It's showtime, folks! The ghost-with-the-most makes his Broadway return in this edgy and irreverent musical comedy based on Tim Burton's dearly beloved film. BEETLEJUICE tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and Beetlejuice, a demon with a thing for stripes. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter unleashes a (Nether)world of pandemonium, and the biggest sandworm Broadway has ever seen.
Gut that story, take away all the heart and soul of the property and fill the evening with overblown songs that stop the action rather than advance it and you have “Beetlejuice” the musical. Substitute an in-your-face Beetlejuice as a relentlessly present emcee full of gags, one-liners, smoke and mirrors. And strobe lights. Oh, and let’s be self-referential throughout, vulgar and sophomoric. And regularly ridicule the very genre that the show aspires to rise to, i.e., the musical—“fuck ‘Brigadoon!’”—but then set such a low bar that “Brigadoon” seems like Shakespeare by comparison.
While this version is directed by Alex Timbers, with choreography from Connor Gallagher, with the exception of a few diversions, particularly in the second act, it stays mostly loyal to the subject matter of the original.
2018 | Washington, DC (Regional) |
Pre-Broadway Engagement at National Theatre Washington, DC (Regional) |
2019 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2022 | Broadway |
Broadway Return Broadway |
2022 | US Tour |
North American Tour US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Touring Production | Beetlejuice |
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