Beetlejuice (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

"This show so overstuffs itself with gags, one-liners and visual diversions that you shut down from sensory overload...Brightman and 'Beetlejuice' can indeed sustain this anything-for-a-laugh intensity. And it is not a trait that benefits from prolonged exposure...Here, everybody, including every member of the support cast, has already gone so far over the top that there’s no room for comic contrast. The disheartening moral of 'Beetlejuice' is that when anything goes, nothing much registers."
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"Whatever else it may or may not be, 'Beetlejuice' is spectacularly weird...there are magic tricks and giant worms and a starkly linear idea of the afterlife that contrasts well with the chaotic world of the living. If only so much of the rest of 'Beetlejuice' were not a busy mess...It looks great, and there are strong performances and some outré laughs, but none of it quite fits together; the tone varies wildly, and skids around on Eddie Perfect’s slipshod score."
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"True to its source material, it’s loud, it’s cheeky, and it’s all about excess. It’s also—thanks in large part to Alex Brightman’s spot-on performance as the incorrigible titular ghoul—a pretty fun time...The truth is we’re not here for the sweet stuff; we’re here for the mayhem, and the show is at its best when the growling, grinning Brightman is onstage...The musical is supposed to have twin engines, Beetlejuice and Lydia, but only the first is fully firing."
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"The show is a loving homage to a wonderfully weird original, reconceived for the stage with eye-popping design, full-throttle performances and a mischievous sense of fun...It's impossible to deny the virtuosic showmanship of lead actor Alex Brightman...The writers struggle to control the reins of their galloping narrative...The musical delivers a unique fan experience for lovers of the movie, and plenty of touches that Burton cultists will appreciate."
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"Crafted from a group of creative minds who clearly love the source material...There are still second act problems and a song list void of any real bops, but it’s a fun time for the Burton novice and pure fan service for the Burton stans, thanks in large part to the titular puckish undead spirit breathing life into a Broadway experiment that could’ve been dead in the water...The real surprise standout is Kritzer’s Delia. A supporting role, yes, but one she blends with all kinds of comedy."
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"The retooling done since its out-of-town tryout in D.C. gives the latest film-to-musical adaptation fresh snap, surprises and (gasp!) even heart. Sure, the narrative becomes a bit of a cluster-muck in the second act — but mostly it’s just screamingly good fun...The plotting eventually goes completely off the rails, but keeping things entertaining enough are the off-the-wall humor, endless visuals and aural delights, tuneful music and wicked lyrics of Perfect."
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“This self-described ‘show about death’ bombards us with every piece of theatrical weaponry Timbers and numerous other imagineers could devise...Perfect’s score sounds like a simulacrum of Broadway show music, the cloth cut to fit each occasion, with rising modulations and drawn-out cadences simulating drama...The major impression, ultimately, is not that of a clever romp wickedly testing the limits of the tasteless, but of a repetitive refrain of disgust and disdain."
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"The noisy musical...has arrived...like a garbage strike in Beirut...Aside from the usual cult followers, I suspect this horror will appeal mostly to pretentious grown-ups who discuss the psychological impact of Pee-wee Herman at cocktail parties at the MoMa....It left me with a headache no Excedrin can cure. Weird and macabre...sordid collection of gimmicks, sight gags and desperate jokes...I won’t bother to bore the uninitiated with the details of a plot, since there isn’t one.”
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"There’s plenty worth a haunt here, from David Korins’ off-kilter spook house set to Alex Brightman’s raspy-voiced title performance and, most of all, the deliriously gorgeous singing of young Sophia Anne Caruso, and it all comes within reasonable reach of exorcising the bad vibes that attached themselves to the production during its pre-Broadway run in Washington D.C...The book retains the best bits from the movie without adding much of lasting value."
