Andy Karl as Beetlejuice and Karis Oka as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice The Musical.
Image Credit: Eugene Hyland.

It’s showtime! Beetlejuice The Musical has moved into QPAC’s Lyric Theatre and the renovation results are, interesting…

Following its Australian debut in Melbourne last year and seven years after making its Broadway debut, the highly anticipated musical directed by Alex Timbers, with music and lyrics by Australian musician Eddie Perfect, has crept its way up north, claiming Brisbane city as its next victim.

The story for those unfamiliar with the source material, follows mournful teen Lydia Deetz, navigating the loss of her mother whilst dealing with an avoidant father and overbearing soon-to-be stepmother Delia. When her father purchases the home of a recently deceased couple in the hopes of starting afresh with his daughter, Lydia employs the help of ghost friends Adam and Barbara to harness the powers of ghost-demon Beetlejuice to drive her parents away.

This show truly is strange and unusual and lives up to the grandeur one would expect of a smash-hit Broadway musical. The choreography is sharp, characterisation unmatched, set, costume and lighting design impressive, and we can’t forget the puppets! However, the crude humour fuelled from the original film feels like a stumbling block to fully enjoying a musical that outwardly seemed to appeal to a wider audience demographic from its online media presence. Jokes about ‘nice jugs’, boners and orgies seem rather dated and more on par with the juvenile humour one would expect from a Mel Brooks or ‘Carry On’ film, which is rather disappointing to see. It goes without saying that this show is not child friendly.

Despite my reservations about the humour in Beetlejuice The Musical, there is no denying that this show is jam-packed with incredible songs and performances all round. From the opening number “Prologue: Invisible” the audience is swept into a Halloween-like spectacle from spooky sound to a fog engulfed stage, it perfectly encapsulates the cinematic aesthetic of Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic film. What sets this musical apart from the rest is its clever choices in staging, exceeding the limitations of the four corners of the space, with Beetlejuice often throwing props into the orchestra pit, before more gadgets are quickly thrown back to him again. The antihero also likes to break the fourth wall, occasionally enjoying moments of crowd participation which make for a unique audience experience every night.

The set is very impressive, with the Deetz residence going through multiple makeovers leading up to Beetlejuice’s invasion. The use of digital projections, lighting and furniture really helps establish the change in ownership of the space. The puppets in this show, designed by Michael Curry, are next level. With large eel-like creatures surrounding the house, including a moment with Beetlejuice riding one near the end of the show, their life-like manipulation really adds to the menacing atmosphere.

The cast bring stellar performances, with one notable stand-out being Erin Claire (We Will Rock You, Heathers, 9 to 5) as the hilarious happiness guru stepmother Delia Deetz, commanding the space as she leads the iconic song “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” which featured in the original film. Karis Oka (SIX The Musical, Fangirls, Ride the Cyclone) gives beautiful crystal-clear vocals as Lydia Deetz, and is truly the beating heart of the story, bringing a dark and youthful energy to the troubled teen. Andy Karl (Legally Blonde the Musical, Groundhog Day the Musical) plays Beetlejuice with zany exuberance, perfectly executing the crass mannerisms associated with the original character portrayed by Michael Keaton in the 1988 film, to the extent that you really do despise Beetlejuice’s sick and twisted nature, which in some respects makes it difficult as an audience to stomach the redemption arc given to the character at the shows conclusion.

The musical is at its strongest in the second act where the real chaos begins as Beetlejuice enters the human realm. With Lydia’s constant search for her “Dead Mom” she eventually reaches the Netherworld coming across all the recently deceased appearing in the state in which they died. Whilst incredibly morbid, this makes for entertainingly dark humour. The resolved conflict between Lydia and her father, whilst a poignant moment between the two, seemed like a quick fix to help tie up the story. If the audience was given a better idea of the previously close relationship between the two, perhaps even a flashback to her mother’s favourite song “Jump in the Line”, this moment may have felt less rushed.

Overall, Beetlejuice The Musical is a spooky spectacle that centres on the multifaceted nature of grief and human connection, with a sprinkling of ghastly ghouls to lighten the load. If you’re a die-hard musical theatre fan with a hankering for Halloween mischief, you will enjoy the richness of the Broadway experience this show provides.

Now open at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre, Beetlejuice The Musical runs for a strictly limited season before moving to Perth’s Crown Theatre from August 2026.