BEETLEJUICE - Pre-Broadway Tryout in DC

[sfs1414]

Alrighty. SO! Just got back from the Sat Oct. 20th show and have some very fine thoughts (full of SPOILERS) to share.

This adaptation deviates strongly from the film. The plot revolves more strongly around Beetlejuice and Lydia's relationship and the Maitlands are pushed to the background. Thats a trend with the show, much more interesting content and character arcs are pushed to the background for the sake of lazy writing. All of the characters have lost their depth especially Delia who is simply a parody rather than an interesting female character who took charge in the film.

Act One is CERTAINLY in better shape than Act Two. Act One knows its footing and has some funny moments and great gags (Banana Boat Song oink oink). This is all turned on it's head for unnecessary numbers in Act Two (Girl Scout, Netherworld Boy Band, Kerry Butler's ballad, Otho's song, et. al.) Nothing really makes sense and everything gets totally convoluted. If you're tracking the film, the climax of the film is contorted into the first act. 

Alex Timbers... baby boo. His staging is lazy and unimaginative. It relies upon a lot of cliches to get the job done. The score is highly forgettable... tried remembering any of the melodies to the songs walking out of the door and found myself singing Mean Girls (YIKES). The set and lighting are great. The Sandworm gets its proper due and there's a great roasted pig puppet as well.

Beetlejuice is DEFINITELY introduced way too early. Rather than making the audience wait and build some tension/excitement he's handed on a silver platter thirty seconds into the show. It sort of makes everything fizzle after.

But phew, again the writing is so lazy and none of these characters get their proper treatment. It's a real shame. Everything feels so reduced and bastardized for the sake of playing it safe and marketable for a broadway audience. The plot really doesn't make any sense once you start to break it down.

Praying they change Act Two HEAVILY. Timbers includes references to the films iconic characters in the Netherworld and does nothing with them but props them up and makes them wave on stage while a atrocious dead boy band sings a pop number about dying. It is rough. 

A definite disappointment. Shame. BRING BACK THE MODEL OF THE TOWN!!!!!!!! #nice****ingmodel

 

[Broadwayeveryday2]

This adaptation deviates strongly from the film. The plot revolves more strongly around Beetlejuice and Lydia's relationship and the Maitlands are pushed to the background. Thats a trend with the show, much more interesting content and character arcs are pushed to the background for the sake of lazy writing. All of the characters have lost their depth especially

Delia who is simply a parody rather than an interesting female character who took charge in the film.

Act One is CERTAINLY in better shape than Act Two. Act One knows its footing and has some funny moments and great gags (Banana Boat Song oink oink). This is all turned on it's head for unnecessary numbers in Act Two (Girl Scout, Netherworld Boy Band, Kerry Butler's ballad, Otho's song, et. al.) Nothing really makes sense and everything gets totally convoluted. If you're tracking the film, the climax of the film is contorted into the first act.

Alex Timbers... baby boo. His staging is lazy and unimaginative. It relies upon a lot of cliches to get the job done. The score is highly forgettable... tried remembering any of the melodies to the songs walking out of the door and found myself singing Mean Girls (YIKES). The set and lighting are great. The Sandworm gets its proper due and there's a great roasted pig puppet as well.

Beetlejuice is DEFINITELY introduced way too early. Rather than making the audience wait and build some tension/excitement he's handed on a silver platter thirty seconds into the show. It sort of makes everything fizzle after.

But phew, again the writing is so lazy and none of these characters get their proper treatment. It's a real shame. Everything feels so reduced and bastardized for the sake of playing it safe and marketable for a broadway audience. The plot really doesn't make any sense once you start to break it down.

Praying they change Act Two HEAVILY. Timbers includes references to the films iconic characters in the Netherworld and does nothing with them but props them up and makes them wave on stage while a atrocious dead boyband sings a pop number about dying. It is rough.

