Six things to know as musical ‘Beetlejuice’ hits the Hult Center

Overview:

The national touring production of “Beetlejuice” opens in Eugene this week. Here’s what to know about the Broadway musical, from how faithful it is to the source material to how to get tickets.

There’s no need to say “Beetlejuice” three times to see a madcap, restless spirit wreak havoc. Just head to the Hult Center in downtown Eugene, where a touring production of the musical adaptation opens this week.

The musical version of the original 1988 Tim Burton movie premiered in 2018, adding new music, material and another layer of emotional depth to the afterlife dark comedy.

Jeff Brooks, who plays Charles Deetz, spoke with Lookout Eugene-Springfield about what audiences can expect — including nods to the original film and an emphasis on the Deetz family journey.

“There’s a real story there and real heart there,” he said. “To see them going through these emotions in real time in front of an audience, that’s where the real joy of live theater comes from. This show doesn’t disappoint.”

Here’s what to know about the fourth-wall-breaking, story-retelling musical as it lands in Eugene.

How faithful to the movie is the musical?

“Beetlejuice” the musical isn’t a straight retelling of the 1988 movie. The large plot beats are consistent, and netherworld favorites Juno the afterlife caseworker and the shrunken head guy make appearances. But the overall focus is shifted, and the storyline changes in turn.

While the dead married Maitlands are the main characters of the original movie, Lydia and Charles Deetz take more of the protagonist roles in the musical.

Lydia’s mother and Charles’s wife died six months before the story begins, and the musical focuses more on their journey with grief. Brooks said that the added depth to the character of Charles Deetz, whom he thought was “a little bit of a doofus” in the original, is what attracted him to the musical.

“They’re trying to find a way to see where their lives will go now without this huge piece of their family,” Brooks said. “We lean into that story very much. It begins as a story about loss, which all so many people can understand, but it becomes about how we find our way back to each other.”

In the musical adaptation of “Beetlejuice,” the dead married couple, the Maitlands (center and right), remains a central figure, but the emotional journey of Lydia Deetz (left) and her father, Charles Deetz, is more of a focus.

What should people expect about the music?

To get it out of the way: yes, Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and “Jump in the Line” make appearances on the tracklist, recreating those scenes from the movie in “very similar fashions,” Brooks said.

Composer and lyricist Eddie Perfect wrote the new music for the musical, including songs like “The Whole ‘Being Dead’ Thing” and “Creepy Old Guy,” that rapidly move between styles from big band to contemporary musical theater.

The musical opens with “Prologue: Invisible,” sung by Lydia Deetz and the ensemble; Brooks had particular praise for the touring production’s Lydia, Leianna Weaver.

“Our Lydia is remarkable,” he said. “Lydia’s music is just haunting and beautiful, and will captivate you from the moment she opens her mouth at the very beginning of the piece.”

Do we see the afterlife waiting room or the sandworm?

Well-known environments like the Maitland house and the afterlife waiting room make appearances, with what Brooks described as a set-heavy first act and a more minimal act two, before a return to the Maitland house and technical mayhem for the finale. (The original production took home a Drama Desk Award for outstanding set design, making the settings a key part of the “Beetlejuice” experience.)

“I’ve done a lot of shows at this, at this production value and at this level, and I haven’t seen something so in-depth with the tech in a while,” Brooks said.

Brooks confirmed that the sandworm beast also makes an appearance, but didn’t want to spoil any specific details.

“If you’re a fan of sandworms, you will not be disappointed in our show,” he said. “That is as much as I will say.”

Do audience members need to be fans of the movie to appreciate the musical?

Not at all. Brooks said the show kicks down the fourth wall, as Beetlejuice, the character, introduces himself and sets up the plot, while cracking jokes directly to the audience. Brooks said the set-up leaves “no stone unturned” for audience members who haven’t seen the Burton-directed original.

“You can be a fan, and you’re going to enjoy yourself. Or you can have never seen ‘Beetlejuice’ ever, and we set the story up for you as if you had never seen it before,” he said.

Are there any Easter eggs movie fans should look out for?

The actor playing Beetlejuice, Ryan Stajmiger, is a big fan of the original movie. Brooks said Stajmiger improvises plenty of lines during the show, and he likes to sneak in old Michael Keaton lines into his performance.

“Anyone who’s a fan of Michael Keaton or ‘Beetlejuice’ will catch a couple of lines that are little easter eggs,” Brooks said. (When Lookout mentioned the possibility of a few “Batman” jokes, Brooks laughed.)