Loved it: Beetlejuice The Musical! (now through April 7 in Seattle)

Beetlejuice The Musical (in Seattle at The Paramount Theatre now through April 7, 2024) is as hilarious and ridiculous as I could wish it could be. As I always do with live shows, I went in with low expectations. Always a good idea, especially if I loved the story in another form, like the movie version.

Heads up, I get pretty excited in this review. Yeah, there’s sort of an exclamation-point-tone to the whole thing. But, hey, I don’t remember the last time I laughed as much during a live performance as I did last night!

As Brandon and I walked to The Paramount Theatre, I reminded myself not to be tied to a presumption that the stage musical would be a recreation of the movie but instead would be a different experience that lived in that universe with those memorable characters.

I didn’t imagine Beetlejuice The Musical to become one of my favorite live performances from the last 10+ years! But here we are. I hope to get a chance to see this show again in the coming years.

The musical’s irreverent spirit is comparable to the movie while taking on a new life of its own as a stage show. The humor, weirdness, and manic energy had all of us laughing so loudly, so often, so genuinely, and at times so uncontrollably (as we did during a moment that gives a new meaning to “break a leg”).

This production is phenomenally cast and performed.

Justin Collette is magnetic and exceptionally funny – everything I wanted the character Beetlejuice to be and more. His comic timing was extraordinary – he’s incredibly talented at knowing just how much to milk a laugh for each unique audience, based on their response in the moment.

I truly don’t know how Justin Collette brings the highly specific and intense Beetlejuice vocal skills and physical energy to the stage night after night! I’m now a huge fan. Michael Keaton must thrilled and proud of Justin Collette for his killer blend of charm, ick-factor, talent, and hilarity as Beetlejuice.

The combo of Collette’s skilled diction and the talent of the Paramount and tour’s sound teams was also impressive. I was amazed by how much I understood, compared to many other live musicals, especially considering the speed of the clever lyrics – one laugh leading into another – and as someone who wasn’t previously familiar with any of the soundtrack.

Shout out also to Isabella Esler for her incredible power-ballad vocal performance as Lydia, and shout out to the entire cast, to William Ivey Long (Costumes), Charles G. LaPointe (Hair and Wig Design), and all the creatives who brought this musical to life, in creation and on tour. I’m so happy that Broadway at the Paramount in downtown Seattle made this a part of their current season. And it was awesome to see just how many audience members dressed up in outfits with strong Beetlejuice vibes! Good job, Seattle, I like what we did there.

Beetlejuice The Musical continues on tour to Portland, Oregon (this month, a fun train ride away if you can’t see it in Seattle by this Sunday). They continue to hit up Costa Mesa, CA, Alburquerque, and Louisville, with many other tour stops including Mexico City, Fort Worth, Vancouver BC (January 2025), and Miami.

Tickets to Broadway at the Paramount in Seattle, here. Upcoming shows at The Paramount in Seattle include Disney’s Aladdin in April and Girl from the North Country in June 2024. You can also find the 2024/2025 season show list here.

Tour info here.

Their content warning: We kindly recommend attendees be at least 13 years of age. This show contains strong language, mature subject matter, and a lot of the crazy, inappropriate stuff you would expect from a deranged demon. Advisory: Beetlejuice includes substantial haze and fog, sudden loud noises, pyrotechnic and strobe lighting effects.

My content warning: the show has a lot of dark comedy scenes and songs about Lydia’s “dead mom” who had recently passed away. This show is probably not a good fit for folks who would find that concept/storyline humor too intense at this time in their lives.

Some photos from our night: