Review: BEETLEJUICE: THE MUSICAL, Kimmel Cultural Campus - US National Tour
Photo credit: Matthew Murphy
Beetlejuice: The Musical. The Musical. The Musical is a supercharged dark comedy musical based on the 1988 Tim Burton movie of the same name. It had the unfortunate timing of opening in April 2019 and closing due to the pandemic in March 2020. Luckily though, it is on a national tour in the US with nearly 40 more stops to make! We saw the original production on Broadway in summer 2019 and can personally attest that the tour is just as incredible!
The music and lyrics are written by Australian star Eddie Perfect, with the book by Scott Brown and Anthony King ( nominated for Best Book in the 2019 Tony Awards). The show has been nominated for many awards but won for its set design, and it’s clear to see why, despite having to be deconstructed and reconstructed for each city. It is spectacular, using the most of each area of the stage with complex curtains hiding what is going behind the scenes. There is also a prolific use of special effects that is both strange and unusual for Broadway shows.
Beetlejuice has the same plot as the movie which follows the lives (and deaths) of four characters: Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz, and Adam and Barbara Maitland. The story starts with the boring, hum-drum Maitlands as they die and come back as the “newly deceased” owners of the house where the story takes place. Lydia and her family move into this house after her mother dies as her father attempts to build a new life. Beetlejuice just happens to stumble upon the couple and tries to teach them to be scary but the task proves to be too difficult so he soon turns his attention and lewd and provocative behavior to the Deetz. This takes the cast on a wild turn through the underworld, featuring the ineffable Miss Argentina and back home where love conquers all.
Beetlejuice has an incredible cast and many stand out numbers. Justin Collette plays a disgusting yet delightful Beetlejuice. His command of the macabre ensemble is pure fun to watch. Isabella Ensler is enchanting and despondent as Lydia, modernising her with a bit more edge and a little less gloom than Wynona Rider. Ensler plays Lydia with a bit more of an emotional arc than in the movie and she exudes charm especially in the song, ‘Creepy Old Guy’. Delia is played by Kate Marilley who channels her inner Catherine O’Hara so well but she also brings her own kookiness to the role that would otherwise be dark and camp. The clear audience favourite is Danielle Marie Gonzalez as Miss Argentina, who delights as she frolics around hell bossing everyone around. Britney Coleman as Barbara, Will Burton as Adam, Jesse Sharp as Charles, Abe Goldfarb as Orlo and Jackera Davis as the girl scout also give notable performances. The ensemble is great, although the costumes are such that it is hard to distinguish who is who. A round of applause must be given for Kris Roberts, Brian Vaughn, Michael Biren, Ryan Breslin, Juliane Godfrey, Morgan Harrison, Matthew Michael Janisse, Kenway Hon Wai L. Kua, Sean McManus, Lee N Price, Nevada Riley, Trevor Michael Schmidt, Lexie Dorsett Sharp and Corben Williams.
Beetlejuice is only in Philadelphia for a very limited engagement before heading on the rest of the North American tour which doesn’t conclude until June 2024. If you happen to be in one of the cities that it is coming to, we would suggest buying your tickets now.
Raucous and hilarious.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Jamie Flowers
Beetlejuice: The Musical. The Musical. The Musical plays at the Academy of Music, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia until 11 June 2023, with tickets available here.