REVIEW: 'Beetlejuice' is a paranormal spectacle that leaves audiences howling with laughter
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APPLETON – A musical adaptation of an '80s cult-classic film brought roaring laughter to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center at its Wisconsin premiere Tuesday night.
"Beetlejuice" balances laugh-out-loud humor with a heartfelt lesson about life and death, tied together in a mesmerizing spectacle of lights, colors, music and bizarre characters.
The show, which runs in Appleton until Sunday, tells the story of Lydia Deetz (Isabella Esler), a death-obsessed teenage girl who befriends the affable ghosts of Adam and Barbara Maitland (Will Burton and Lexie Dorsett Sharp), the previous owners of the Connecticut house Lydia's father, Charles Deetz (Jesse Sharp), has recently purchased.
Lydia, who is mourning the death of her mother and wants to return to her old home in New York, teams up with the recently-deceased Maitlands, who want to continue spending their afterlife in their beloved house, to try to scare away Lydia's father and her stepmother-to-be, Delia (Sarah Litzsinger), and convince them to move out. When their efforts prove unsuccessful, Lydia enlists the help of Beetlejuice (Justin Collette), a demon who thrives on chaos.
The musical's plot strays a bit from the 1988 Tim Burton film, giving more development to the characters of Beetlejuice and Lydia. For all its raunchy humor, "Beetlejuice" also has poignant lessons about grief, loneliness and not taking life for granted. It's not hard to feel for the characters, even the titular green-haired demon.
Collette's Beetlejuice was lovably hilarious. The entire cast was exceptionally talented, but Collette carried the show with his wit and larger-than-life stage presence. Every minute Collette was onstage was essentially a nonstop standup comedy act. With his ceaseless energy, impeccable comedic timing and occassional breaking the fourth wall, Collette made the audience howl with laughter during much of the two-and-a-half-hour show.
Also an expert commander of the stage was Esler as Lydia. The young actress had the expressive, gloomy demeanor of a Tim Burton movie character, and powerful vocals perfectly fit for the contemporary musical style of "Beetlejuice." Her radiance on stage was obvious in the Act II song "Home," a captivating, emotional solo featuring just Esler and an empty stage.
Part of what makes "Beetlejuice" work so well is the the musical's over-the-top, cartoonish characters that match the absurd plotline. Burton and Lexie Dorsett Sharp, as Adam and Barbara, were crowd pleasers as the lovably normal, entirely-unscary suburban ghost couple who have a hard time thinking of anything scarier than "the Trader Joe's parking lot" and "the electoral college." Litzsinger's Delia, a "life coach" intent on helping Lydia improve her spirits, brings a quirky, free-spirited energy to the serious Deetz family. And Jesse Sharp as Charles Deetz is a comedically aloof businessman but also reveals a vulnerable side later in the show when he confronts his grief and repairs his relationship with his daughter.
The supporting characters and ensemble in "Beetlejuice" were just as enthrallingly ridiculous as the leads. Their eye-catching costumes and upbeat choreography brought the whole spectacle to life.
Special effects, vibrant lighting design and an eccentric set fully transported the audience into the show from the very first notes of the musical. Sparks from Beetlejuice's hand, magic doors drawn on walls and a giant sandworm are just some of the supernatural stage magic audiences get to see.
And, of course, "Beetlejuice" brings to life on stage fan-favorite lines and scenes from the movie, like the possessed-dinner-guests dance to "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)."
"Beetlejuice" is a must-see for anyone in search of belly laughs, a paranormal escape or a touching story. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster, or by phone at 800-982-2787, or through the Fox Cities PAC ticket office in-person or by phone at 920-730-3760. The PAC ticket office is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Kelli Arseneau can be reached at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 'Beetlejuice' is a paranormal spectacle that leaves audiences howling with laughter
