Everybody's favorite ghost-with-the-most has finally made it to Broadway. Beetlejuice appears on stage in this hilarious new musical that subverts all of Broadway's conventions. Based on Tim Burton's classic, other-worldly film, this hilarious new musical is an absolute killer.
Beetlejuice tells the story of a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life is upended when she meets a recently deceased couple in her father's new house. Then, when a dastardly demon with a thing for stripes wants to use her for his own nefarious purposes, she has to figure out what is truly important. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that will have you tapping your toes long after you’ve shuffled off this mortal coil, Beetlejuice is musical unlike anything you will see in this world (or the next).
And under its uproarious surface (six feet under, to be exact), it’s a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O!
But happily and improbably Beetlejuice, directed by Alex Timbers, lays those problems to rest. (A pretty hectic rest, but still.) Where the show falters is in the more ordinary stuff of musical theater, story and song. But when the conductor rises from the orchestra pit with a shrunken head above the shoulders of his natty suit, you can forgive a lot.
Most of the cast overplays (Butler, Kritzer) or underplays (McClure, Dannheisser), but the talented Caruso, with a Cyndi Lauper-like voice, strikes the right balance. This is a challenge for all involved, especially in the second half of Scott Brown and Anthony King's jumbled book. Indeed, if the actors took their scripts, threw them into the air, picked up the pages and performed them in their new order, Act 2 would be about the same. Director Alex Timbers' hyperactive staging and David Korins' huge-but-ugly set don't help matters much.
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 |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Scott Brown |
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical | William Ivey Long |
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Leslie Kritzer |
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Projection Design | Peter Nigrini |
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Puppet Design | Michael Curry |
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Set Design for a Musical | David Kornins |
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair Design | Charles G. LaPointe |
2019 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Alex Brightman |
2019 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Leslie Kritzer |
2019 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | Beetlejuice |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | William Ivey Long |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Leslie Kritzer |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Projection Design | Peter Nigrini |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design | David Korins |
2019 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Sophia Anne Caruso |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Scott Brown |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | William Ivey Long |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Kenneth Posner |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Beetlejuice |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Eddie Perfect |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Alex Brightman |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | David Korins |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Peter Hylenski |
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