Go Ahead, Make Their Millennium: Beetlejuice Brings Strange and Unusual Charm to Life on the Miami Stage.

April 29th, 2025

It seems like people are just dying to see Beetlejuice! The crowd was striking with killer looks, and mostly dressed for a funeral, but oh so ready to have some fun and make new friends. The lobby offered a signature cocktail, Day-O, a tropical rum confection with, of course, banana liqueur. (Tally man not included.) Stepping into the auditorium, you could hear the hum of anticipation, or maybe it was the set’s vibrant neon lights on stage, an arrow advertising Betelgeuse Betelgeuse. Whether hum or glow, we were drawn in, like moths to flame. The signs were everywhere that this was going to be a lively time.

Our lead, Justin Collette, with credits spanning from Broadway to Netflix to viral views on YouTube, delighted as our underworld guide and beloved, if not mis-guided title character, Beetlejuice. The audience was putty in his hands and one gets the sense he plays to the nightly crowd, delivering a performance custom curated for those in the seats each night. He showed off his improv deftness as a spirited crowd seemed to inspire some ad libs.

Justin Collette and Tour Company of Beetlejuice – Photo by Matthew Murphy

Madison Mosley gives mourning Lydia a voice that is so otherworldly, you forget that she is one of the few living characters. With an undeniable presence for the stage, her vocals would be just as fitting for an animation, or a claymation.

Madison Mosley as Lydia – Photo by Matthew Murphy

Megan McGinnis playing Barbara and Will Burton playing Adam have such a magnetic energy that you can literally see the electric sparks between them. Even if that’s just one of the special effects this show boasts, there is no denying the couple’s chemistry.  Ever supportive of each other, our newly-deads find the meaning of life in their second act, and shed some of their own self-imposed conventions that held them back in the earthly realm.

Will Burton as Adam and Megan McGinnis as Barbara – Photo by Matthew Murphy

Scenic Director David Korins’ intentionality saturates every aspect of the set design. The swirling fabric print of the velvet curtains that hide the magic behind let you know exactly whose brainchild this show is. Vivid animated projections ripple across the stage and walls with eerie realism capturing both your attention and imagination and then swiftly deposit you into another scene and setting before you even realize there was transition. Even the stage itself, framed with striped and pulsing lights, (Lighting Design by Kenneth Posner) hypnotizes you into crossing the threshold. Suddenly you are inside the magical macabre world of Tim Burton, and there is no escape.

While the sets may give you a sense of familiarity, if you think you know what to expect on stage because you’ve seen the film, you’d be dead wrong.  Beetlejuice himself even let us know that up front.  The changes were fitting and seamless and left you wanting for nothing. Even though the storyline is not exactly like the film, you can still expect to have a seat at that iconic dinner table and savor the delicious choreography that Delia (Sarah Litzsinger) and Charles (Jesse Sharp) serve, as they become possessed by Barbara and Adam as Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O” blasts from the hi-fi.

Sarah Litzsinger as Delia and Jesse Sharp as Charles – Photo by Matthew Murphy

This standout scene really highlights the talents of the tech team.  The Special Effects Design by Jeremy Chernick in this production was nothing short of spellbinding. From subtle sleights of stagecraft to jaw-dropping illusions (Magic & Illusion Design by Michael Weber), each moment of theatrical magic feels earned and expertly executed. The stage lighting entranced the audience. It wasn’t just illumination, it was presence, nuanced like a séance. You don’t just see the lighting; you feel it pressing gently against your chest, whispering in your ear. Litzsinger’s portrayal of possession put us all under her spell as she writhed against her will with ghost-like grace, controlled by her landlords beyond the veil.

This musical is a comedy that makes you think, a magic show that makes you feel, and is a wonderful way to spend a night.  Part fever dream, part nightmare- perhaps one before Christmas, this stage production of Beetlejuice surely earns its stripes.

If you plan to go, here are the (Lydia) Deetz: See Beetlejuice now through May 4th at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. Nightly shows at 8 on Friday and Saturday, with a 2pm matinee on Saturday. Sunday showtimes are 1pm and 7pm.