Alex Brightman in Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice will not return to the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway

The Broadway premiere of Beetlejuice played its final performance at the Winter Garden Theatre on March 11, 2020.

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Showtime is over... for now! Due to the extended shutdown of Broadway theater due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the much-loved Broadway premiere of Beetlejuice will no longer be returning to the Winter Garden Theatre. Producers of the new musical had previously posted a closure notice for June 6, 2020, but Broadway theaters are now remaining shut until (at least) June 7, 2020.

However, Producers are reportedly considering other Broadway venue options for Beetlejuice post-lockdown and a National Tour is still scheduled to launch in the fall of 2021.

Beetlejuice began previews on March 28, 2019, ahead of an official opening on April 25. Read our 4-star review.

The musical was nominated for eight Tony Awards last year, including 'Best Musical,' 'Best Book of a Musical,' and 'Best Original Score,' and Alex Brightman received a nomination for 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical' as the titular character.

The final cast of Beetlejuice included two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Brightman (as Beetlejuice), Presley Ryan (as Lydia), Tony Award nominee Kerry Butler (as Barbara), David Josefsberg (as Adam), Adam Dannheisser (as Charles), Leslie Kritzer (as Delia), Jill Abramovitz (as Maxine Dean / Juno), Danny Rutigliano (as Maxie Dean), Kelvin Moon Loh (as Otho), and Dana Steingold (as the Girl Scout).

Based on the hugely popular 1988 Tim Burton film, Beetlejuice features an original score by Eddie Perfect and a book by Scott Brown and Emmy Award nominee Anthony King, inspired by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson's original story. The production was directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers and choreographed by Connor Gallagher.

Synopsis: "The ghost-with-the-most makes his Broadway debut in this edgy and irreverent musical comedy based on Tim Burton's dearly beloved film. Beetlejuice tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium, and the biggest sandworm Broadway has ever seen."

The creative team featured musical direction by Kris Kukul, scenic design by David Korins, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Peter Hylenski, projection design by Peter Nigrini, puppet design by Michael Curry, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick, illusions by Michael Weber, hair & wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, make-up design by Joe Dulude, physical movement coordination by Lorenzo Pisoni, dance arrangements by David Dabbon, and music production by Matt Stine.

Directed by Tim Burton and released in March 1988, "Beetlejuice" earned over $73 million at the US box office and also picked up the Academy Award for "Best Make-up". The film's cast was led by Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara.

The world premiere of the musical adaptation was staged at the National Theatre in Washington D.C. from October 14 through to November 18, 2018, officially opening on November 4.

Beetlejuice is produced on Broadway by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Langley Park Productions.

(Photo by Matthew Murphy)

 

Originally published on

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