Review: BEETLEJUICE at Detroit Opera House

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It's showtime! The ghost-with-the-most will make his Detroit debut in this edgy and irreverent new Broadway musical comedy.

BEETLEJUICE will play at the Opera House from January 31 - February 12, 2023, as part of Broadway In Detroit's 2022-23 Season. Season tickets are now on sale and will be available online at Ticketmaster.com, BroadwayinDetroit.com, charge by phone at (800) 982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office.

Based on Tim Burton's dearly beloved film, BEETLEJUICE tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and Beetlejuice, a demon with a thing for stripes. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter unleashes a (Nether)world of pandemonium, and the biggest sandworm Broadway has ever seen.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beeeeee-cause you are reading this review, I assume you are very interested in visiting the netherworld, and who can blame you? People are dying to get in! This show is not only for the fans of the cult classic film starring Michael Keaton, but it's also for Broadway lovers! Beetlejuice has fantastic music and lyrics from Tony award nominee Eddie Perfect.

The Beetlejuice soundtrack is one you will be flying home to download because every song is extremely catchy and entices you to want to listen to it on repeat! The first time I saw this show was in New York, and I was blown away by the performances and scenic design. I feared the experience would be hard to transfer to a national tour. However, the national touring cast didn't just calm my fears but defeated them. The whole cast exceeded my expectations and truly made it their own. Isabella Esler (Lydia) is making her professional debut on this tour and has just recently graduated high school. Watch out for Isabella Esler in future productions because this up-and-coming ingénue is a marvelous talent and proves that an authentic performance has no age.

I was impressed by her earnest portrayal of a grieving teenager while also giving attitude and immense power as she challenged and befriended Beetlejuice, played by Justin Collette. Speaking of the title character, Justin Collette brought a new exciting perspective to this character. He made a local reference to Detroit that had the audience reeling with laughter. Throughout the show, Beetlejuice breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience, which is highly entertaining. Justin Collette has a very natural charisma in his performance, which was the perfect compliment to the demon we know and love. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and I encourage anyone to go to the Opera House to experience this show.

Trigger Warning the show contains many flashing lights throughout the performance.