Review: BEETLEJUICE at Rochester Broadway Theatre League

If you're a fan of late 80's pop culture, the occult, or musicals with a decidedly heavy metal Halloween-meets-"A Chorus Line" aesthetic, than the Rochester Broadway Theatre League has got the show for you. "Beetlejuice", the musical based on Tim Burton's 1988 cult classic film, is currently playing at the Auditorium Theatre until February 19th.

Fans of the movie will quickly make note that the musical's plot differs greatly from that of the film---likely adapted to be better suited for the stage---but the overall vibe remains the same. From StageAgent: Beetlejuice tells the story of the demon bio-exorcist, Betelgeuse (Justin Collette), in his pursuit to be seen by the living again. When Barbara (Britney Coleman) and Adam (Will Burton) Maitland die from a freak electrocution, Betelgeuse sees this as his opportunity to get what he wants. If these recently deceased can get a living human to say his name three times, he will be set free. His plan is quickly thrown off when one of the new members of the house is Lydia (Isabella Esler), a quick-witted and sharp-tongued girl. She tests Betelgeuse in a way he never imagined as well as befriending the Maitlands. As expected, chaos ensues as this crazy cast of characters finds their way to freedom and happiness, dead or alive.

Screen-to-stage adaptations have been all the rage on Broadway in recent years, likely because of their ability to bring hordes of newcomers to the theatre for the first time (a commendable, if shamefully capitalistic, goal). These adaptations range from "why did this need to be made?" ("Shrek", "Tootsie") to "wow, this is actually a creative and entertaining new take on the story" ("Mean Girls", "Waitress"). Beetlejuice, while imperfect, is definitely the latter.

The storytelling is built around the removal of the fourth wall, where Betelgeuse converses directly with the audience and narrates the show. A bit gimmicky, sure, but also the vehicle for some of the musical's best comedic moments, including punchy political jokes, irreverently dark humor, and playful deprecation of the front row audience. Collette's improv background makes him perfectly suited for this style of comedy, giving "Beetlejuice" a gothic comedy club flair.

Equally as impressive as Collette (whose energy and physical comedy are the lynchpins of the show) is Isabella Esller, a recent high school graduate who makes her professional debut with this touring production of "Beetlejuice". Esller makes for the perfect brooding teenager going through her goth phase, while also owning the stage during big musical numbers and belting solos. Her Broadway career is surely just getting started.

The real star of "Beetlejuice", however, is its production design. The design team pulled out all the steps crafting a show featuring a haunting Tim Burton-esque rotating set, lights, and pyrotechnics; combine that with the kicklines and big dance numbers of Broadway's Golden Era, and you've got a truly unique theatrical experience.

To be sure, "Beetlejuice" does have its blemishes, mostly of the writing variety. The changes to the storyline that allowed the movie to be more easily adapted for the stage made an already-chaotic plot even more chaotic, and left me saying "what now?" and "hang on a minute" to myself more than once, especially in act II, which drags significantly more than act I.

Overall, "Beetlejuice" the musical will surely be a raucous and rowdy good time to anyone who loves live theatre, the macabre, and the "Beetlejuice" movie in particular. For tickets and more information, click here.

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