On Jan. 8, 2023, “Beetlejuice” played its final performance at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway after 679 performances. With fun singing numbers, lots of dark humor sprinkled throughout, and, at times, very emotional and compelling scenes, I wish this show could have had a longer run on Broadway.
Its honest portrayal of grief and death is one of the best that I have seen, and the show’s message of learning to move on from the death of a loved one is one that resonates with a wide variety of audiences today.
Based on Tim Burton’s 1988 film of the same name, the musical follows newlyweds Adam and Barbara Maitland after they die and end up haunting their own home. When Charles Deetz and his family end up buying their house, the Maitlands summon a poltergeist named Betelgeuse (sometimes styled as “Beetlejuice”) in the hopes of scaring them away. Betelgeuse, unsatisfied with only causing chaos in the afterlife, wants to be given a second chance at life. He enlists the help of Charles’ teenage daughter, Lydia, on the condition that she must marry him so that he can have a permanent presence in the mortal world.
The musical originally ran from April 25, 2019, to March 10, 2020, pausing at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally performed in the Winter Garden Theatre; however, due to contractual obligations regarding the revival of “The Music Man,” the show reopened at the Marquis Theatre on April 8, 2022. The reopening cast included members of the original cast and some fresh new faces, such as Elizabeth Teeter, who replaced original cast member Sophia Anne Caruso as Lydia.
One of the ways the show expands upon what the movie establishes is how it explores Lydia’s storyline – more specifically, how she deals with the death of her mother. At the beginning of the show, Lydia is upset that her father refuses to acknowledge her mother’s death, so much so that he hires a life coach for her in order to cheer her up. Wanting her father to face the same grief that she is experiencing, she agrees to help Betelgeuse terrorize her family during a dinner with one of her father’s potential business partners.
Although their plan works in scaring her family away from the home, Lydia realizes that she can speak to ghosts through Adam and Barbara, and she wants to find a way to contact her dead mother. She is horrified when Betelgeuse wants her to marry him, and, in retaliation, she runs away to a place called the Netherworld, the musical’s portrayal of the afterlife. In the Netherworld, she finally accepts her place in the mortal world, learns to move on from her grief, and makes up with her father in the song “Home.”
Another aspect of the show that expands upon the original movie is the Netherworld. In the film, we see brief glimpses of the Netherworld through Adam and Barbara, but we never are able to see it in its entirety. In both the film and the musical, the first person we are introduced to is Miss Argentina, the receptionist. In the show, when she meets Lydia and Charles – who had followed Lydia inside – she sings “What I Know Now,” where she urges them to enjoy life for what it is and not to end their lives prematurely as she did. It’s the show’s clever way of urging the audience to appreciate the life that they’re living now and is one of the most important songs in the entire show. Even though “Beetlejuice” is a show that candidly discusses death and grief, it also appreciates the life we currently live.
More fun numbers from the show include: “Say My Name,” where Betelgeuse first meets Lydia and urges her to summon him into the real world, “No Reason,” which covers the struggle between Lydia and her life coach, Delia, and the act one finale “Day-O (Banana Boat Song),” the iconic scene where Lydia and the Maitlands attempt to scare her family and guests away. One of the more notable songs from the show is the opening number “The Whole Being Dead Thing,” which establishes the show’s candid depiction and discussion about death. This song, in particular, is elevated by Alex Brightman’s morbidly enjoyable portrayal of Betelgeuse. Although there are some songs that are forgettable, like “Ready Set, Not Yet,” they all fit into the larger narrative well, and they are all enjoyable in their own way.
With a production of “Beetlejuice” currently touring the country right now, the show’s popularity will only continue to grow. Still, it’s disappointing that the show is no longer running on Broadway, as its open discussion about death, grief, and enjoying life for what it is are all important themes that resonate with all kinds of audiences. If you have not gotten the chance to listen to the original cast album of “Beetlejuice” yet, I highly recommend that you do, as not only does the show include these important themes, but it is also humorous and fun, with every kind of morbid death joke you can think of.
