'Beetlejuice' musical comes to Kimmel Cultural Campus' Academy of Music
The show is described as "visually spectacular," with more than 100 special effects including illusions and magic tricks.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- He originally earned his stripes on Broadway, and now the ghost-with-the-most is bringing the hit musical to Philadelphia.
'Beetlejuice' opens at the Kimmel Cultural Campus' Academy of Music this week.
The cast says it's ready to bring the underworld to Broad Street.
Based on Tim Burton's dearly beloved 1988 film, the iconic story comes to life on stage in musical form.
"It's smart, it's really funny and it's really fast," says Justin Collette, who plays Beetlejuice. "You can see it multiple times, and it's never the same show twice. My character, Beetlejuice, interacts with the audience an awful lot."
The story follows Lydia Deetz, who is obsessed with death. She meets a recently deceased couple and a green-haired demon with a thing for stripes.
"Even if you haven't seen the movie, I feel like everyone knows what it means to say 'Beetlejuice' three times," Collette says. "So much of the stuff from the film has permeated our cultural zeitgeist."
Many may wonder, is this show scary?
"It dips its toe into being spooky and being funny and being irreverent," Collette explains.
To be clear, cast members can agree this is a show about death.
"While it is about death, at the very center of the show, it's about heart," explains Michael Biren, a member of the ensemble.
Biren is a native of Cherry Hill and says he's thrilled to have his family in the audience at the Academy.
"That's where I grew up going to see musicals when I was little," Biren says. "It's really special for me to get a chance to perform in Philadelphia with the show."
Biren also says the show is "visually spectacular," with more than 100 special effects, from illusions to magic tricks to pyrotechnics.
Beetlejuice opens at the Academy of Music on Tuesday, May 30 and runs through June 11.
