Alex Brightman will follow in Michael Keaton’s footsteps, assuming the title role in “Beetlejuice” on Broadway. It’s a familiar challenge for the Tony Award nominee.
Brightman previously had to put his own spin on a character made famous by Jack Black when he portrayed a hard-playing guitarist/substitute teacher in the Broadway musical “School of Rock.”
In addition, the show’s backers, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Langley Park Productions, announced that Sophia Anne Caruso (“Lazarus”) will co-star as Lydia, a goth teenager who forms a bond with ghosts. Winona Ryder played the part in the Tim Burton film — it helped put her on the map.
“Beetlejuice” is eying a Broadway engagement, but first the musical version of the 1988 hit film will have a trial run at the National Theatre in Washington D.C. It begins performances on Oct. 14 and officially opens on Nov. 4. The limited engagement will run through November 18.
Brightman last appeared on Broadway in School of Rock, earning a Tony nomination for his performance as Dewey. His additional credits include Matilda, Wicked, and Big Fish. Caruso received Lucille Lortel Award nominations for her performances in Off-Broadway’s The Nether and Lazarus. Her additional New York stage credits include Blackbird and the Encores! Off-Center production of Runaways.
“Beetlejuice” is directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers (“Peter and the Starcatcher”), with choreography by Connor Gallagher (“The Robber Bridegroom”), an original score by Eddie Perfect (“King Kong”) and a book by Scott Brown and Emmy Award nominee Anthony King (“Broad City”).
While inspired by Tim Burton’s 1988 dark comedy, the show will focus more on Lydia Deetz, the bleak teenager (played on screen by Winona Ryder) with a fascination for death—and the only one in her family who can interact with the ghosts of their new home’s. In an attempt to scare off her parents, Lydia calls on Beetlejuice (in the film, Michael Keaton)—an eccentric, crude demon with a plan that involves arranged marriages, a girl scout, and song and dance.
(Excerpts) Read More at: Playbill.com and Variety.com