This review was written by a TeenTix KC teen who is learning about arts journalism through the Press Corps, which provides teens with training and tools to respond to their arts experiences. TeenTix KC seeks to engage teens in the arts and amplify their voices. This may be the first time this teen has publicly expressed their opinion about an arts experience. Thank you for reading and supporting this teen’s development as an arts journalist.
You’ve seen the movie—but have you seen the musical? If you haven’t, you need to now. Beetlejuice: The Musical takes every absurdity and quirk from the movie that we know and love and cranks it up to one hundred. With every moment amplified for the stage and usually accompanied by a ridiculously weird song, this musical is hysterical, high-energy, and, of course, strange and unusual.
If you haven’t seen the iconic 1988 Tim Burton film that Beetlejuice: The Musical is based on but you want to go see the show, good news. You don’t have to! The titular character, Beetlejuice, played by Ryan Stajmiger, interacts frequently with the audience, and almost every scene comes with a hilarious explanation.
Speaking of the acting, the cast of this musical is truly phenomenal. At times, their stage presence doesn’t come from individual performances but from their chemistry with each other. Every actor embodies their role perfectly, bringing enough humor to make the audience laugh and enough real emotion to make them care.
A couple of performances that especially stood out to me were David Wilson as Adam Maitland, Jeff Brooks as Charles Deetz, and Carly Natania Grossman as Miss Argentina. Wilson makes the character of the recently deceased Adam one of the funniest in the show, and truly makes Adam feel like a real person. Charles Deetz, Lydia’s father, is a character I never really thought about before, because he’d never made much of an impact in any Beetlejuice media I’d seen. However, this show was different, as Brooks brings a comedy to the character that cannot go unnoticed, bringing Charles from unexceptional to outstanding. And finally, Carly Natania Grossman, who actually understudies for Miss Argentina, shines in her part as a stunning dead beauty queen—dancing, singing, and acting like a Broadway performer.
Something that really adds to Beetlejuice: The Musical is the lighting design—something that is frequently overlooked in theater, but can truly change the entire atmosphere of any given show. Designed by Kenneth Posner, the flashing white, black, and green lights give the show an eerie yet kooky vibe that allows the set, designed by David Korins, and the cast to shine.
Beetlejuice: The Musical is a show that everyone will get a laugh out of. With nonstop jokes and audience interactions as well as showstopping dance numbers and brilliant vocal solos, there is a moment for everyone here. It ran October 2-4 at Starlight. But if you get a chance to see this amazing musical at another venue, make sure to applaud and shout for the cast and crew—as long as you don’t say his name three times!
Reviewed by TeenTix KC Press Corps member Brynn Weiss
TeenTix KC is a KC Studio initiative building a brighter future for our region by empowering young people to take an active role in shaping their arts community as audience members, critics, influencers, advocates, patrons and leaders. Any 13-19 year-old can become a TeenTix KC member by downloading a free pass which enables them to buy $5 tickets to participating arts venues across metro KC. Teens are encouraged to become critics and influencers by writing reviews and creating reels about the arts they experience using their TeenTix KC passes.