A definite disappointment. Shame. BRING BACK THE MODEL OF THE TOWN!!!!!!!! #nice****ingmodel

 

Firstly, I was actually very glad they cut the model of the town. I don’t think it works in the musical format. But that’s just me. I agree that some of the staging could be more enhanced. They don’t really use the set. And I said earlier that I thought Lydia was overdone a bit direction and writing wise. Act 1 is almost there I think. But I agree some work has to be done in act 2. The events that happen are actually interesting and I like that it is so different from the movie. But the writing gets weaker from the nether sequence to the end. There are too many songs in act 1 and they weren’t very memorable. The weird thing is I don’t think it’s a weak or bad score for some reason. I still really enjoyed all of the music. I don’t want them to make huge cuts and changes to it. But they need to make it more memorable. 

 

[Alex M]

Saw the show last night and finally think I have my head together with everything. Sorry about grammatical issues I’m on a bus back to NY and had very little sleep. SPOILERS AHEAD:
Let me start by saying Beetlejuice was my favorite movie growing up and still holds a special place in my heart now. The show itself is a lot of fun but at the moment is a bit of a mess. I get that they do not want to be a carbon copy of the film but there’s plot points from the film that help the story make more sense (for example handbook for the recently deceased being given to Adam and Barbara right when they realize they are dead) and cutting those things make the show rather confusing, especially for peoole who aren’t very fimiliar with the film.

I agree with everyone that says Beetlejuice should be saved for later in the show. I think that maybe having him as a voice over until his big reveal would work really well. I’d also really like Adam and Barbra to go to the netherworld earlier in the show (like how they do in the movie) just because Beetlejuice explaining everything to them is a bit messy.

I wasn’t too surprised with how inappropriate the show was because of the advertisements but it made me a little sad that a movie that was so dear to me as a little kid won’t be able to be seen on stage by kids.

The music is alright. Nothing special. Some songs need to be cut entirely but most just need to be trimmed. Although I would prefer Day-o to be a little longer Also get ready for the broadway stans all belting our Dead Mom once the show transfers, it’s gonna be horrible.

Cast is giving it their all and are all fantastic. Alex, Sophia, Kerry, Rob, and Leslie being big standouts.
Overall I’m very happy I went to see the show and am excited to see the changes made before they come to broadway!

P.S. if any creatives read this PLEASE add in “Attention K-Mart shoppers” to the script. :)

[Alex M]

double-post

[Alex M]

Oh and one more thing

SPOILER:
Juno should only be there if they have Barbra and Adam go to the underworld. The whole subplot of her being Beetlejuices mom does not need to be there. I don’t care if they even acknowledge how ridiculous it is, it’s way too out of nowhere for something so close to the end of the show.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

If it was up to me, I would cut:

-The opening number. Keep or expand Lydia's solo

-Alex's reprise after his second song

-Alex's song with the Maitlands trying to make them scary.

-Lydia's first song with the Maitlands. Kerry's song later on does the job.

-The stepmom and Lydia's duet

-Alex's song before he meets Lydia

-Alex's reprise of the Act 2 opener

-The guru's weird song about his aura ball

Alex M said "I agree with everyone that says Beetlejuice should be saved for later in the show. I think that maybe having him as a voice over until his big reveal would work really well."

That would be perfect to build him up until the Maitlands die.

BobbyD3 said: "At more than one point I looked at my date and rolled our eyes that a NEW song was starting. The book's entire function in Act 1 was to drive to the next song. And, unfortunately, the songs weren't that great. They had some fine numbers, but...nothing really awesome."

I also groaned when a song began. Let us breathe.

BobbyD3 said: The opening number is a train wreck.It just makes no sense, it is done at Hyper speed and gives you NO insight into what the show is going to be about. "Its a show about death." No crap, but the exposition is glossed over at a nauseatingly spastic rate. It took me a few minutes to just settle in to the show after that number. It is a bit deceptive, but I think they should start with Caruso's ballad and move into a truncated version of a show about death."

My thoughts exactly. I barely got what was happening because it was hyper fast forward. I couldn't even understand Alex, he was so quick. Then, they jumped into the next song. 

