to summon her dead mother. She exits. Barbara and Adam resolve to become bolder ("Barbara 2.0").
Delia, Charles, and Delia's guru, Otho, re-enter the house to rescue Lydia, bringing a box that can supposedly trap souls. Beetlejuice tricks Lydia by telling her that reading a passage from the book will resurrect her mother, but instead, she begins to exorcise Barbara and is forced to agree to marry Beetlejuice to stop it ("The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing, Pt. 4"). He stops the exorcism and opens a door to the Netherworld to send the Maitlands away for good, but Lydia jumps through the door, with Charles following. Enraged that his plan has failed again, Beetlejuice decides to kill everyone instead ("Good Old Fashioned Wedding").
Lydia and Charles enter the Netherworld and are greeted by Miss Argentina, who along with other Netherworld residents, urges them to return to the living world ("What I Know Now"). They then meet Juno, director of Netherworld Customs and Processing, who soon finds out they are still alive. Lydia runs from Juno and frantically searches for her mother in the Netherworld, but is unable to find her. Charles finds Lydia in distress and reconciles with her ("Home").
Cast[]
Musical numbers[]
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Act I
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Act II
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Variations from the 1998 film[]
Reception[]
The show was a sucess receiving rave reviews from both audiences and critics alike particularly for Alex Brightman's performance as the titular character as well as the show visuals. It even managed to score several Tony nominations but lost in all categories mainly to Hadestown.
Despite the reviews and praises, Tim Burton has openly expressed his dislike of the show mainly on the account the show was made without his involvement. Burton has expressed that even though the show had his style the characters belonged to them so he should have a say in what happens to them.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
References[]
- ↑ ‘Beetlejuice’ Closing on Broadway in January
- ↑ [https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Kerry-Butler-Danny-Pudi-Alex-Brightman-and-the-Cast-of-BEETLEJUICE-Workshop-Share-Behind-the-Scenes-Photos-20171001 Kerry Butler, Danny Pudi, Alex Brightman and the Cast of Beetlejuice Workshop Share Behind the Scenes Photos