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"This reworked incarnation, under Alex Timbers’s direction, breathes slightly more enjoyably even as it remains too faithful to the pumped-up inclinations of book writers Scott Brown and Anthony King and composer-lyricist Eddie Perfect...On the seriously plus side, two inferior songs have been cut from Act 2...It will never be among my favorite musicals, but I bet there will be a healthy and less-encumbered cheering section for it in New York."
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"If we say his name three times, will he go away? I’m not talking about the title character of 'Beetlejuice,' but Eddie Perfect. Fresh off his heinous music for 'King Kong,' the Australian composer’s dismal soft-rock score fuels one of the worst Broadway musicals in years...Indeed, if the actors took their scripts, threw them into the air, picked up the pages and performed them in their new order, Act 2 would be about the same."
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"One of those what-were-they-thinking shows that crop up on Broadway and spend tens of millions of dollars mostly to reveal an eye-popping tonal disconnect...The problems with this show — which does, at least, feature a cool set design from David Korins, witty costumes from William Ivey Long and a genuinely funny shrunken head — are fundamentally structural...Truly, this is most cacophonous and ill-conceived musical of the season — in fact, for several seasons."
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"Another charmless, dumbed-down musical adaptation of a well-known movie...The production is a flashy and freewheeling visual treat...The cast is solid, including a pepped-up and gravely-voiced Brightman, assertive Caruso and delightfully dorky McClure and Butler. By not taking it seriously, 'Beetlejuice' may very well offer a reasonably fun time at the theater. But don’t we expect better than that?"
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"Director Alex Timbers matches film director Tim Burton's ceaseless creativity. Obviously the challenge was on having to compete with all the filmic effects, and thanks to scenic designer David Korins and the special effects creators, the imagery is truly dazzling. Besides Beetlejuice, the showcase character is Leslie Kritzer's ditzy Delia, and she utterly slays us with this off-the-wall performance. For all the talent here, the show suffers from sensory overload."
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"The design of 'Beetlejuice' is the most exciting of the season...It's hard not to wish that the rest of this disappointing new musical were up to their level of creativity. Instead, book writers Scott Brown and Anthony King and composer Eddie Perfect have created a show that's at odds with its own existence...While Timbers and the design team have done a masterful job building the world of this cult classic for a new medium, the writers haven't cracked it even slightly."
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"It's an aggressive, jack-in-the-box package loaded with loud music, blaring colors, distorted angles, blinder cues, and frat-house jokes...’Beetlejuice’ keeps raising its voice without ever making much of an impression, largely because its creators have been unable to...make one care about its six principals...It substitutes crassness for real humor and its desire to please is so insistent that it quickly becomes grating....A fun house with nothing shoring it up; its attractions provide scant amusement.”
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"Brightman busts a gut as the title character in his unrelenting, used car-salesman effort to sell, sell, sell the show...But for all his efforts, Beetlejuice only occasionally hovers a couple of feet above the ground before it comes crashing back down under its own weight...No one, including director Alex Timbers, has been able to figure out how to bring the dead to life. 'Beetlejuice' the musical is in need of an exorcism."
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"Brightman is so good at what he does that bookwriters Brown and King were wise to adjust their script from the one Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson carpentered so that Beetlejuice, wearing his frayed black-and-white striped outfit doesn’t make a late entrance to the shenanigans...'Beetlejuice' becomes a hodge-podge of events and numbers, some amusing, some not so amusing...Alex Timbers directs 'Beetlejuice,' and lives up to his (sometimes overrated) reputation. "
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"A very enjoyable, very self-aware, very slick, very tuneful, very constructed-to-please-the-crowds new Broadway musical...All of it builds to a perfectly, wonderfully, showbizzy good time...It’s those big performances that work best here — Jill Abramovitz, wonderfully ridiculous in a bit part as an investor’s vacant wife, is a standout — because the whole show is so big."
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"For whatever inexplicable reason, it turns out that Lydia can actually see Beetlejuice - even though she's not dead - they become temporary partners in mayhem, trying to exact revenge of Charles and Lydia, while also gaining what they really, truly want. Those objectives give the show whatever heart it possesses, and it might beat more steadily if Timbers and company let the show come to a simmer now and then, rather than keep it at a constant boil."
