Beetlejuice arrived at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa as part of its North American Tour. The musical, based on the 1998 Tim Burton film, played at Segerstrom Hall from April 16th to the 28th.
The Beetlejuice Musical Tour features a different cast from the original 2019 Broadway show. The two most notable cast changes are that of the titular Beetlejuice is now played by Justin Collette, and Lydia Deet who is now played by Isabella Esler. Collette takes inspiration from Alex Brightman, who played Beetlejuice in the Broadway musical and replicates the same deep, gravelly voice used by Brightman in the original show.
“I do it differently than Alex did. Alex uses false vocal cords to make that cool texture,” Collette explains in a short video posted to social media.
Brightman was known for using a vocal technique called ventricular fold phonation, which allowed him to do the gruff voice without damaging his throat.
“I use almost no air and a little bit of gravel right here in my throat,” said Collette.
Despite sharing the same name as its film predecessor, the musical is not a word-for-word adaptation of the movie. Though still present, the Mainlander family is no longer the story’s main focus. The musical focuses on the relationship between a teenage girl named Lydia Deetz and her father, who both cope with the loss of Emily Deetz, Lydia’s mother. The musical also builds upon the character of the titular Beetlejuice, giving him more screen time than the 17 minutes spent with him in the 1988 film. It also offers Lydia Deetz a backstory and explains her relationship with her late mother, who died before the events that took place during the play.
The musical’s soundtrack was written by the Australian-born songwriter Eddie Perfect. In it Perfect combines traditional Broadway music elements with rock and pop elements. Each song encapsulates the characters’ personalities and highlights their motives very humorously.
The soundtrack also includes Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and “Jump in the Line,” both of which had been featured in the original film’s soundtrack.
“The world has a 63-year relationship with Day-O. Audiences literally walk into the theatre humming it. And it was always going to be in the musical due to the fact that it made such an incredible impact in the film”, says Perfect in a 2019 Playbill article.
The second song performed during the musical, “The Whole ‘Being Dead’ Thing,” gives viewers a sneak peek into what to expect during the show and prepares them for the crass, dark humor that hands the musical with its personality. The song also lets the audience know that the show will not be 100% faithful to the film.
“A ballad already? And such a bold departure from the original source material!” Collette says before going into the song, “The Whole ‘Being Dead’ Thing.”
Although the story follows the same general premise as the film during its first act, it acts more as a modern adaptation of the Beetlejuice story rather than relying too heavily on what was already established.
While the musical is very fun to watch, songs like “Creepy Old Guy,” are not the most appropriate for younger audiences who may be oblivious to the subjects the lyrics are mocking. Despite this being such a prominent part of the musical, the world of Beetlejuice is no stranger to dark humor, as the original film shares some of the same crass comedy.
“I really think fans of the movie will enjoy it. It has some of the same twisted humor as the film and the visuals of the show are its strength for sure,” says Sienna Schoales, a student at Huntington Beach High School who attended the original Broadway musical.
The musical does not shy away from poking fun at current political and social issues either.
For example, early on in the play, Beetlejuice uses a book as a puppet, then tosses it into a fireplace, making a joke that a fate like that only happens to books that make kids gay, making fun of those groups who may believe in the idea that books are capable of doing such things.
2024 is looking to be a very packed year for the Beetlejuice musical, as fans have many things to look forward to.
As far as the films themselves go, Beetlejuice is expecting a sequel this September, humorously titled “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” as a nod to how the character is summoned in the film through the act of saying his name thrice.
The Beetlejuice Musical’s next stop is Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Popejoy Hall starting May 7th. The musical’s tour is expected to end around July 2025 in Toronto.
