Beetlejuice (Broadway)

See it if You enjoy light-hearted fun, nice music, and great sets.

Don't see it if You are a stickler for the music. There is a lot of departure in order to make BJ the main character.

Also Overall this was very enjoyable and fun. Kritzer steals the show and Caruso is a revelation as a singer!... Read more Read less

See it if You want to have a good time at the theatre. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Kritzer is hilarious & really steals the show.

Don't see it if You are looking for something serious or for "high art". It's a silly show but lots of fun, it really won me over by the end.

See it if You want a fun night out. Lots to look at without the special effects taking over. Great singing and acting. Great costumes/sets/lighting.

Don't see it if You’re a purist. They’ve changed the plot but in my opinion they’ve maintained the spirit of the film completely.

Also Loved it. I feel like they changed it just enough to make it work really well for the stage but kept the real spirit of the film intact. Some extraordinary performances!!!... Read more Read less

See it if If you liked the movie and enjoy great sers and big productions.

Don't see it if Silly at times music was good, not great.

See it if Humorous haunted house musical with fun characters, song & dance. Great set & special effects. Lots of stage presence. Enthusiastic fans.

Don't see it if You aren’t interested in a silly farce. Some cursing and light sexual humor. Good for teens & up.

See it if It's Alex Brightman's world & we're just renting space! He's the top asset here w/raucous support from Caruso & the divine Kritzer Fab sets

Don't see it if Despite Timber's crackerjack pacing w/an everything AND the kitchen sink staging, the 2nd act seriously derails; with two numbers too many

See it if You like musicals, fan of the film or Some of the cast, enjoy delicious nonsense, like unexpected stage effects & plots of the supernatural

Don't see it if Don’t like to think about death, watch characters die violently, too much schtick, mediocre dancing, depictions of hell (no matter if funny)

See it if you would like to enjoy a new musical with a good story, a dedicated cast with good voices, on a great set, well-directed for two acts.

Don't see it if you would like to read your program before the start or during intermission as constantly flashing lights make it impossible. Tight seats!

See it if you enjoy being entertained. Clever banter, fun dance numbers, great costumes, elaborate sets and magic tricks.

Don't see it if realism is important to you. This thinly plotted show has only a suggestion of truth underlying the improbable actions of the characters.

See it if The afterlife lives in this musical adaptation with a Freaky Deak host. Artful staging, set, projections, and wardrobe.

Don't see it if Silly, Rabbit, Trix are for kids.As are dancing skeletons. Is not is the salt-talk.Know thy audience! Uninspired adaptation inspired by film

Also Worm bait.Another one on the cine hook.

See it if Entire cast is superb. Bet we'll see a lot from Sophia Anne Caruso who plays Lydia (beautiful deep voice). Great songs, lots of fun.

Don't see it if Not in the mood for an infectious good time. (You don't need to have seen the movie, as I didn't, and was able to easily follow the show.)

See it if you enjoy high energy, theatrics, great sets, costumes, lighting, laughter, irreverence; Alex Brightman is hysterical & cast is having fun.

Don't see it if you're put off by more than occasional cursing; can't help but compare to the movie; non memorable songs but fun while it's happening.

Also I think an evening of joy and laughter is as worthwhile as seeing a classic musical with beautiful songs. Love them both.... Read more Read less

See it if You like big spectacular shows with lots of high spots

Don't see it if You are looking for something thought-provoking

Also Hard to believe this is the second musical I’ve seen this week. I gave this one a chance because it seemed like a very simple story to understand. I was correct! I thoroughly enjoyed this. I still won’t go out and say that I like musicals because when I sit back and think about this show it would play much better as a straight play. I was just thinking if they had all the big spectacular things that involve a Broadway musical but just cut out all the music I would like it more. I think the problem is the rest of the world wouldn’t and that is why we have musicals... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be entertained and like a big spectacle production. Alex Brightman is hilarious and the show is energetic and visually dazzling.

Don't see it if you're looking for a show with more sophistication and artistic merit, or would be upset that some things are changed from the movie.

See it if you want a fun show.No big message.Just fun.Terrific performances.Very nice score.It's really just about having fun in the theater.

Don't see it if you are looking for something pithy or meaningful.We need shows that aren't serious, that just entertain.We need both types!

See it if you love the Day-O scene or Beetlejuice as a needy Guy Fieri; liked Charlie & the Chocolate Factory—a spectacle of similar size, quality.

