BEETLEJUICE - Pre-Broadway Tryout in DC — Page 9

SPOILERS BELOW:

One of the biggest changes between the movie and the stage show is that Beetlejuice being a pervert is both toned WAY up and WAY down in dueling ways. On the one hand, he's a sleazy, bisexual agent of chaos who attempts to seduce both Maitlands, and flirts with or gropes everyone he comes into contact with. On the other hand (and somewhat thankfully) they've dropped the "Beetlejuice is a pedophile" element from the original film. Beetlejuice's interest in Lydia now is both more platonic, akin to their friendship in the TV show, and more literally predatory, as "kill just about everyone" is one of his main drives as a demon.

Act 2 still keeps the demon-wedding, but it's written and staged decidedly as a green-card wedding with copious jokes about how inappropriate a fifteen-year-old marrying a creepy old guy must appear. There's none of the rape subtext from the film (or the outright rape attempt from the shooting script).

Christoph said:The whole point of Beetlejuice in the film was that he was a bio-exorcist that ghosts call to exorcise the living. In the play, who or what Beetlejuice is and what his goals are change every couple of pages in the script."

This is something I meant to mention in my review. As I said, I think its a good idea to change things from the film but not if it makes the story confusing.

Dear National Theatre Patron:

We are writing to let you know of a schedule change of our Pre-Broadway musical BEETLEJUICE. Based on the technical size of the production, we need to allow for more time to move the show out of the National Theatre and on to Broadway. As a result, we are unable to present the final performance on Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 7:30 pm as originally scheduled. We hope you understand and that you will be able to exchange into any of our remaining performances between now and then."


My whole family thinks this is bizarre. They don't go to Broadway until March and School of Rock doesn't close until Jan. 20th. Even if this is the real reason, I don't see how canceling 1 show at this point in the process will be of benefit. Has anyone out there heard chatter of a different reason?

Or maybe it's not selling well in DC? What were the houses like this past weekend?

My friend is in Beautiful and they said they were maybe gonna cancel a first performance cause Beetlejuice wasn't going to be out in time for them to come in...Looks like Beetlejuice decided to be out first.

Saw this tonight and really loved it, can it use some tightening in the second act, yes but this is a homerun as far as im concerned, not a slave to the movie but gives the audience enough nods to keep them satisfied, and this is a Timbers show through and through, also dont get the hate for Brightman, is his voice perfect, no, is his delivery of every damn joke perfect YES!

Im wondering how they are going to blow this up for the Winter Garden because i wasnt aware how small the National was.

i loved the boy band number just putting that out there

So not worth it.

Beatlejuice is a "D" for me. Saved from an "F" by the sets and costume. The downside - so much! Weak score. Child ****ing jokes. Butt ****ing jokes. Rape jokes. The worst thing I have seen in years. Worse than PIRATE QUEEN in Chicago years ago. It was so so so so awful.

The man behind me called his family and told them to cancel their tickets for Saturday next saying it was A MASSIVE FAIL.

Some performances there. They have a TONY number with a bucket of Beatlejuice characters who come to life and play. That one song was truly a delight.

One "Beatlejuice" who is black, has his arms ripped off. Felt awfully racially unfortunate to me. A group of black theater goes near me groaned over it and talked a lot about it on the way out.

I felt bad for Alex Timbers.

Even the magic sucks.

NYCblurb said: "bmfc1 said: "This one was earned."

As in, the audience members who stood up were paid to do so?

IT WAS THATTTTTT BAD A SHOW.

If this Beatlejuice takes a broadway house, there is zero justice in the world.

dude we get it you didnt like the show stop already


"

I know that the posters on this site are prone to extremism - "It was absolutely brilliant" or "It was the worst show ever" - but these negative reactions are ridiculous. If you want to be critical of the show, then point out what you didn't like and, god help us, what you did. This is an out of town tryout where the creators are undoubtedly making changes to the show (like, for me, the tone of some of the more serious scenes). But, come on, we are people who seem to like theater enough to post on this site. Why is everyone taking such joy in slinging lots of extreme negative comments. And your post loses all credibility when you suggest that the show paid audience members to give a standing ovation.

Funny. Sadly no. I imagine set noms will go to these ones for sure:

- Kong

- Tootsie

- Beatlejuice