By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
“Beetlejuice: The Musical, The Musical, The Musical” is not meant for those with delicate sensibilities — and that’s all right by its fans.
The musical based on the character created by Tim Burton continues on stage at the Stranahan Theater in Toledo Thursday, Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 1, 2:00 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, March 2,1 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at BroadwayInToledo.com and StranahanTheater.com.
At the opening night performance Tuesday, they came decked out in costume — that’s lots of stripes. One young woman dressed in a black gothic cut outfit looked ready to step on stage ss the female role of Lydia
There’s a fair number of curse words and sexual allusions, uttered as often as possible as loudly as possible. Even during intermission lights flash. This is show that celebrates “That Beautiful Sound,” the scream of a horrified person.
The ring leader of this frenetic circus is the title character, the crude and antic Beetlejuice (Justin Collette).
The show opens in a graveyard for the funeral of Emily Deetz. Her daughter, Lydia (Madison Mosley), is distraught by the loss of her mother, and by her father’s seeming lack of emotion. She sings of her longing to see her mother again
Then Beetlejuice pops up. “A ballad already,” he exclaims. This is the first of his revelations that this is indeed a Broadway show, though not boring like “Brigadoon.”
This is a show about death. A show that laughs in the face of mortality. A show that shocks the senses. Beetlejuice revels as he seeks to offend as he sings for the first time “The Whole ‘Being Dead’ Thing,” a piece by composer Eddie Perfect that pops up throughout the show. Yet, the audience knows why they came. They came knowing they would be dared to be offended. They laugh along.
Beetlejuice is a spirit caught between the Netherworld and the world of the living. He cannot participate in either and this makes him distraught. He shares his angst with the audience.
He wants to be seen, by people other than the audience, whom he constantly berates.
Beetlejuice and Lydia become intwined in a convoluted plot. She wants to contact her mother, and he wants to be seen.
All this plays out in an old Victorian home that was owned by the most boring couple in the world, the Maitlands, Barbara (Megan McGinnis) and Adam (Will Burton). Frustrated by their inability to have a child, they pour their energy in hobbies and classes, including the construction of an ornate, Victorian styled crib with a light. They manage to electrocute themselves in the process of plugging it in.
Beetlejuice, who has been stalking them, sees them as the opportunity to solve his dilemma. All he needs is a living person to say his name three times in a row.
Lydia’s father Charles (Jesse Sharp) buys the house and moves in with Delia (played on opening night by Lexie Dorsett Sharp subbing for Sarah Litzsinger). Charles hired her as a life coach to help Lydia get over her depression. But Delia has now become his mistress.
His goal is to turn the house into the centerpiece of a gated community.
The Maitlands don’t want that to happen, but they are as ineffectual as ghosts as they were in life, much to Beetlejuice’s frustration. They reside in the attic unable to influence what goes on below.
Then Lydia shows up and given her odd nature, and the necessities of the plot, she’s able to see Beetlejuice and they manipulate each other. There’s even talk of marriage between the teen and the creepy old guy.
All this spins out in a series of raucous scenes. There’s a dance number involving multiple Beetlejuice clones, including one very talented acrobat. Then we meet an over-eager Girl Scout (Emilia Tagliani) selling cookies. A sand worm appears only it seems to set up its appearance later as the show reaches its climax. We meet Beetlejuice’s alcoholic, chain-smoking, guacamole conjuring mother ((Maria Sylvia Norris). There’s plenty of pop culture references including a rendition of the “Banana Boat Song” from the original movie and a lyric reference to the song “Being Alive” from the musical “Company.”
That last seemed to slip by the audience, but little else did. They ate it all up like a sand worm devouring a ghost.