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"Against considerable odds, the musical manages to surmount most of the hurdles it faces, even if, like that nasty-funny ghost at its center, for many it may ultimately overstay its welcome...The musical is considerably funnier than the movie...The director, the prolific Alex Timbers, might have profitably taken an editor’s pen to the cumbersome gyrations of the plot...Kritzer and Brightman aside, the performers are not given much high-fiber comic material."
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"This theme park-type show is visually a spectacle with a set that does all sort of tricks and changes, but as the adage goes, you can't go home singing the scenery. And the score by Australian composer/performer Eddie Perfect (whose only other American score has been 'King Kong the Musical') is eminently forgettable. In the title role, Alex Brightman, who was charismatic in a similar role in 'The School of Rock,' is so over-the top that he becomes tiresome very quickly."
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“The story goes a bit flat, and is harder to follow than the film, Brown and King have fun with the dialog...Aside from Brightman and Kritzer, none of the performances really jump, mostly because the otherwise talented actors bring very little life or dimension to their characters. But the show succeeds...’Beetlejuice’ is a Broadway crowd pleaser that does what it sets out to do: provide a visually pleasing reminder of an old favorite. To look any deeper would be a mistake.”
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“Under the resourceful direction of Timbers, the principals form a sublime ensemble...They create maximal mayhem...There are moments when relentless exuberance becomes monotonous and it's hard not to ponder all that doesn't add up in the story. Those moments are relatively few and when they occur, the eclectic musical score, the visual humor, and the cast's hijinks soon reassert themselves, distracting us once again from our disbelief."
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"Wildly entertaining...You just have to sit back and be surprised, tickled, and over-joyed with ghoulish glee. That’s all because of the energetic dynamo Alex Brightman...'Beetlejuice' does everything that it needs to do 'Invisible'-y in about the first ten minutes, surprising and knocking us down with its wit and darkly fun play. And that’s quite the feat when you know the source material...Your heart won’t be twisted, but your funny bone will get worked out until death."
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“Madcap spectacle, a killer set, and some fine performances dominate this movie-to-musical product of the Broadway-industrial complex...The sort of high-octane thrills you might you might find at a high-end amusement park...’Beetlejuice’ isn’t at its best when it’s trying to tug at the heartstrings. The story is most effective when it’s satirizing America’s out-of-touch bourgeois, and this cast is up to the task.”
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"If you can tolerate the bombardment, and don’t mind sappy scenes mixed in with the comically macabre plot, 'Beetlejuice the musical' does have its pleasures – principally a few standout performances and especially the vivid visuals...Few of the songs by Eddie Perfect are anything more than serviceable in 'Beetlejuice,' though the lyrics can be clever and funny. They can also be puerile and profane...Yet, one aspect of 'Beetlejuice' does stand out — its design."
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"This garishly pandering endeavor to the afterlife...The loose plot, executed with varying degrees of humor ranging from laugh-out-loud to offensive, keeps things moving at a pace befitting a Universal Studios theme park show. Unfortunately, the $21 million spectacle suffers an artistic heart attack from over-exertion...Besides its film fans, it’s unclear for whom 'Beetlejuice' is intended...More disconcerting is its dated and offensive stereotyping of same-sex attraction."
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“A succession of inventive visual, comic, and musical delights…The lyrics are often risibly clever but the music is best at creating upbeat rhythmic backgrounds for Connor Gallagher's…acrobatic choreography...Too many…tunes…sound like the generic, big-note numbers that populate so many 21st-century musicals…I can't deny occasionally feeling I was six feet under but that doesn't mean that 'Beetlejuice,' which insists it's about death, isn't very much alive.”
