Beetlejuice announces its pre-Broadway world premiere engagement

Beetlejuice is set to play a pre-Broadway run at the National Theatre in Washington D.C. from October 2018.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice... is Broadway-Broadway-Broadway-bound! Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Langley Park Productions have now confirmed that the pre-Broadway world premiere of Beetlejuice will be staged at the National Theatre in Washington D.C. from October 2018.

Based on the hugely popular 1988 Tim Burton film with a story by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson, the musical adaptation features a book by Scott Brown and Emmy Award nominee Anthony King, with an original score by Eddie Perfect. The production will be helmed by two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers and choreographed by Connor Gallagher.

Synopsis: "Lock up your kids, folks, he's back! Beetlejuice is ruder, raunchier and frankly, more repellant than ever in this original musical based on Tim Burton's wonderfully demented film. Beetlejuice tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager obsessed with the whole "being dead thing." Lucky for Lydia, her new house is haunted by a recently deceased couple and a degenerate demon who happens to have a thing for stripes. When Lydia calls on this ghost-with-the-most to scare away her insufferable parents, Beetlejuice comes up with the perfect plan, which involves exorcism, arranged marriages and an adorable girl scout who gets scared out of her wits. Plus singing and dancing, of course."

The creative team also features musical direction by Kris Kuku, scenic design by two-time Tony Award nominee David Korins, costume design by six-time Tony Award winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award winner Kenneth Posner, sound design by four-time Tony Award nominee Peter Hylenski, projection design by Drama Desk Award winner Peter Nigrini, puppet design by Drama Desk Award winner Michael Curry, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick, and illusions by Michael Weber.

Casting will be announced at a later date, although a previous industry reading featured Tony Award nominee Christopher Fitzgerald in the title role.

Directed by Tim Burton and released in March 1988, "Beetlejuice" earned over $73 million at the US box office and also picked up the Academy Award for "Best Makeup". The film's cast was led by Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara.

Details for the Broadway premiere will be announced in due course.

^{(Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.)}