BEETLEJUICE - Pre-Broadway Tryout in DC — Page 10

MadsonMelo said: "It’s by no means a bad show."

Yes, it is. Ignoring, for the moment, that it bares little resemblance to the the film, the music is bad, the lyrics are bad, the plot seems to change three of four times, some songs are longer than necessary, and then there's act 2. That boy band was embarrassingly horrible, and that whole part of the show dragged. Not to mention, plot-wise, made absolutely no sense.

"And whoever doesn’t like Brightman, well, sad day for them."

I didn't care for him, but then again he was doing an impersonation of Michael Keaton. And while I know that he's not entirely responsible, turning Beetlejuice into a non-stop sex offender was annoying.

Saw it Thursday night. We were Row B on aisle side Orch. In some numbers there was a lot going on and it would have been nice to be back a little further.I’m a big fan of the movie and OK with them changing the story and character focus. I liked the show but my only complait is the vulgarity. I loved The Book of Mormon. The vulgarity in that show was clever and funny. The vulgarity in Beetlejuice was neither. Anyone can just say “F” you. I am not sure why they needed to do that. I also saw several young children in the audience so the warning that is on the website us not getting out there. The performances and set/costumes were fantastic. I even liked some if the music (although I wouldn’t mind if they cut the dead mother song). They have 4 months till Broadway. They can keep the vulgarity - just find a way to tailor it to a more sophisticated NY audience. I got an email survey and gave them this feedback.

Updated On: 11/3/18 at 11:15 AM

$49 orchestra seats for performances Nov. 6-8 using the cod FLASH2

Beetlejuice is wrapping up its 3rd week tonight and I've seen the show 2 times.

I really love the show, and I think it will do well when it transfers to Broadway.

Strengths of the show:

The set, costume, and props are superb and really capture the quirkiness of Beetlejuice.

The casting was on point in my opinion. There is great chemistry between the actors particularly for the 3 pairs (Beetlejuice & Lydia), (Barbara & Adam), (Charles & Delia). Alex is his own Beetlejuice and not an imitation of Michael Keaton's. Also, the vocals are just incredible. Sophia has a rock and roll voice and an effortless cool vibe about her that I think is a refreshing take on Lydia. Rob & Kerry do a great job of being the very loveable yet clueless recently deceased couple. The greatest and pleasantly surprising scene stealers are Leslie and Adam because they have the funniest lines and incredible comedic timing.

I also love the original songs, with Dead Mom and the Everything Happens for a Reason (Lydia & Delia's duet) just got really stuck in my head. The Banana Boat song was just incredible and I thought way better than the movie.

The show also feels big. It feels like there are more actors than there actually are in the company because of the numerous costume changes for the ensemble, props, and Beetlejuice has A LOT of tricks up his sleeve and they showcase that. This does not seem like an easy show to put together each night and there is very intricate choreography between the actors/crew to achieve the magic of Beetlejuice which is just amazing.

It feels interactive. It's been a while since I saw a show that even acknowledges the audience (I think the only show I've personally really seen that is Hedwig) and there are a few numbers when the characters are performing for the audience which draws loud cheers and claps. People have also come dressed up in Beetlejuice-esque attires with the green hair, masks, crowns which makes it such a fun/informal night at the theatre. There are so many parts that I wanted to get up and dance but I remembered I was at a musical and not a concert.

Improvements:

I do think some songs could be reworked or cut shorter and for me it is the Opening Number, Girl Scout, and Everything is Meh. Boy Inferno's number feels too long.

I also felt at times there was too much going on at the same time especially when it came to Beetlejuice's tricks. It was all super entertaining, but I do think a lot of really great stage work gets overlooked by the audience simply because you just weren't looking or you blinked.

The explicit warning:

I've read a lot of comments saying some of the jokes went too far, but I thought it fit Beetlejuice's character perfectly. He is meant to be unapologetic, intolerable, and disgusting. If you frequently watch stand-up comedy I think you won't be as shocked. I would suggest bringing someone 15+.

There really wasn't anything that changed after 9 days between the shows I watched, but one of the cast members told me the changes have been there but very detailed and would be very hard to notice. It will be interesting to see how much it changes when it transfers to Broadway but I really hope the cast stays intact because it's a fantastic company!

LightsOut90 said: "some of you people drive me crazy. If its too much like the film you complain "what was the point", "its just the movie onstage". If its not enough like the film"ITS NOTHING LIKE THE FILM""

There's a way to strike a balance. Hairspray comes to mind. As does The Producers, The Lion King & Little Shop of Horrors. I really enjoyed what they did with Groundhog Day. And I am hearing positive things out of Chicago regarding Tootsie. But Beetlejuice was mostly a mess. And it was a definite wasted opportunity. They massacred the movie script, which was already pretty perfect. The plot for the stage show was muddled & difficult to follow.

Warner Bros. should be SCARED by these reviews, especially after the bath they took with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

It feels kind of like Addams Family 2.0 –– except that had the cushion of Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. Addams brought in Jerry Zaks to take over as director (from a duo who had never directed on Bway before), but the score/story was still a problem. With Beetlejuice, Timbers' work seems like it's fine, but the writing needs an overhaul. I wonder if Beetlejuice will "seek help?"

It doesnt help that the book writers only have one prior book credit (Guttenberg which is another strange little musical that Timbers directed back in the day) if i was WB i would possibly bring in a doctor to pull apart and rebuild that second act