BEETLEJUICE JR. Brings the Ghost with the Most to Conejo Players Theatre

Conejo Players Theatre is bringing the Ghost with the Most to life this month with Beetlejuice JR., the musical comedy based on the beloved motion picture and Broadway musical. The musical runs from September 25 through October 4, 2026.

Starring Jake McDermott as the chaotic title character with Avery Cohan as Lydia Deetz, his very unusual new best friend. The show follows Lydia who is grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with death. When Lydia and her father Charles (Evan Trafican) move into a new house, they discover that it is haunted by a sweet recently deceased couple (Dennise Sagrado and Logan Filippi as the Maitlands) and Beetlejuice, a delightfully devious demon with a real zest for life. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, the double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium.

Directing for Conejo Players is Ritchie Filippi, with Dana Marley-Kolb producing, Jennifer Sorensen as music director, and Melina Ortega as choreographer. The music and lyrics are by Tony Award nominee Eddie Perfect, with a book by Tony Award–nominated writers Anthony King and Scott Brown.

'Beetlejuice is a laugh-out-loud musical comedy,' Filippi stated, 'but beneath the outrageous costumes and big musical numbers is a story about grief, loss, loneliness, family, and finding the strength to move forward. It's like watching a live-action cartoon where things are ridiculous, but also surprisingly heartfelt.'

'Beetlejuice has a large and fervent fan base among people of all ages,' said Drew Cohen, Music Theatre International's President and CEO. 'The response to Beetlejuice JR. from audiences around the country is nothing short of astounding. Bravo to Conejo Players for bringing this musical so vividly to life… figuratively speaking, of course.'