Broadwayeveryday2 said: "One thing that sparked my curiosity is that Sophia is a very perfect age to play Lydia. But oddly one of her understudies is only 14 and the other is an adult in her 20s. It was also unclear to me which one of those two women played the Girl Scout (which should either be shortened or cut altogether). The playbill lists Dana Steingold who is the older of the two, but on stage it didn’t look even a bit like an adult. Plus I had thought Presley Ryan (the younger one) had mentioned playing the part in a live stream."

Yes!!! I was so confused. Dana was hilarious as the girl scout, but I am surprised they didn't give Presley the role since she is much more close to a child age.

 

[bruzson]

Saw this last night.  Don't know how well it's selling on other nights but the balcony was at about 70% and mezz was at about 50%.  We had no trouble moving down.

Show is a real mixed bag.  Set is clever but not groundbreaking or great.  Costumes are good but not Long's best. Lighting is good.  Now for the bad -- sound mix, orchestrations, and most of the songs.  There are a few good songs, but not enough.

The first act is a slog at 70 minutes. It starts well and ends well but the middle is nothing but forgettable songs about mostly minor characters.  The second act is much better, with 3-4 really good production numbers and fewer ballads of little relevance.

It's probably blasphemy to the die-hards who love the movie, and as good as Rob McClure and Kerry Butler are as performers, their characters have been reduced to ciphers in this musical and could be easily jettisoned or played by a chorus member.  I would cut their storyline way down and focus on Bettlejuice and Lydia, who are now the heart of the story.

Speaking of heart, the attempt at heartfelt in places feels wrong -- this is pitched as an outrageous tale/comedy and the heart-tugging does not come off well.

It's maybe a B-/C+ now but who knows what they can achieve in 4 months.  It has enough that's workable that it's worth a try.

[MadsonMelo]

Is there lottery reports?

I see the show doesn’t have any rush policy right?

If my friend and I lose The lottery, any advice for goods seats less than $100?

[sfs1414]

People keep saying that they thought Act II was in better shape than Act I and I couldn't disagree more. 

Some of the choices made in Act II are truly mind-boggling. The bastardization of the characters for one, the plot really gets muddy and don't get me started on the DEAD BOY-BAND. 

It really upset me that they had a chance to make the Netherworld scene really spectacular by using the iconic characters from the film but instead they created this horrible boyband and then just had the characters we want to see come on stage and wave. So lazy and so misguided. 

 

 

[BroadwayBear2]

MadsonMelo said: "Is there lottery reports?

I see the show doesn’t have any rush policy right?

If my friend and I lose The lottery, any advice for goods seats less than $100?"

I won the lottery, but only got 1 ticket that was all that was left--but i was row F orchestra, dead Center. AMAZING SEAT. My fiance and friend also needed tickets and didn't win, but they were given vouchers for sticking around after the lottery and they were able to buy seats for only 49.99 a piece, and they were Row G orchestra left on the center aisle. So stick around and hope they have those 49.99 tickets too if you don't win. BEST OF LUCK. 

[MadsonMelo]

There were many people there?

I read it’s 20 tickets per show for the lottery.

I will try the lottery, with a friend, if we don’t win, we can buy tickets latter right?

The show is not sold out, so there will be left seats, right?

[broadway.4me2]

[freewilma]

If you are looking to purchase tickets, there are quite a few entrances / exits made thru the orchestra and most (but not all) are in the house right aisle...and there were LOTS of great seats still available.

[MadsonMelo]

Im spending too much on broadway already

Th cheaper The ticket for the show, the better

[freewilma]

MadsonMelo said: "There were many people there?

I read it’s 20 tickets per show for the lottery.

I will try the lottery, with a friend, if we don’t win, we can buy tickets latter right?

The show is not sold out, so there will be left seats, right?"

 

FAR from sold out on Sunday evening. We had 3 orchestra seats on the aisle row N...and the entire rest of the row was empty. We had a member of the creative team sit further down the row from us at the last minute. And other on the creative team moved from row L  to row B or C far House right since the seats were empty. 

 

[taylortrensch]

is there anyone seeing the show soon who can purchase some merch and pick up a playbill for me? i'll pay you in advance and will cover postage! i'm not in the US so it would be a massive help and i'll be forever grateful 

[broadway.4me2]

Here's the full song list based on a survey national theatre sent me!

