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National tour of Broadway's 'Beetlejuice' takes Popejoy audience on a roller coaster of emotions
From left, Will Burton as Adam, Megan McGinnis as Barbara, Isabella Esler as Lydia and Justin Collette as Beetlejuice in the national production of 鈥淏eetlejuice.鈥�
Sometimes a step must be taken back in order to see the bigger picture.
As the national tour of the Tony-nominated musical 鈥淏eetlejuice鈥� began its seven-performance run at Popejoy Hall on Tuesday, a new perspective became clear.
Most of the audience is familiar with Tim Burton鈥檚 1988 classic film.
The Broadway version keeps a lot of the source material intact 鈥� and the creative team manages to find a way to expand Burton鈥檚 genius.
Opening night brought an array of emotions, at times one could hear the audience sniffling. Other times, it was a laugh riot.
The story concerns a deceased couple 鈥� Adam and Barbara Maitland 鈥� who try to haunt the new inhabitants of their former home and call for help from a devious bio-exorcist ghost named Beetlejuice, who is summoned by a living person saying his name three times.
One of the new inhabitants is a young girl, Lydia Deetz, who is dealing with her mother's death and her neglectful father, Charles.
鈥淏eetlejuice鈥� opened at Broadway鈥檚 Winter Garden Theatre on April 25, 2019.
It was nominated for eight Tony Awards including Best New Musical.
The musical had a history-making run on Broadway 鈥� following the release of the musical鈥檚 original Broadway cast recording and Tony Awards appearance, the box office exploded, making it the surprise hit of the 2018-19 season.
The musical played 366 performances at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway before being shuttered with the rest of Broadway on March 12, 2020.
It returned triumphantly to Broadway with performances on April 8, 2022, at the Marquis Theatre where it continued to haunt Broadway through January 8, 2023.
The national tour has been on the road since December 2022.
The production opens with Lydia Deetz at her mother鈥檚 funeral 鈥� which sets a sad, melancholy tone.
As the priest says, 鈥淪cripture tells us, 鈥楽orrow not. For we do not walk alone.鈥� 鈥�
Immediately, Beetlejuice is introduced asking, 鈥淎 ballad already?鈥�
From the first few minutes, the audience knew that, just like life, they were to be taken on a roller coaster ride.
As the titular character, Justin Collette brings an immense amount of energy to the role.
There鈥檚 not a moment where he鈥檚 not commanding the stage as he鈥檚 decked out in a black-and-white outfit and donning green hair.
Collette breathes an exuberance into the role 鈥� one that shows a different side of Beetlejuice, if even for a moment.
鈥淚鈥檓 a dead guy, stuck in the world of the living with nothing, and no one to share it with,鈥� Colette says in the production. 鈥淎ll I want is for someone, anyone to look my way and say 鈥楬ey. I see you. I accept you. And I fear for my safety around you.鈥� 鈥�
Collette spends the majority of the production on stage and eats up every moment.
The cast is so seasoned that each moment is pure gold.
Megan McGinnis and Will Burton, as Barbara and Adam, are convincing as they struggle with their journey as members of the recently departed.
There鈥檚 plenty of comic relief in each of their roles, but it鈥檚 the grief each character is carrying with trying to understand what has happened to them.
As they befriend Lydia, they perfectly fall into the parental roles they missed out on while alive.
Grief also surrounds Jesse Sharp as Charles, who is also mourning the loss of his wife, Emily.
Sharp holds the grief within until the touching moment with Lydia when asked about why he doesn鈥檛 speak of her mother.
鈥淏ecause it hurts too much! She was my world, too Lydia. That鈥檚 why I鈥檝e been trying so hard to build a new one.鈥�
As the drama builds throughout the story, there are sprinkles of comic relief from Sarah Litzsinger, who plays Delia, a woman whom Charles hired to be Lydia's life coach and his secret lover.
While the entire production is a roller coaster of emotions, it鈥檚 Lydia Deetz who is in the front seat.
Isabella Esler portrays the teenager, who is full of angst, yet a bit snarky, moody and clever.
Watching Esler on stage is mesmerizing as she harnesses all her talent to create one strong role.
At the age of 20, Esler is also fairly new to the Broadway world. She enjoys how Lydia outsmarts everyone.
鈥淪he鈥檚 curious in a way. I love that about her. She鈥檚 trying to get connected with someone she loves,鈥� Esler says. 鈥淚 really appreciate that with her. I try to see myself within her.鈥�
Esler kept up her energy as she showed off the magnificence of her vocal range.
鈥淏eetlejuice鈥� takes the audience on a ride to another dimension 鈥� chock-full of emotion. Though it may not be suitable for young children due to some adult language.
From the ensemble to the set and sound design, it鈥檚 definitely a destination that has to be seen.
There鈥檚 a cast of characters that feel a little invisible in life 鈥� and a few in death. Within the 150 minutes on stage, 鈥淏eetlejuice鈥� was able to plant seeds of sympathy and humor, which enabled the audience to fully see each character.
It is a reminder that no one is invisible.
