Beetlejuice opens Valentine’s Day at Rochester Broadway Theatre League

ROCHESTER, N.Y. If you say his name three times, he’ll appear! “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” earned his stripes on Broadway, and now he is appearing at the Rochester Broadway Theatre League. 

Based on Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic film of the same name starring Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice the musical tells the story of a newly deceased married couple who summon the eccentric and odious Beetlejuice to help haunt the new residents of their old home.

News10NBC’s Emily Putnam spoke with ensemble member Sean McManus, who appeared in the Broadway production and then joined the touring company on the road. Read more about Sean here. He explained how this timeless story is both macabre and uplifting. 

“As much as this show is about death, it’s also a celebration of life,” said McManus. “It’s really about hope, and it’s really about finding light on the other side of hardship.”

Fans of the beloved film will be happy to hear that there are plenty of similarities between the stage musical and the movie. 

“The Tim Burton essence of the show has been maintained,” said McManus. “Alex Timbers as our director was very keen on making sure that his original inception of the show made it to the stage.” 

Much like the film, the musical is a feast for the eyes complete with large-scale spectacles, colorful set designs, and new elements like added musical numbers and choreography.

“What’s cool is that the movie itself is so theatrical and it’s so animated that it doesn’t take too much to bring it onto the stage,” said McManus. “I think you have to stage it with the way of … how do you preserve the comedy that came from the movie itself, and then how do you amplify it to get to the back row of the theater.”

Emily Putnam: “If you had to describe the show in one sentence, what would you say?”

Sean McManus: “I would say … dizzying spectacle with a heart. Beetlejuice is a dizzying spectacle with a heart.”

Beetlejuice is on-stage at the Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s Auditorium Theatre February 14-19, 2023. Tickets are available here.