Broadway’s ‘Beetlejuice’ is a Different and Brash Wild Ride – Arts Knoxville

BY ALAN SHERROD

It goes with out saying that Tim Burton’s cleverly stylized 1988 movie, Beetlejuice, has legions of followers. Primarily based on the gang within the Tennessee Theatre foyer Tuesday night, the Broadway musical stage adaptation of it appears to have fairly a couple of as nicely. In each route, one might spot an viewers member who was sporting striped outfits of some design or one other after the title character, or a cute black coiffure that echoed that of the Goth-ish Lydia. They, and possibly a thousand or so others, had been there for the now-touring Broadway manufacturing of Beetlejuice with music and lyrics by Eddie Excellent and a ebook by Scott Brown and Anthony King—directed by Alex Timbers.

‘Beetlejuice’ – Pictured (L-R): Isabella Esler (Lydia), Will Burton (Adam) and Megan McGinnis (Barbara) – Picture by Dan Norman, 2023

It’s price mentioning upfront that the creators have taken substantial license with a few of the authentic Burton plot particulars and characters, changing comedian and cinematic nuances with brash and shallow in-your-face cartoon-ish-ness that could be a louder, however a much less complicated various. For instance, the function of Beetlejuice himself (Justin Collette, who clearly is aware of how you can entertain an viewers) has been inflated into a personality that’s much more manic and determined, and admittedly, “extra vaudeville.” The character of Delia (Sarah Litzsinger) has been given a considerably completely different relationship to Charles (Jesse Sharp) and teenager obsessed-with-death Delia (Isabella Esler) that was a less-than-satisfying departure from the movie plot.

To be trustworthy, third of the enjoyable and vitality of this manufacturing comes from the intelligent set and stagecraft artistry by David Korins and lighting by Kenneth Posner that take the viewers on a wild experience from the re-outfitted front room of the previous Connecticut farmhouse to its attic the place former house owners Barbara and Adam (Megan McGinnis and Will Burton) retreat to as newly-deceased ghosts. The viewers additionally goes to hell and again, with further stops alongside the way in which. A few of this appeared wildly pointless as spooky impact is piled on to impact, headache-inducing strobe lights are used to cowl scene modifications, and sight-gags and f-jokes really feel relentless. Peter Nigrini’s cartoon-like projections of birds or bats flying in a Gothic ambiance had been used as scene transitions fairly successfully. On the technical draw back, track lyrics that everybody needs to listen to within the extra raucous musical numbers had been typically obscured by the density of the digital orchestration and the pounding amplification.

Justin Collette (Beetlejuice) and Tour Firm of Beetlejuice – Picture by Matthew Murphy, 2022

Because of this, a lot of the present’s music fails to impress. One exception can be the riotously humorous “Day-O (The Banana Boat Tune)” taken at a cocktail party for an investor because the tablemates are overcome by the “spirit” of the track. Largely, although, Beetlejuice’s creators didn’t know the place to cease. Whereas “extra” in all probability sounded nice on paper, inevitably one comes away overwhelmed by impact and under-whelmed by the inventive substance that made the movie so charming.

BEETLEJUICE – Broadway Tour
Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Homosexual Avenue, Downtown Knoxville
Tuesday, June 11 — Sunday, June 16
Tickets and Data

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