Beetlejuice Wiki
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Beetlejuice: The Musical has ended its Broadway run, but is currently touring nationally.


Beetlejuice is a musical with music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect and book by Scott Brown and Anthony King. It is based on Tim Burton's 1988 film of the same name.

Synopsis[]

The ghost-with-the-most is coming to life on stage in this original musical based on Tim Burton’s wonderfully demented film of the same name. Directed by Alex Timbers, BEETLEJUICE tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager obsessed with the whole “being dead thing.” Lucky for Lydia, her new house is haunted by a recently deceased couple and a degenerate demon with a thing for stripes. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, he comes up with the perfect plan involving exorcism, arranged marriage and the biggest sandworms Broadway has ever seen.

Plot Synopsis[]

Act I[]

The musical starts with everyone attending the funeral of Emily Deetz, Charles Deetz's wife and Lydia Deetz's Mother, where Lydia Deetz sings about how seeing her mother made her extremely upset (Prologue: "Invisible"). Beetlejuice enters, and talks to the audience ("The Whole "Being Dead" Thing"). He explains to the audience that he is a demon from hell and needs someone alive to say his name three times, so he can be seen by everyone and spread fear.

After this, we are introduced to Adam and Barbara Maitland, a perfectly normal, slightly boring couple who are considering having a baby and starting a family. However, they are scared of the consequences and worried they’ll regret their decision. As they discuss plans for their future, they fall through the creaky floorboards of their house and die, with Beetlejuice gleefully watching. ("Ready, Set, Not Yet") Beetlejuice finds the Handbook for the Recently Deceased, and throws it away to hide it from the Maitlands. When Adam and Barbara reappear as ghosts, Beetlejuice offers to be their guide ("The Whole "Being Dead" Thing, Pt. 2"). The Maitlands are hesitant, but want their house back, so they accept Betelgeuse's offer ("The Whole "Being Dead" Thing, Pt. 3"). The three see Charles and his new mistress Delia moving into their house, and evacuate into the attic. Delia and Charles wish to keep their affair a secret from Lydia. Lydia enters and is angered about them moving houses, but Charles answers that they are "moving forward" and that he wants Lydia to stop wearing black and stop mourning, in time for a business dinner in two days. Delia attempts to "life coach" her, but gives up, leaving Lydia to mourn her mother ("Dead Mom").

In the attic, Beetlejuice tries teaching the deceased couple to scare the new residents; but when they prove reluctant, Beetlejuice leaves the attic for the roof. ("Fright of Their Lives") Barbara encourages Adam to haunt the newcomers whilst covered in bed sheets, as they can’t be seen otherwise, ("Ready, Set, Not Yet Reprise"). Delia continues trying to teach Lydia to recover from her grief, but is rebutted. ("No Reason") After Delia leaves, Lydia stumbles upon a shrouded Adam and Barbara, and follows them to the attic, where they conspire with her to scare Charles and Delia out of the house. Lydia rushes into Charles’ room and discovers Delia in Charles‘ bed, and Charles explains that he has now proposed to Delia. Lydia storms out of the room. Beetlejuice, on the roof, sees Lydia, and is shocked when he learns that Lydia can hear and see him. ("Invisible Reprise"). He persuades Lydia to say his name three times, so he can help her scare Charles. Lydia does not trust him, and Adam and Barbara concur, despite Beetlejuices forcing them to praise him. Lydia pushes Beetlejuice off the roof and persuades Barbara and Adam to posses Charles, Delia, and their dinner guests. ("Say My Name") At the dinner, later on, Adam and Barbara force the guests to sing ("Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)"), but the guests, to Lydia’s dismay, are intrigued by the genuinely haunted house. Charles and Delia are excited at the idea of making a fortune. Lydia becomes desperate, and summons Beetlejuice, who chases everyone except Lydia out of the house and Adam and Barbara back into the attic.

Act II[]

A Girl Scout named Sky explains to the audience, she has a heart disease where any shocking thing could stop her heart, but she is nevertheless excited to be a Girl Scout. She rings the doorbell of the Deetzes' house, to be greeted by Lydia, who invites her inside ("Girl Scout"). Beetlejuice frightens Sky into leaving and duplicates himself to help Lydia scare every visitor to the house ("That Beautiful Sound"), and gives her the Handbook for the Recently Deceased. Lydia realizes the book could help her reunite with her mother, and runs to the attic for Barbara and Adam's help. Beetlejuice remarks to his duplicates that he wants to leave the house to connect with people, and decides to trick Lydia into marrying him, which will allow him to roam free in the living world ("That Beautiful Sound Reprise").

In the attic, Barbara and Adam help Lydia open the Handbook. Under its guidance, Adam opens the door to the Netherworld, but Barbara shuts it, afraid of leaving the house. Lydia berates them because she hoped to use the book to summon her dead mother. She exits. Barbara and Adam resolve to become bolder ("Barbara 2.0").

Delia, Charles, and Delia's guru Otho re-enter the house with a machine to exorcise ghosts. Beetlejuice tells Lydia a passage from the book that will resurrect her mother but instead starts exorcising Barbara, and forces Lydia to marry him. To save everyone, Lydia agrees to marry Beetlejuice ("The Whole "Being Dead" Thing, Pt. 4"). When Beetlejuice stops the exorcism, frees everyone and opens a door to the Netherworld to send the Maitlands away. Lydia jumps through the door, with Charles following ("Good Old-Fashioned Wedding").

