- Megan Kudla
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice…on Broadway in Chicago!
Cover photo credit: Matthew Murphy, 2022. Features Justin Collette (Beetlejuice) and Tour Company of Beetlejuice.
The humor, camp, and horror of Tim Burton’s movie Beetlejuice adapted as a musical means the cult classic becomes a music- and dance-filled spectacle–and you can take part yourself in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre when BEETLEJUICE is on stage from November 7-19, 2023, as well as May 21-26, 2024.
Young Lydia, still mourning her mother’s death, is unhappily relocated by her father into a new home that is haunted by recently deceased previous homeowners Barbara and Adam. The characters slip in and out of the worlds of the living and the dead, faced by the trickery of Beetlejuice, the mischievous and crude ghost who longs to be seen by the living–if only he gets someone to say his name three times…
The wildly hilarious Justin Collette (Beetlejuice) captures the stage with fearless presence, raising the energy of the crowd to participate by laughing and jeering for the entire 2 hours of storytelling. He pokes fun at the audience, letting them in on brash jokes and playfully wooing them into Beetlejuice’s point of view.
Collette, as well as others like Kate Marilley (Delia), Megan McGinnis (Barbara), and Will Burton (Adam), displayed great comedic dexterity through their vocal and physical performances. In fact, the entire cast’s virtuosity contributed to the outlandish BEETLEJUICE world. This couldn’t be better exemplified than by the much anticipated dinner scene, when the guests at the table are possessed to sing and dance to the Harry Belafonte hit, “Jump in the Line.”
And, of course, making a stunning Broadway debut, there is Isabella Esler, (Lydia) who’s voice took the wind from the room during each sentimental ballad she sang. This is especially true during the moving father-daughter moment alongside Jesse Sharp (Charles), when the pair are trapped in the Netherworld. The comedy was equally balanced with meaningful moments such as this one, allowing the audience to both laugh at each character’s foibles, but then proudly watch them learn and grow.
The entire feel of the show gets your heart rate up and your adrenaline pumping, with flashing lights and neon oranges, purples, and greens. Along with special effects and absurd illusions, there is nothing so vibrant and fast-paced as the BEETLEJUICE stage design. And when sprawling with the fantastical cast of characters, there is no stagnant moment or inch of space wasted.
Once the production engine revs up, the performance is at full speed, and it just doesn’t stop!
Don your Beetlejuice stripes and head over to www.broadwayinchicago.com to grab tickets to this nonstop and colorful musical comedy.
