There is no resting in peace in “Beetlejuice.”
The road show of the musical, which Broadway in Tucson presents through Dec. 8, is all about raising the dead.
Oh, and other stuff, too. Like mourning a deceased mom, longing for connection and how to process grief.
But mostly it is about death.
Based on the 1988 Tim Burton movie, the meta musical is loud, fast-paced, sometimes crass, and so high energy that one is exhausted by the time the curtain falls.
It also is a huge departure from the movie, which has become a cult favorite.
The film is about Barbara and Adam, a young couple in love with each other and their fixer-upper house. After they die in a car crash, they return to the home, unaware they are dead, and find it has been sold to a wonderfully obnoxious couple with a death-obsessed daughter. The daughter is the only one who sees dead people, so she becomes fast friends with Barbara and Adam, who enlist the help of the demon Beetlejuice to scare the new occupants out of their house.
The stage version focuses on the still death-obsessed Lydia, the daughter of the new homeowner. Her mother has died, and her ache is deep. She longs to see her again. Beetlejuice can help her do that, she figures.
Justin Collette in the road show of “Beetlejuice.”
In the movie, Beetlejuice, played by Michael Keaton, got little screen time. The character takes center stage in the musical, and Justin Collette does not waste a second milking the role and hamming it up. There are other drastic departures from the movie, but the sold-out Centennial Hall crowd, some dressed as characters from the film, did not seem to mind.
“Such a bold departure from the original source material,” cracks Beetlejuice as he sits on a coffin and addresses the audience. Breaking the fourth wall is a constant in the play.
But the visuals are clearly inspired by Burton’s “Beetlejuice.” Creepy crawlies, characters who spout Medusa-like heads and even an oversized snake all slither around the constantly changing gothic set.
The musical is so packed and fast-paced that it is easy to become breathless. And tired — it starts on an energy high and it never lets up. The cast had no trouble keeping up, especially Collette as the wise-cracking Beetlejuice. Madison Mosley nicely captured Lydia, who was at times tender and other times dark and brooding.
The muddy sound at Centennial Hall meant Eddie Perfect’s music and lyrics were lost. Still, the songs never quite took hold and carried the audience along.
There are fun moments in “Beetlejuice.” But there are more eye-rolling ones that make you wish you were, well, dead.
The road show of “Beetlejuice” continues through Dec. 8 at Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. on the University of Arizona campus. Tickets are $17-$215 at broadwayintucson.com. You can avoid the hefty Ticketmaster surcharge by purchasing tickets at the Centennial Hall box office. The show runs about 2 hours with one intermission.
