Justin Collette, the actor who played Beetlejuice, owned the stage. Confidence and stage presence exuded with perfect timing of dialogue, pauses, movements, and singing. He was so fluid with scripted dialogue and ad libs, and I had absolutely no idea which was which. He was as precise in acting and as crazy as Doc Brown in Back to the Future, and his pauses were great for pushing reactions. Doc Brown is a human, therefore has a limit—does he?—but this one was a demon who could go all the way to show his shebang.

While Doc Brown didn’t care about audience approval, Beetlejuice was an attention seeker and asked for approval a lot. Both broke the fourth wall frequently, but Doc did so to show his deranged mental status, while Beetlejuice did it to make the audience say his name three times—or maybe more. I thought he would trick Lydia into believing it was four or five times for a better chance to be seen.

The cover page of the Playbill I received was playful. The title of the show was obviously Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice: The Musical, The Musical, The Musical.

While watching him in awe, I realized that Beetlejuice could be played differently from how Michael Keaton originally created him. Perhaps jerkier and scarier, with less flamboyance, as he set the tone of Beetlejuice in the film. Today’s actor was a mischievous demon who knew how to control an audience. He had a gravelly voice that fit the character.

I later watched a YouTube clip and confirmed that he was a natural. Just check “The Whole ‘Being Dead’ Thing” clip and you will see what I meant.

As much as the show belonged to Beetlejuice, it was also a show for Lydia. Lydia, played by Isabella Esler, showed presence from the moment she appeared on stage on a couch. She sang dramatically, with phrases starting with breathy “ha~” sounds that softened diction. From a third-floor balcony seat, it was not ideal to listen to fast-paced, word-heavy dialogue and numbers, especially at moments when reverb took over clarity.

This show became, in my mind, a must for a revisit with better seating—especially if Justin Collette appeared again. I later read reviews and discussions and found that there were other strong actors playing Beetlejuice. It would have been good if I had gone earlier. Living far away often made me cram as many musicals as possible into limited trips, and scheduling was always tricky.

A licensed production was scheduled in Korea for December 2025, and I had already booked a ticket. From footage of previous licensed runs, they had installed trapdoors, and the staging looked similar—probably a standard tour setup. It would be a good experience to compare, and I hoped not to be disappointed by cuts in staging decisions.

The cast in this Broadway production was strong. I liked the Maitlands. Barbara, played by Megan McGinnis, depicted an everyday neighbor—smart and grounded, with common sense. She had clean diction and a clear voice that carried to the third floor without blurring. Adam (Will Burton), a slightly awkward character, fit the show well. Charles looked like a dad, and Delia read as empty even from above. Everyone acted and sang with precision.

I also liked Juno, played by Sharone Sayegh. She was more grumpy than scary. When she was eaten by the sand worm, leaving just one leg, the audience did not laugh. We had enjoyed the murder and had cheered for the demon throughout the show, but at that moment, I heard only gasps.

As the musical was clearly focused on show elements, Beetlejuice functioned as a stand-up comedian, master of ceremonies, and narrator all at once. He even talked to the audience and demanded answers, and when he noticed empty front-row seats in Act II, he commented on the steep price of the tickets.

I also liked the scene in which the living characters tricked Beetlejuice into resurrecting—only to kill him instantly. Written out, it sounded disturbing. Because Beetlejuice was so lovable, part of me thought it would be fine to let him live—but not at the cost of Lydia. He could have become a good talk-show host in the 21st century.

The orchestra sounded good—clear and not overwhelming. I especially loved the lighting. The stage remained mainly the Maitlands’ house, with changing interiors. When Beetlejuice took over the space, the familiar black-and-white stripes set the mood, but the lighting did most of the work. When the Beetlejuice clones sang and danced, it was one of the most entertaining moments. Lydia teasing Beetlejuice by saying his name only twice, Beetlejuice’s infatuation with Adam, and his dislike for Delia—combined with puns and deliberate pauses—made the comedy land.

From the third-floor balcony, three audience members in the front row leaned forward throughout most of the first act, blocking the view for those behind them. Some people moved to empty side seats in other sections. Ushers warned them during intermission about blocking sightlines and leaning on the railing, and they sat upright during the second act. By then, I had missed several crucial moments of Beetlejuice’s performance.

Because I attended during the Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS fundraising period, the curtain call included a QR code for donations. I got a good photo after the show, with the cast holding it on stage.