Review: BEETLEJUICE at the Eccles Theater is Eye-Popping

The national tour of Beetlejuice, now playing at the Eccles Theater, is an eye-popping spectacle that tickles the funny bone and warms the soul. 

BEETLEJUICE (music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect, book by Scott Brown and Anthony King) is a Broadway musical based on the 1988 Tim Burton movie.  A cocky demon named Beetlejuice tries to recruit recently deceased married couple Adam and Barbara, along with teenager Lydia, who is mourning the death of her mom, to help him be seen by other mortals. 

Standby Andrew Kober commands the stage with winking brashness as the title character, which he plays on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (otherwise played by Justin Collette).

Isabella Esler’s performance as Lydia is poignant and potent.  Will Burton is a delightful Adam and Britney Coleman a wonderful partner as Barbara. 

Other memorable performers include Jesse Sharp as Charles, Kate Marilley as Delia, Abe Goldfarb as Otho, Jackera Davis as Girl Scout, and Danielle Marie Gonzalez as Miss Argentina.

Director Alex Timbers has ingeniously reimagined the world of Beetlejuice for the stage.  The set by David Korins, even while significantly scaled down from the massive Broadway design, is still jaw-dropping in its detail, creativity, and scope. 

The zesty lighting by Kenneth Posner and projections by Peter Nigrini are amped to the max with pulsating patterns and saturated bright green on a monochromatic black and white base, but also incorporating a range of looks and making way for the nonstop special effects by Jeremy Chernick and illusions by Michael Weber.  The inventive costumes by William Ivey Long and puppets by Michael Curry fill out the array of dynamic visuals.

BEETLEJUICE plays the Eccles Theater for a limited engagement through Sunday, August 13, 2023.  For tickets, call ArtTix at 801-355-ARTS (2787) or visit www.artsaltlake.org. 

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

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