Based on the 1988 film of the same name directed by Tim Burton, Beetlejuice the Musical has music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect and a book by Scott Brown and Anthony King.

The musical tells the story of a deceased couple, Adam and Barbara, who fail to try and haunt the new inhabitants of their former home. They call for help from a devious bio-exorcist ghost named Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetlejuice), who they summon by saying his name three times. One of the new inhabitants, a young girl called Lydia, is dealing with the death of her Mother and the neglect of her Father.

In October 2018, the musical had a try-out at the National Theatre in Washington D.C. before opening at the Winter Gardens Theatre on Broadway on 25 April 2019. It closed there on 11 March 2020 due to Covid-19 and is soon set to reopen at the Marquis Theatre on 8 April 2022.

During try-outs, the role of Miss Argentina was added and the role of Mrs. Shoggoth was renamed Juno. Cast members included Alex Brightman as Beetlejuice, Sophia Anne Caruso as Lydia Deetz, and Rob McClure and Kerry Butler as Adam and Barbara Maitland respectively.

The original cast recording was released digitally on 7 June 2019 and on 30 October 2020, an album entitled Beetlejuice – The Demos! The Demos! The Demos! was released featuring 24 tracks of demo recordings by composer and lyricist Eddie Perfect, recorded during the development of the musical between 2014 and 2019, including tracks that were cut from the final production.

The score contains two numbers ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’ and ‘Jump in the Line (Shake Senora)’, which were also included in the original film.

Beetlejuice even made it as far as Seoul, South Korea with performances at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in July and August 2021 seeing Jung Sung-hwa and Yoo Jun-sang sharing the title role.

The Broadway production was nominated for 8 Tony Awards in 2019 including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Costume Design in a Musical.

There are rumours that a production of Beetlejuice The Musical will hit the West End in 2022!

So be sure to keep your eyes peeled for further announcements, Besties.

FACTS:

Music: Eddie Perfect

Lyrics: Eddie Perfect

Book: Scott Brown and Anthony King

Theatre: Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway

Run: 25 April 2019 – 11 March 2020

TONYS:

(2019) NOMINATED: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical (Scott Brown and Anthony King), Best Original Score (Eddie Perfect), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Alex Brightman), Best Scenic Design in a Musical (David Korins), Best Costume Design in a Musical (William Ivey Long), Best Lighting Design in a Musical (Kenneth Posner and Peter Nigrini), and Best Sound Design in a Musical (Peter Hylenski).