Samantha Wu

Despite my hangups, Beetlejuice The Musical hits enough of the correct nostalgic notes to make for one electrifying night at the theatre. Not to be missed. The set design by David Korins greatly captures the Tim Burton whimsy from the slight detail of every door and window being more than slightly askew, to the dizzying swirling frames, and the creepy twisted tree in the graveyard. The piece that sold it for me was the inclusion of the multi-limbed sculpture, an iconic part of the original movie.

The cast here have outdone themselves, in particular Skowron as the butler Wadsworth. As he is the guide for the guests and therefore the audience, his role is integral for the audience to understand the nuances of the case at hand; beyond who killed Mr. Boddy but what scandals these individuals also guilty of. Wadsworth's character also acts as the metronome for the show, keeping the cast and the audience apace of the action unfolding on stage which Skowron does so remarkably. His pacing and quick tempo are hilarious to watch, in particular when he recaps the series of events throughout the night.