Review: Beetlejuice Haunts San Diego with Heart, Chaos & Big Laughs

The Broadway National Tour of Beetlejuice has landed in San Diego through March 1. The “ghost with the most” is back for a limited run, promising laughs, cringe-worthy humor, and dazzling set and projection design that fully delivers on the spectacle of a Broadway tour.

Based on Tim Burton’s cult classic film of the same name, the musical follows the same premise but gives its green-haired antihero far more stage time. At its core is Lydia Deetz’s grief after losing her mother and feeling invisible to her father—a loneliness Beetlejuice shares, which eventually brings them together.

After Lydia’s father decides they’re moving into a new house, she encounters the recently deceased couple, Adam and Barbara, haunting it—just as he begins a romance with his life coach, Delia. What follows is teen rebellion spiraling into chaos, a trip to the underworld, and a lineup of rock-like musical numbers composed by Eddie Perfect. While there are some standout songs, the overall music adds context and depth to the story by illuminating the characters’ inner lives, motivations, and emotions, keeping the audience fully engaged and entertained.

San Diego native Leianna Weaver delivers powerhouse vocals as Lydia, balancing teen angst with dark humor. Ryan Stajmiger, as the stripey demon himself, leans into the raunch and sass, complete with sexual innuendos, a raspy growl, and sharp comedic timing.

David Wilson (Adam) and Kaitlin Feely (Barbara) play the awkward, “boring” couple with sincerity and charm, grounding the show’s chaos. Jeff Brooks gives Lydia’s father genuine heart, making the strained father-daughter dynamic feel earned. Bailey Frankenberg’s Delia provides standout comic relief, her exaggerated self-involvement sharply contrasting Lydia’s fragile grief as the household grows increasingly “strange and unusual.”

The ensemble brings raucous energy, acrobatics, and quick costume changes. The set, designed by David Korins and built with no right angles, captures Tim Burton’s signature black-and-white, slightly warped, off-center aesthetic, while costumes by Ann Hould-Ward add personality to every character, including the show’s iconic looks. Bold projections by Peter Nigrini and Ken Billington’s lighting constantly shift the mood and feel of each scene. Together, these elements maintain the camp and irreverence of the 1980s source material.

Reader Reviews

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Need more San Diego Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...