Beetlejuice the Musical is an over-the-top, raunchy, and hilarious adaptation of the original 1988 film. If you’re a fan of the film, the musical will satisfy your nostalgia, while its unpredictable differences will keep you on your dancing toes. The touring Broadway production of Beetlejuice the Musical haunted across the Jubilee Auditorium stage for a few days only in January. Two of us at the Griff were in the audience the night of Tuesday, the 14th, at the ready to review some paranormal activity. 

What is a musical without its music? As dead as Beetlejuice. 

At the helm of the ever-changing tunes was Julia Sunay, the associate music director and conductor for the musical’s first U.S. national tour, now across North America. Sunay, who graduated in 2005, is a proud Alum of the MacEwan Theatre Arts Program. So, when she spoke with us about the tour’s stops in Edmonton and her hometown of Calgary, you could tell they were extra special. 

“It’s just really, really exciting to bring this big Broadway show home,” she says.

Sunay’s experience as a MacEwan student instilled her love of music and helped shape her into the music director that she is today. As a musician, her passions lie in exploring diverse musical genres. 

“No matter how many years of experience I have or how many shows that I’ve played or conducted, I’m always curious about music, genres of music, studying different genres, and trying to be as versatile as I can as a music director; not only for a band, but also for our vocalists. Being able to connect with them in a special way, in a way that makes them feel empowered and inspired, and being able to perform consistently every single day.”

The music in Beetlejuice is right up her alley, taking influences from a number of different musical genres, such as rock, pop, jazz, Broadway, and even a little bit of death metal!

Justin Collette’s performance as Beetlejuice was an absolute knockout. He stole the show (and the audience’s hearts) the moment he interrupted Lydia’s morose ballad in the musical’s opening number. The fourth wall is no match for Beetlejuice’s antics. He spoke directly to the audience to make sure we all knew what we were in for —“ a show about death.” Rather than taking you out of the story, the shattered fourth-wall immerses the audience into the story. As a demon who travels between the world of the dead and the living by some unknown forces of nature, it just makes sense that he could communicate with an audience unknown to the rest of the characters.  

Of course, the rest of the cast was also phenomenal. Madison Mosley made her national debut with her role of Lydia, and her vocal ability made it no surprise why she was cast. Her rendition of “Dead Mom” was so passionate, chills ran up the living arms in the audience. Will Burton and Katie Griffith’s hilarious aloofness as Adam and Barbara was incredibly charming, and Jesse Sharp and Lexie Dorsett Sharp played the role of a horny couple going through a mid-life crisis incredibly well.

The musical never shied away from making jokes at the source material’s expense. It even acknowledged just how weird Beetlejuice’s attempt at marrying a teenager is. In fact, there was an entire song dedicated to doing so, entitled “Creepy Old Guy.” These shifts from the movie made sense thematically and added some much-needed explanation behind the character’s motivations.

As a horror fan and a once certified “drama kid”, this musical brought the movie to life in a way that perfectly embodied the campiness and ridiculousness that made the original film a cult classic. I would highly recommend this musical to any lover of musical theatre and raunchy comedy. Just be sure to leave the kids at home!

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Madison Mosley(Lydia) and Justin Collette (Beetlejuice). Photo by Matthew Murphy