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"Happily and improbably, 'Beetlejuice,' directed by Alex Timbers, lays those problems to rest. (A pretty hectic rest, but still.) Where the show falters is in the more ordinary stuff of musical theater, story and song...The book writers, Scott Brown and Anthony King, have plenty of good lines, but they haven’t really decided what story they want to tell...Eddie Perfect’s songs are forgettable...And yet somehow, impossibly, 'Beetlejuice' is pretty fun."
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"Brightman is a marvel by being blatantly gross. He manages to captivate even when his wink or grimace signals that the jokes are dead on arrival...Eddie Perfect’s score for 'Beetlejuice,' however, is hands down/slit your wrists the worst of the season...Alex Timbers directs Caruso to resemble Millie Perkins in 'The Diary of Anne Frank,' only slightly more sanctimonious...Leslie Kritzer does rise from the dead of this six-feet-under production."
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"A creative team that includes director Alex Timbers and his inspired designers David Korins (sets) and William Ivey Long (costumes), animate this parade of eccentricity with flair and great comedy technique that turns it into a subversive delight. The score by Eddie Perfect is full of wit and grit, and Scott Brown and Anthony King's book propels it forward smartly. There are also hilarious performances from Leslie Kritzer and Sophia Anne Caruso."
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“’Beetlejuice’ is a ghoulishly good time that pays loving homage to the mythology of the movie while fundamentally reorienting the story and lending it an unexpected punch of pathos amid its crass and crude mania. Gorgeously designed with a Tim Burton aesthetic, and featuring a relentless series of bawdy jokes and entertaining songs, this hyperactive musical comedy might not meet the elevated aesthetic standards of some, but I had a blast.”
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"'Beetlejuice,' as it now presents itself, is a loopy, nutty, loud, winning hoot. It’s still pretty tasteless, lewd and inappropriate too—just acceptably so...Kritzer’s performance is one of the comic cherries-on-top of the Broadway season...Yes, the show is an extremely long two and a half plus hours, yes it feels off-balance in places, but it is also shameless, big, bold, fun and brassy. This is the miss that may well become a hit."
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"The new book and music and lyrics build on the source material, but add more rapid-fire jokes, some slightly different twists, and a score that infuses Broadway with rock, punk, pop, and Latin music styles for an ebullient edgy theatrical re-imagining of the cult-classic movie. Director Alex Timbers sets a lively pace, and a killer cast embraces the quirky characters, offbeat jokes, madcap songs, and zany choreography with full-blown vibrancy."
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"If you are a great fan of Tim Burton’s creative genius and his enlightened vision of the 'Netherworld' and the malevolent, frightful spirits that populate it, you will not be disappointed by this glorious iteration that replicates them with the brilliance of twitting itself in the process...There’s a lot to be thrilled about. The puppetry is spectacular...'Beetlejuice' is a LOL ride and must-see, especially if you saw the film a number of times and appreciate its wit and originality."
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“The madcap sprint through the scenes is totally nonsensical, but with flash and dash, wacky visuals, Eddie Perfect’s off-the-deep-end pop score, and the enthusiasm of Alex Brightman driving the show, 'Beetlejuice' is certainly an experience...Expect to follow a plot? Don’t even bother; just watch the effects...The show holds nothing back and all in all, ‘Beetlejuice’ offers sane advice about living life to the fullest.”
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“If you feel even the slightest hint of a migraine coming on, you might want to skip venturing into this funhouse/madhouse...It’s an incredibly noisy experience aimed primarily at scaring the living. And it’s done with a riotous score...The show has been directed with what feels like unhinged imagination...Coherence is thrown to the winds...What remains pretty constant is the playful obnoxiousness and energy of Brightman as Beetlejuice. It’s a monumental performance.”
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"The show feels like a musical that’s been tampered with—which is the case—as certain characters zoom in and out of focus along with the narration itself. Some songs seem unnecessary and the central couple is kind of dull, even when deceased. But then there will be a flash of inspiration and a burst of sardonic kookiness and this seems like a noble misfire that occasionally comes back from the dead when you thought it was down for the count."