ACT 1

"The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing" - Beetlejuice

"Ready, Set, Not Yet" - Adam and Barbara

"Dead Mom" - Lydia

"Fright of Their Lives" - Beetlejuice, Adam, and Barbra

"No Reason" - Delia And Lydia

"Mama Would" - Lydia

"Say My Name" - Beetlejuice, Lydia, Barbra, and Adam

"Day-O (Banana Boat Song)" - Full Cast

ACT 2

"Girl Scout" - Girl Scout

"That Beautiful Sound" - Lydia and Beetlejuice

"The Children We Didn't Have" - Adam and Barbara

"Everything Is Kinda Meh" - Boy Inferno

"Running Away" - Lydia

"Creepy Old Guy" - Company

"Jump in the Line (Shake, Señora)" - Full Cast

 

 

 

[darquegk]

I guess they’re not counting Lydia’s opening ballad as a separate song, or the Otho sequence, as individual songs.

[LLW2]

darquegk said: "I guess they’re not counting Lydia’s opening ballad as a separate song, or the Otho sequence, as individual songs."

Well, it's a survey asking what songs you liked. Maybe they already know that no one likes the Otho sequence. :)

[broadway.4me2]

darquegk said: "I guess they’re not counting Lydia’s opening ballad as a separate song, or the Otho sequence, as individual songs."

Kinda sad they're not counting Beetlejuice's solo before "Say My Name" as well! And I honestly don't even remember if Otho had a song 

[CATSNYrevival]

The complete song list has been on wikipedia for a few days.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetlejuice_(musical)

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Attended the third preview last Thursday, 10/18.

Random thoughts: 

All songs were so-so, but the upbeats ones worked for me much more than the slower songs.  Two-and-a-half of the three "mom" songs need to go.

Act 2 may have deviated from the film, but I enjoyed it very much  Act 1 was a bit of a slog. 

Production credits (lighting, sets, sound, lighting, special effects, costumes, etc.) were all very good and there were no glitches during the performance.

Alex Brightman was very good, Kerry Butler and Rob McClure wasted in literally "boring" roles, Sophie Anne Caruso and Adam Dannheisser were adequate and the supporting cast more than that.  Scene-stealers Leslie Kritzer and Jill Abramovitz were absolutely delightful. 

Audience received the show very enthusiastically.  With overall tightening it could be a big comercial hit.

[tm1212]

Can someone post the orchestration/size of the orchestra?

 

[freewilma]

Conductor / keyboards:  Kris Kukul; Associate conductor / Keyboards:  Adam Laird; Reeds:  Lee Lachman; Trumpet:  Craig Taylor; Trombone:  George Allen; Guitars;  Cameron Rasmussen; Acoustic and Electric Basses:  Paul Henry; Drums;  Shannon Ford; Percussion:  Bill Richards; Violin:  John Hughes; Violin/Viola:  Kyung LeBlanc

[orangeskittles]

This cast is too white. There is no reason why 8 out of 9 speaking roles should be cast with white actors in 2018. Especially glaring when every minority ensemble member is regulated to the R&B boy band bit.

Book needs to be funnier, but I guess that's what they're workshopping. Some jokes fell completely flat with no reaction. Beetlejuice as a character is very unevenly written. It's not Alex Brightman's fault, it's the material. Sometimes, the humor was great (One of my biggest laughs was the "F*CK Brigadoon" moment), but more often than not, it fell flat for me. It's like they're trying to figure out what type of humor to imitate, so they're just throwing it all in at once.

As others have said, score is an issue. Too many songs in Act 1. They could have cut the Maitlands' song in half; we already know they're going to die. I wasn't a fan of the song with Delia and Lydia singing about the universe. I didn't find the Netherworld boy band bit funny enough to justify the song.

All that said, design of the show is totally on point Burton-esque, Sophia Anne Caruso is great as Lydia and Dead Mom is a banger. If they fix the bad, it could be good.


There was a line toward the end where the audience groaned and Alex reacted to it like he didn’t expect it.

The "Now we both have dead moms" line? He did the same thing last night. I laughed.