October is here, which means it’s time for all the creepy crawlies and scary stories. And if that haunted tale is full of laughs and a big, fun-loving heart, so much the better. If this style of spirit suits your taste, you should immediately make plans to see the big, bold and bawdier than ever Beetlejuice (the musical. the musical. the musical.) at the Fabulous Fox Theatre (527 North Grand Boulevard).
The impossibly nice Barbara and Adam have just about got their quaint little farmhouse renovated, though there’s a final electrical problem they’re trying to fix. Beetlejuice, a scheming, ribald spirit from the other side, happens to be lurking nearby, and when the pair meets an unfortunate demise, he swoops in to offer his guidance. Naturally, Beetlejuice has an ulterior motive and, under the guise of helping them stay in their home, discourages the couple from “crossing over” until his plan is accomplished.
Lydia, the teenage daughter of the house’s new owner, is grieving the loss of her mother, full of angst and longing for comfort and family. She’s angry with her father for buying this house and for so quickly moving on with her overly perky life coach Delia. Everything changes when Lydia discovers she can see the ghosts that also live in her new house. Can Adam and Barbara successfully haunt the new family away? Can Lydia forgive her father? Will Beetlejuice get a living person to say his name three times? Will Delia get a clue? The end of this darkly comic musical reveals all the answers, and the identity of Beetlejuice’s mother.
Justin Collette is crass, crude, impulsive and at times manically comic as the capricious Beetlejuice, and it works fabulously well. Isabella Esler is outwardly goth, with a tender heart longing for acceptance and healing underneath. Esler’s abbreviated ballad, a prologue of sorts, is surprisingly memorable, as is the more comic opening song celebrating and explaining that this show is about death. Megan McGinnis and understudy Ryan Breslin are charming as friendly ghosts Barbara and Adam, Jesse Sharp is gruff but caring as Lydia’s father Charles and Kate Marilley is a likeably daft Delia. Though Beetlejuice and Lydia have solid story arcs and character development, the others are a bit one dimensional, but they fit the plot.
Though the characters and location may feel familiar, the musical differs significantly from Tim Burton’s script. There are still plenty of references, musical and thematic, for those familiar with the popular movie, and clever choreography and fantastic special effects add theatrical excitement. Additionally, there’s an abundance of cursing and crude innuendo that, while in the spirit of the original, may be a bit much for younger audiences. If you can let go of the expected movie story and lean into the bawdy innuendo and grossly exaggerated humor of Beetlejuice the musical, you’ll discover a fantastically dark, laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly heartwarming show.
Beetlejuice is written by Eddie Perfect, Scott Brown and Anthony King, based on the Geffen Company Picture with story by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson. It’s directed by Alex Timbers. It’s presented by the Fox Theatre through Sunday, October 22. Showtimes vary, and tickets are $50 to $144.
