Review: Beetlejuice, the Musical, the Musical, the Musical

Australia’s turn has finally come around to have Beetlejuice, the Musical stun audiences with this outlandish and fabulous musical. Genevieve Spiteri takes a trip down to the Netherworld...

Hey, you there! Be warned, this review may spoil some of the themes of the 1988 film Beetlejuice and its newest theatre production, Beetlejuice, The Musical, at the Regent Theatre, running until the 31st of August. 

Beetlejuice, the Musical, runs until the 31st of August at the Regent Theatre. Photo: Michelle Grace Hunder, Supplied.

I, as all theatre kids did in 2019, had a bit of a Beetlejuice phase. Listening to Alex Brightman and Sophia Anne Caruso belt tunes into my headphones was almost a ritual on my walk to and from high school. 

Needless to say, I was extremely excited when I heard that a production of Beetlejuice was finally coming to Melbourne, and I nearly fell out of my seat when I heard that Eddie Perfect, Aussie bombshell actor and songwriter, was going to be starring as the titular character.  

With that in mind, I had high expectations for Beetlejuice, else my inner teenager might be crushed. But oh boy did it deliver... 

Beetlejuice, the Musical has opened to rave reviews. Photo: Michelle Grace Hunder, Supplied.

Let’s start with the production itself. The musical captures the meaning and direction from the original film and expands on its visual style and comedy in a way that will satisfy any fan of Tim Burton’s. Alex Timbers, the musical’s director, takes the film’s foundations and pushes it, creating and maintaining a new identity for Beetlejuice, equally wacky and enjoyable, but still incredibly emotive and intense.  

In a departure from the film, one of the musical’s central themes is the loneliness that comes from dealing with grief. As a fan of the source material, I found this new identity familiar yet fresh. There’s still the same humour we love in Beetlejuice, just with a new coat of paint. 

It is clear in Perfect’s performance that he wrote the music and lyrics for the show, as he has done for some of his previous work.  He is not only singing the notes and keeping to the rhythm, but he is so comfortable and natural in his delivery that his incredible voice and accent seem effortless. 

Eddie Perfect, centre, and Karis Oka, right, deliver powerful and memorable performances. Photo: Michelle Grace Hunder, Supplied.

Any production of Beetlejuice is expected to have comparisons made to Alex Brightman, who played the Beetlejuice character for Broadway, but Perfect’s portrayal does not warrant a negative comparison. Whilst they are different takes on the character, there is no doubt future iterations of the Beetlejuice character will look to Perfect's performance, with its newfound depth and strength of voice. 

Karis Oka, who performed as a swing for the Australian production of SIX, is seriously too fabulous as Lydia Deetz, our co-star and protagonist. Her vocal quality and control are unmatched in every aspect, and I haven’t even touched her acting, dancing, and physicality. Oka performs easily my favourite rendition of Dead Mom I have witnessed, and I invite future performances to challenge this. Good luck... 

Karis Oka, above, plays Lydia Deetz, a troubled teenager who joins Beetlejuice for the ride. Photo: Michelle Grace Hunder, Supplied.

Often, musicals suffer from the dreaded ‘Second Act Curse’, where the first act was jam-packed with the best songs, choreography and story beats, which leaves the second act with less to do and say. Some may disagree, but I think Beetlejuice averts this ‘curse’ by escalating the stakes of the show to higher degrees. As the entire ensemble builds post-intermission, I found that the second act roars to life, like a crescendo. 

The Tim Burton film explored grief and loss with its dark but humours tones, so these themes aren’t new to Beetlejuice. But at this musical’s core is a very deep understanding of these themes, woven in a new direction, maybe a more modern one. Beetlejuice, The Musical doesn’t try to ‘fix’ our grief; instead, the production shows us that we are never alone in our grief, always with friends, new and old, who want to share our pain. As well as having a strong anti-suicide message, the show places importance on love and acceptance, transforming Beetlejuice into an allegory for found family.  

Beetlejuice is sure to raise your standards for musical theatre in Melbourne. Photo: Michelle Grace Hunder, Supplied.

So, should you see this musical?  

YES, YES, YES!  

If you don’t book tickets for the performances alone, you will be incredibly thrilled by the journey you are taken on by the entire cast, staging and music. It is a must-see for any musical enjoyers in Melbourne right now.  

I may be like Delia--I don’t always get it--but I did love it.