Beetlejuice has come back from the dead, again.
The musical adaptation of Beetlejuice first opened at the Winter Garden Theatre April 25, 2019. Directed by Alex Timbers with choreography by Connor Gallagher, the production played 27 previews and 364 performances, earning eight Tony Award nominations including Best Musical.
Based on Tim Burton’s 1988 film, Beetlejuice tells the story of what happens when the Deetz family moves into a house haunted by degenerate demon from the underworld. The musical featured music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect and book by Scott Brown. In adapting the movie to a musical, the Beetlejuice stage team shifted the story—while the film follows the ghost characters Adam and Barbara Maitland as they try to help the new inhabitants of their house, the stage show focuses on the teenage character of Lydia Deetz, a young girl mourning the death of her mother (a change that helped popularize the musical for younger audience members, more on that below).
Beetlejuice featured scenic design by David Korins, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, projection design by Peter Nigrini, and sound design by Peter Kylenski with stage management by Matthew DiCarlo, Rachel Bauder, Emily Hayes, and David Sugarman.
The production starred Alex Brightman as the titular demon, Sophia Anne Caruso as Lydia, Kerry Butler as Barbara, Rob McClure as Adam, Adam Dannheisser as Charles, Leslie Kritzer as Delia, Jill Abramovitz as Maxine Dean/Juno/Neighbor, Kelvin Moon Loh as Otho/Mover/Neighbor, Danny Rutigliano as Maxie Dean/Priest/Neighbor, and Dana Steingold as Girl Scout. Rounding out the company were ensemble members Tessa Alves, Gilbert L. Bailey II, Jonathan Brantley III, Ryan Breslin, Abe Goldarb, Elliott Mattox, Mateo Melendez, Ramone Owens, Presley Ryan, and Kim Sava with Will Blum, Natalie Charle Ellis, Brooke Engen, Eric Anthony Johnson, Zachary Daniel Jones, and Sean Montgomery as swings.
The musical welcomed David Josefsberg as Adam following the departure of McClure for Mrs. Doubtfire.
Alex Brightman, Rob McClure, Kerry Butler, Sophia Anne Caruso, Leslie Kritzer, and Adam Dannheisser in Beetlejuice
Sophia Anne Caruso, Rob McClure, and Kerry Butler in Beetlejuice
Leslie Kritzer and Adam Dannheisser in Beetlejuice
Sophia Anne Caruso and Alex Brightman in Beetlejuice
Alex Brightman in Beetlejuice
Alex Brightman and Sophia Anne Caruso in Beetlejuice
Alex Brightman and Sophia Anne Caruso in Beetlejuice
Though originally scheduled to close June 7, 2020 after the Scott Rudin-produced revival of The Music Man secured the Winter Garden, the original production of Beetlejuice marked its last performance on March 10 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An international health crisis didn't keep them down for long, though. Lydia understudy Presley Ryan took to using TikTok during the federally mandated downtime, pouring lighter fluid on the existing fandom to create numerous huge trends across social media, which was further fueled by the music from the show going viral.
Due in large part to that lion-surge of fan interest, the production returned post-shutdown to Broadway’s Marriott Marquis Theatre, running April 8, 2022 through January 8, 2023 with much of the musical's closing cast, including Brightman, Butler, Josefsberg, and Kritzer. Elizabeth Teeter stepped in as Lydia.
But this was not the end for the undead musical. Beetlejuice found a new (after)life on the road, going on a national tour from 2022 to 2025 where it landed in 88 cities. Now, after three years on the road, the musical is back on Broadway for a third time, playing the Palace Theatre through January 3, 2026.
The production stars Justin Collette as Beetlejuice, Isabella Esler as Lydia, Will Burton as Adam, Megan McGinnis as Barbara, Jenni Barber as Delia, Jesse Sharp as Charles, Madison Mosley as Lydia at select performances, Vanessa Aurora Sierra as Miss Argentina, Patrick Oliver Jones as Otho, Travis Mitchell as Maxie Dean, Sharone Sayegh as Maxine Dean/Juno, and Emilia Tagliani as Girl Scout.
The ensemble includes Sophie Aknin, Michael Biren, Ryan Breslin, Jonathan Bryant, Marc Ginsburg, Katie Griffith, Eric Anthony Johnson, Maya Kazzaz, Matthew Kurzyniec, Kenway Hon Wai K Kua, Mateo Melendez, and Lexie Dorsett Sharp.
International bows have played Tokyo, Seoul, and Melbourne, and the musical remains a dogged favorite among Gen-Z theatregoers. It seems this mischievous ghost can outwit and outlast anything that would close more mortal shows.
Justin Collette and company of Beetlejuice
Justin Collette in Beetlejuice
Isabella Esler and Justin Collette in Beetlejuice
Isabella Esler in Beetlejuice
Isabella Esler, Will Burton, and Megan McGinnis in Beetlejuice
Isabella Esler in Beetlejuice