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"This problematic adaptation of Tim Burton's 1988 cult movie hit doesn’t really know what to do with itself...The actors give it their all, but like Brightman, they are often guilty of overselling...The visuals are terrific...But the show only comes alive when it reverts to the Harry Belafonte songs everyone remembers from the film."
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"Alex Timbers’ production looks suitably Burton-esque while also attempting to give more of a backstory to the characters. Despite lots of solid laughs, some clever fourth-wall-breaking, and some strong performances, the middling rock-pop score and the unwieldy, sorrowful storyline sap some of the vitality from the original...Burton’s film was a macabre joy, but this 'show about death' doesn’t quite hit the mark. It never quite finds the right mixture of funny and creepy, lurid and light."
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“If you have fond memories of the charm and whimsy of Tim Burton’s deliciously ghoulish 1988 fantasy- comedy...they will be obliterated by the stage musical version. The bloated production with a ludicrously convoluted book and unmemorable score seems inexhaustibly entertaining only to itself...The set design...will hold your attention when story and song fail to do so...Curry has designed a huge puppet snake that breaks the tedium. The inconsequence of it all is so relentless."
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“The production as a whole perfectly captures the essence, comedy, and aesthetic of the original...The largest issues of the musical are its music / lyrics and the plotting of the book, which does not make much sense...The other problem...is the translation of Beetlejuice’s crude humor to 2019 and to a Broadway stage...Overall, the bland score and imperfect lyrics do not justify making ‘Beetlejuice’ into a musical...But ‘Beetlejuice’ is undeniably a fun, spooky time.”
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"The musical is a theme park unto itself and a fun, offbeat roller-coaster ride from start to finish. It stands out as a superior adaptation for so many reasons, but mostly due to Brown and King’s clever book and outrageously effervescent performances by Brightman, Kritzer and Caruso, plus whimsical sets by Korins and over-the-top costumes by William Ivey Long...Director Alex Timbers holds everything together beautifully and gets noteworthy performances from the rest of the cast."
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"Although 'Beetlejuice' the musical may improve some on the movie, it’s not high quality musical theater. There’s way too much business — via Alex Timbers’s by-the-numbers direction and Connor Gallagher’s pedestrian choreography — and not enough heart...A game cast of Broadway stalwarts struggles to make an impression amid the antic busyness. For some, Brightman’s energetic turn may be enough reason to see the show...It is occasionally humorous and rarely dull."
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"One irreverent, funny roller-coaster ride to hell and back. It has bloodcurdlingly, witty dialogue. And a bunch of over-the-top characters. A man down the aisle from me laughed so hard he nearly lost one of his heads...The hidden star in this show, however, is Scott Brown and Anthony King’s book. It is cleverly written and constantly surprising, and very, very funny. This is one show where some people will bust a gut; others may laugh their asses off."
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“Fantastic stage adaptation...Its wild antics and grotesque yet glittery depictions of the underworld have restored lightness, cheek-aching laughter and unabashed, over-the-top, go-for-broke fun back to Broadway...A crowd-pleasing wonder...A movie-based musical that is entirely modern, original, stage-worthy and, in some ways, even superior to the film itself...The most devilishly delightful and debaucherously entertaining event on Broadway.”
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"A joyful musical that celebrates death and the afterlife may seem like an odd mixture for audience entertainment, but black humor has long been an antidote to the venom of reality and Eddie Perfect’s wild and witty lyrics keep returning to existential minefields...The two best songs are reserved for the second act when we finally get a glimpse at the characters in the Netherworld."
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"From the moment you step into the theater, you are transported to a different world...What completely steals the show is not a specific actor, line or song but the sets, lights and special effects, which are to die for...Simply, 'Beetlejuice' is fun, fun, FUN! It is a wacky, witty, raunchy, sometimes messy, sometimes complete sensory overflow but is that not also a perfect definition of the titular character audience members recall from the movie?"
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