Lydia and Charles enter the Netherworld, to be greeted by Ms. Argentina, who along with the other Netherworld residents, urges her to return to the living world ("What I Know Now"). Still wanting to be reunited with her mother, Lydia frantically searches the Netherworld while on the run from Juno, who wants to make Lydia and Charles deceased to follow the rules of the afterlife.

Lydia is unable to find her mother. Charles finds Lydia in distress, and they finally discuss their feelings about the death of Emily. Charles reconciles with Lydia ("Home"), who says she has a plan to stop Beetlejuice.

Lydia and Charles return to the house while Beetlejuice is planning to kill everyone. Lydia tricks Beetlejuice by agreeing to marry him, as Charles, Delia, and the Maitlands get him ready ("Creepy Old Guy"). The wedding brings Beetlejuice to life, allowing Lydia to kill him again. Juno appears, reveals herself as Beetlejuice's mother, and tries to take Lydia with her. Beetlejuice stands up to Juno, who pretends to be moved by Beetlejuice's speech and throws him out of the house. The Maitlands, Charles, and Delia refuse to let Juno take Lydia. Beetlejuice then crashes through the wall riding a sandworm, which then devours Juno.

Beetlejuice then decides to search for his father and says his last goodbyes to everyone before leaving. The Deetzes and Maitlands rejoice in their victory and agree to share the house. Lydia decides, although her mother is gone, there is still much to enjoy in life (Finale: "Jump in the Line" / "Dead Mom" / "Home" / "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)").

Characters[]

Note, "B" means the Broadway cast, "T" is the Tour cast.

  • Beetlejuice (portrayed by Alex Brightman"B", Justin Collette"T")
  • Lydia Deetz (portrayed by Sophia Anne Caruso"B1", Presley Ryan"B2", Elizabeth Teeter"B3", Isabella Esler"T")
  • Barbara Maitland (portrayed by Kerry Butler"B", Britney Coleman"T", Megan McGinnis "T")
  • Adam Maitland (portrayed by Rob McClure"B1", David Josefsberg"B2", Will Burton"T")
  • Delia Deetz (portrayed by Leslie Kritzer"B", Kate Marilley"T", Sarah Litzsinger"T")
  • Charles Deetz (portrayed by Adam Dannheisser"B", Jesse Sharp"T")
  • Maxie Dean (portrayed by Danny Rutigliano"B", Brian Vaughn"T")
  • Maxine Dean (portrayed by Jill Abramovitz"B1", Zonya Love"B2", Kris Roberts"T")
  • Otho Fenlock (portrayed by Kelvin Moon Loh"B", Abe Goldfarb"T")
  • Sky, the Girl Scout (portrayed by Dana Steingold"B", Jackera Davis"T")
  • Miss Argentina (portrayed by Leslie Kritzer"B1", Michelle Aravena"B2", Danielle Marie Gonzalez"T")
  • Juno (portrayed by Jill Abramovitz"B1", Zonya Love"B2", Kris Roberts"T")

Minor Characters[]

  • Priest
  • Mourners
  • Sandworm
  • Emily Deetz (mentioned)
  • Moving crew
  • Marching band drummer
  • Marching band cymbals player
  • Cheerleaders
  • Gospel choir
  • Maxie's Legal Team
  • Animated Pig
  • Shrimp Hand monster
  • Large Beetlejuice head and hands
  • Group of Beetlejuices
  • UPS delivery man
  • Pizza delivery man
  • Neighbor
  • Failed Skydiver
  • Women that died by electrocution from toaster
  • Dead explosives technician
  • Guy with chop knife in head
  • Dead Jockey
  • Man that died from smoking cigar in bed
  • Football Players
  • Harry the Hunter
  • Skeleton Contestants

Items/Objects[]

Places/Locations[]

  • Cemetery for Emily Deetz
  • Maitland house
    • downstairs (fireplace, front door, stairs, dinner table) -Maitland original-
    • attic
    • hall -Deetz remodeled-
    • Charles Deetz bedroom
    • Rooftops
    • downstairs (fireplace, front door, stairs, dinner table) -Deetz remodeled-
    • outside front door
    • downstairs (fireplace, front door, stairs, dinner table) -Beetlejuice remodeled-
  • Neitherworld

Musical Numbers[]

Act I

Act II

  • "Girl Scout" – Sky and Lydia
  • "That Beautiful Sound" – Betelgeuse, Lydia and Betelgeuses
  • "That Beautiful Sound (Reprise)" – Betelgeuse and Betelgeuses †
  • "Barbara 2.0" – Barbara and Adam
  • "The Whole "Being Dead" Thing, Pt. 4" - Betelgeuse †
  • "Good Old-Fashioned Wedding" - Betelgeuse †
  • "What I Know Now" – Miss Argentina and Ensemble
  • "Home" – Lydia
  • "Creepy Old Guy" – Lydia, Barbara, Delia, Charles, Adam and Betelgeuse
  • Finale: "Jump in the Line" / "Dead Mom" / "Home" / "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" – Lydia, Charles, Barbara, Adam and Delia
  • "Bows” – Company † 

Trivia[]

  • Beetlejuice is featured in an episode of the podcast "Jim & Tomic's Musical Theater Happy Hour" on May 14, 2020.
  • Beetlejuice is featured in an episode of the podcast "Musicals with Cheese" on October 24, 2019.
  • Alex Brightman also voiced Beetlejuice on an episode of Teen Titans Go.

Gallery[]

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