Beetlejuice (Broadway)

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 want to see impressive crafts - costumes, set, hair/makeup, and lighting are all top-notch.

Don't see it if you want to see a good show. This is over-the-top and loud with characters you feel no connection to and a story that goes on too long.

See it if You enjoy being tortured by bad songs. The cast is just fine--too bad the material they were given is so bad. Just awful

Don't see it if you like shows with a good score; they manage to even mangle the Harry Belafonte classics here.

See it if You like seeing all new Broadway musicals. Are curious how they adapted it for the stage.

Don't see it if You are a fan of the film.

Also Changing Beetlejuice from a villain into a sitcom character was a misstep. There are many talented folks on the stage, but they aren’t given a score or book that lets them be anything other than one dimensional.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see how much really good actors can elevate really bad material and really bad direction - making it ALMOST tolerable.

Don't see it if You are looking for good theater - or if you have fond memories of the movie.

Also Wow, what a mess! Alex Timbers once again proves that too much isn't enough and that he's the king of the fart joke. Not that there's an actual fart joke in the show, but the direction is the equivalent of "pull my finger". It's obvious and in your face...and exhausting. How does he keep getting big jobs like this?

Alex Brightman is once again working his ass off and doing what he can with what he has. Sophia Anne Caruso was also good and gives a decent performance, but is a little miscast in the role.

The supporting actors are all trying to keep the wheels from falling off and giving it everything they have, but it just never works. Leslie Kritzer is entertaining in two roles although the Miss Argentina characterization was stereotypically offensive (and why is she green - clearly I missed something there).

This show is too raunch for kids (multiple f-bombs) and too stupid for adults with an IQ higher than a sweet potato.... Read more Read less

See it if you like great costumes, puppetry and raunch.

Don't see it if you're expecting a Broadway-worthy musical.

Also The cast is working their a**es off in this show. LOTS of talent on the stage, but nothing to really execute worthwhile of a Broadway run.

If there is one reason to see the show, it's for a supporting lead, Leslie Kritzer. She was most definitely overlooked for a Tony nomination this year.... Read more Read less

See it if You're curious to see how they staged/musicalized the film.

Don't see it if You're expecting a great new score.

Also The score is weak. And while the sets and costumes are fun, it's not enough to recommend.... Read more Read less

See it if You liked the “Beetlejuice” cartoon in the 90’s. The tone is similar to that, not the film.

Don't see it if You love the film.

Also Adapting a film to the stage rarely works for me unless the score is strong and I’m afraid it isn’t. I would have preferred a darker version of the book. We are given a lot rim-shot jokes and pop culture reference jokes, that didn’t land for me.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a masochist. The first act is okay, act 2 is incoherent. Score is AWFUL. Design is great! Cast are doing what they can...

Don't see it if you want something coherent that won't make fun of you for shelling out $$ to see it. Cynical and shallow.

See it if You have money to burn; better yet, give the money to the homeless.

Don't see it if You have any standards at all.

Also Ah, the Winter Garden Theatre has been home to real Broadway shows: Funny Girl, 42nd. Street, even Cats! It has made people famous and made the Shuberts buckets of money. Alas and alack, Broadway has become a place where almost any kind of garbage can "get on".
All you need is a ton of money and the belief that anything can be rammed down the throats of theatre-goers. There are first rate shows in town: this, obviously, is not one of them. Are the Shuberts this desperate for a tenant? Oy.... Read more Read less

See it if You like shows that sound like they were written by 7th grade boys while they hid under the bleachers at gym class. Neat projections.

Don't see it if You like good music, well formed lyrics, and a coherent book, if you like to be entertained, if you love musicals, if you hate musicals. NO!

Also One of the worst things I’ve ever seen on Broadway or in a fifth rate community theatre. Watching talented actors work with all their might to force garbage into something funny or interesting is painful. The songs are hideous. Like it’s the end of New York theatre hideous. The book is like reading what’s written on the bathroom stalls at a truck stop. Act II LITERALLY MAKES NO SENSE. EVER. People run around and scream on various sets, occasionally taking a break to sing one of those hideous songs that contribute nothing and only make the show longer. How this wretched dumpster fire ever made it past a first workshop is beyond me. Maybe they didn’t workshop it. That would have been a lil too responsible for this gang. How the critics didn’t crucify this turkey is a mystery. Do not go. Do not spend money to see this. Be kind to yourself and choose something else. The less people go, the sooner it will go away, and IT NEEDS TO GO AWAY.... Read more Read less

See it if You like your musicals big, brash, and loud.

Don't see it if You like your stories, lyrics, and comedy well constructed.

See it if You loved the movie and you're okay with cliched music, messy staging and over-produced design. (Though there are some funny lyrics in it!)

Don't see it if You expected to see any magic happening on stage, or any sense of cohesiveness in performance.

See it if It was tired

Don't see it if If you don’t want to sit through boredom watch the movie

See it if You're into awesome movies being turned to musicals.

Don't see it if You love the original movie.

See it if you enjoy something pre-middle schooler would find is the BEST IN THE WORLD

Don't see it if You are over 12 yrs old

See it if You loved the movie/want to compare. The actress who played the daughter did a great job-that was good but the story and songs not so good.

Don't see it if You don’t like the movie or if there are opportunities to see other musicals

See it if you want big, showy sets

Don't see it if you want clever lyrics

See it if You liked the movie

Don't see it if You expect a good musical

See it if Although we thought this show would be good for our grandchildren (9 to 15) they did not seem to enjoy it very much. Lots of foul language!

Don't see it if Way too much very foul language and sexual remarks made this show a very bad choice to bring children to. It was not god even for adults.

See it if you are curious.

Don't see it if you want a good musical. Lyrics& music banal, story insane, everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. Nutty people,monsters,overthetop,

Also The story is changed from the movie but not for the better. Some stupid recent political references thrown in, a mess.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a well designed show. You’re a fan of low-brow humor.

Don't see it if You want the dark, quirky charms of the movie.This is saddled with way too much backstory, deeply bad songwriting, and just fine acting.

Also The audience cheered quite a bit though this one, but it left me beyond cold. It’s over-acted, particularly by Alex Brightman who I found insufferable, and the plot just meanders along so that the second act in particular feels endless. I just found the whole thing really joyless.... Read more Read less

See it if You can get a highly discounted ticket

Don't see it if You are looking for a musical that has any subtlety

Also Spongebob meets Adams Family in this terrible musical. My expectations were low and it delivered. Wow this was bad. Sets that are cheap and shake every time they close a door. Overuse of light projection mapping. No magic. Every character is played to death (yeah that was a bad joke!). I was so tired of the one liners 20 minutes in. And beware families. THERE IS ALOT OF F BOMBS!!! Who the heck was this written for? It’s played like a stand up comedy routine. Alex Brightman is directed to be exhaustingly annoying. Poor guy is working his tail off trying to make this insipid material into something. Sophia Caruso needs diction lessons and seems out of her capabilities. Worst of all is poor Kerry Butler and Rob McClure. There are 2 great talents wasted in this crap. The real star is Leslie Kritzer. She at least finds some quiet times to give her character some depth, but unfortunately she is working with a terrible piece of theater. Spend your money elsewhere...... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of the film on which it is based, and might enjoy a boring charmless show with lots of music and scenery, and silly material.

Don't see it if I have three words for this misfire: AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL

See it if you are a fan of the movie and like over the top comedy

Don't see it if if you like a book that is easy to follow and like to care about the characters. i wasnt sure what it was all about.