Melbourne Reviews

"And such a bold departure from the original source material”

Well. Yes and no!

If you've not seen Tim Burton's 1988 incredibly bizarre comedy-horror film then you’re going to be baffled as to why those around you are shrieking with laughter at dead footballers, a shrunken head and an Elphaba tinged pageant queen from Argentina.

And if you didn’t find any of the above funny on VHS, then maybe Beetlejuice is not the musical for you.

However ...

This isn’t the cult movie on stage with some song and dance numbers thrown in but an entirely fresh take that sweeps up the film’s principal elements, most of its bonkers characters and then refashions them into something that’s not only a ‘bold departure from the original source material’ but actually significantly better.

Book writers Scott Brown and Anthony King have delivered a treatment that shifts the story’s focus away from Adam and Barbara Maitland; a recently deceased couple trying to rid their home of the people who’ve bought it and spotlights instead, Lydia, the motherless grief stricken black clad quirky teenage daughter of the new owner. The Maitland’s are still there and actually feel more rounded and less goofy in this version than their cinematic inspirations but it’s clearly Lydia’s story the writers found more worthy of exploration, all while managing to include many recognisable images and sequences of Burton’s original.

In absolute sync with the irreverence of the book is Music and Lyrics by Eddie Perfect. Musically, Perfect has had a ball chucking any old genre at this thing but most impressively, his songs are so cleverly loaded that there's barely enough time to appreciate just how full they are of lyrics so ridiculously witty and crass, they could bring about an envying blush from Tim Rice.

For Eddie Perfect and this Melbourne season, it really is ‘showtime’ because only moments after the curtain rises, standing in a graveyard behind a newspaper and self-referencing his narratively premature appearance, is the lyricist himself. There really is something quite extraordinary and rare about watching a performer of Perfect’s calibre making every rhyming vulgarity his own – because they are!

(The writer and the star – only Lin-Manuel’s agent sends a more grateful opening night hamper!)

Perfect really is fantastic in a role that’s impossible to half bake and phone in, full as it is with big songs, gruff vocal delivery, precise physical comedy, sleight of hand magic and even some stand up. He really has no one but himself to blame if he (understandably) fails to make it to the end of an eight-show week. 

As fabulous as the title role is, this show is very much a two-lead affair and Karis Oka as Lydia is a genuinely special find. Oka utterly smashes through several massive numbers all while absolutely nailing Lydia’s angsty petulance with ease and confidence. Powerful, strong and seemingly effortless, Karis Oka is a seriously impressive performer.

This is a cast on top form – Elise McCann and Rob Johnson are great fun as the Maitland’s, both superbly handling some of Perfects toughest songs. As Delia, Erin Clare is sufficiently slutty and solacious to win the gay vote and Angelique Cassimatis deserves every moment of the thunderous reception her show stopping number as Miss Argentina summons. Full of great cameos, a very hard-working ensemble complete Director Alex Timber’s sharp vision for the show while fantastically executing Connor Gallagher’s smart choreography.

This is as slick and as tight and as fast paced as musicals get and that can’t be without the support of what must be an incredibly drilled and disciplined backstage team. With an evident spend on set, tech and costume you can see where your bucks have been banged and things can only look this good out front and change that quick with good folk in the wings.  

So what if there's a few hurried and messy loose ends and conventions to unscramble in the latter half of Act 2 in order to bring things to satisfactory and ‘plausible’ conclusion – most of us had given up on sense making and surrendered to brazen intertextuality hours ago. This show and its characters hover dangerously and fabulously close to the line at times but overall, its themes and sentiments are in the right place, perhaps we shouldn’t wait till we’re dead to actually live. Beetlejuice The Musical is a festival of weird inside a safe big budget Broadway extravaganza. This is a solid result for the entire creative team, deserving incredible praise for what came of ramming the characters and iconic imagery of Tim Burton’s movie into a shaker maker, however this is not going to be for everyone, particularly those without the movie for reference – but hey, we’re Melbourne and there’s always another option.