It's showtime! Well, almost. Today, Broadway.com has revealed the initial casting of the pre-Broadway run of BEETLEJUICE, an upcoming musical based on the Tim Burton classic starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder. Acting as the Ghost with the Most for the song-filled spectacle is Tony nominee Alex Brightman, while Sophia Anne Caruso is set to play the goth-tastic Lydia Deetz. The musical's world premiere bow will begin its preview run at Washington, D.C.'s National Theatre on October 14th with an opening night performance scheduled for November 4th.
While speaking with Broadway.com about the highly-anticipated show, Brightman told the outlet, "If you told eight-year-old Alex Brightman that he would be bringing a millennia-old, bio-exorcist demon from hell to life onstage, that would probably make a lot of sense to him. I'm bursting to show everyone what we're cooking up with this show. It's going to be a ridiculous and oddly heartwarming blast!"
Being no stranger to the grand stage, Brightman received a Tony nomination for his performance as Dewey Finn in School of Rock, based on the beloved Jack Black musical comedy from director Richard Linklater. Other notable roles executed by Brightman include characters for Big Fish, Matilda, Glory Days, Wicked and Assassins. Meanwhile, Caruso stepped out onto the Broadway stage as a player in Blackbird, written in 2005 by Scottish playwright David Harrower. The play tells the emotional tale of a young woman who encounters a middle-aged man fifteen years after being sexually assaulted by her at the tender age of twelve. Caruso's powerful performance instantly made her a talent to watch, and now she stands to portray one of the most iconic character's in Burton's creepy pantheon.
BEETLEJUICE tells the story of when a recently-deceased ghost couple find their now-vacant home invaded by an obnoxious family. In an effort to scare them out of settling down, the deceased duo hire a sleazy ghost who gets rid of the family for a higher-than-agreed-upon price. Throughout the story, audience members journey deep into the inner-workings of the underworld, meet peculiar poltergeists, and engage in a few laughs along the way.
Directing BEETLEJUICE for the stage is Tony nominee Alex Timbers, which is set to feature a book by Anthony King and Scott Brown and a score by Eddie Perfect. Additionally, the production will feature choreography by Connor Gallagher and musical direction by Kris Kukul. Helping to erect the "nice fucking models" for the show will be scenic designer David Korins, who will work alongside costume designer William Ivey Long, lighting designer Kenneth Posner, sound designer Peter Hylenski and projection designer Peter Nigrini for the big show. Meanwhile, puppet designs will be handled by Michael Curry, with special effects set to be orchestrated by Jeremy Chernick, with illusions cast by Michael Weber. Matt Stine will produce the show's music while David Dabbon will be in charge of dance arrangements.
More casting news is expected to be announced soon.
Now this is a Broadway musical that I can get behind! In my opinion, the story of BEETLEJUICE should transfer quite well to the big stage, as there are plenty of colorful characters to meet, exotic locales to visit, and enough whimsy to give even Wicked a run for its money. Think about it: How cool would it be to see Sand Worms wriggling out of center stage? Or, line-dancing undead football players kick-lining their way through the rows? I'd say Beetlejuice's name three times for tickets to this show, as I'm sure that many others will too.