Don't see it if expect innovative tech/set that rises to special challenges afforded by the plot. Story's revised to minimize the need for world-building.

Also Secretly hoped this would knock my socks off like Groundhog Day, but it’s not nearly as delightful, melodic, or slick. I expected more from the set & effects. Another home interior w/ wonky angles, sometimes contrasting colors. The production almost never leaves the Maitland house. A sliver of time spent in the netherworld—and it’s a drab projection.

I think this show aimed to give the fan base what it thought it wanted (more Beetlejuice, more backstory, whinier goths) but ended up writing out everything original about the movie. The movie’s fun bcz it imagines an entire ghost culture & landscape w/ unintuitive rules for death. Newbie ghosts assimilating to the afterlife is clearly a better adventure than a vapid family not getting along, yet the musical focuses on Lydia Deetz and Beetlejuice feeling lonely.

Pet peeve: The show repeats the phrase, “the whole being dead thing,” ~70 times. A placeholder for where an actual punchline was supposed to go?... Read more Read less

See it if You liked the movie & if you enjoy good old nice guys win stories. If you like big productions w/elaborate staging, costumes & choreography.

Don't see it if If you did not like the story or if you prefer realistic stories with simple choreography and natural costumes.

See it if You enjoy energetic performances, great effects, wonderful singing voices. Alex Brightman charms and Sophia Anne Caruso is a star.

Don't see it if You dont care for raunchy stories, and dislike songs about death or if you are not capable of suspending your disbelief.

See it if you enjoyed the black humor of the film. The cast has it in spades.

Don't see it if why is a white woman playing a stereotyped Latina in one scene? I docked points for this; offending for offense’s sake is gross & lazy.

See it if morbidity, grotesquery, absurdism, and a black sense of humor appeal to you; you do not mind a lackluster variation of the quirky 1988 film.

Don't see it if expecting fun for all ages. Dark, creepy motifs, sexual talk, vulgarities, & dead mother jokes may be triggering and inappropriate for some.

Also Playful, whimsical, and weird, Beetlejuice will delight the right crowd—one that doesn’t mind irreligious looks at death, jokes about sex and dead mothers, and poor parenting. Alex Brightman’s Betelgeuse is often deliciously maliciously and quirky, but the campiness can get stale fast. So can Sophia Anne Caruso’s Lydia, whose voice and teen angst are impressive—until we see and hear it again and again. The book is bland but what works is trippy set-design, puppetry, and boldness. The ensemble is committed and the full cast works their rears off to entertain. This show can be too vulgar (profanities, sexual innuendos, and dark jokes) for a night out with wee ones, but older fans will appreciate it. Music and lyrics are fine—nothing particularly good or bad. “Dead Mom” is one highlight and the title of that song alone should tell you something about this Beetlejuice. Risk-taking and bold, it may be more memorable for daring to disturb rather than add anything particularly revelatory.... Read more Read less

See it if you haven't seen the movie in long time. I had very low expectations, & was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this. Did I say low?!

Don't see it if you are expecting good music, or good story: Butler & McClure mug too much. The highlight is Leslie Kritzer's latin number!

See it if You want to laugh and be dazzled by catchy musical numbers and impressive special effects. Great show!

Don't see it if You want sophistication or you are troubled by a lighthearted musical about death.

See it if you want to have a fun time with a show that gets most of its energy from poking fun at Broadway

Don't see it if you want a great score and lyrics with your Broadway dollar

Also Alex Brightman did fun yeoman's work. Especially with his opening "number" which was simply him playing house manager. Sophia Anne Caruso made Lydia very interesting by channeling her "Betty Boop".

It would not have been that difficult to do this show without amplification and it really would have added to show. I'm not sure all the voices could have handled it (Brightman certainly could), but then you would have just needed better voices.

The staging, sets and direction were terrific. I wasn't nearly as impressed with the sound design.

A good fun time.... Read more Read less

See it if Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, doesn't quite reach the 3rd to cast the spell. Mommy/daddy issues X death with songs and creepy dancers.

Don't see it if Beelejuice character acts too Trump-like for comfort with crude humor. Ridicules very white, suburban, liberals, middle/upper class.

Also Diversity: 1 very stereotypical, super gay Asian American male character. From what I could tell, maybe one or two people of color in non-speaking roles.
Ticket from online lottery for $43. Seat on side balcony.... Read more Read less

See it if You liked the movie. You like great set design. You like a fun show with a great cast.

Don't see it if You lost a parent and that is going to be a hard theme for you to deal with.