The 1988 film “Beetlejuice” has become a cult classic, and the sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” continues the story of Lydia and Beetlejuice.
For another take on “Beetlejuice,” there is the musical version of it, which visits Centennial Hall from Tuesday, Dec. 3, to Sunday, Dec. 8, as part of the Broadway in Tucson series. The show features music and lyrics from Eddie Perfect and a script by Scott Brown and Anthony King. The performances contain adult language and are not meant for younger audiences.
In the production, Madison Mosley plays Lydia, a “strange and unusual” teen who has recently moved into a house with her stepmother and father. There, she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a penchant for mischief and mayhem.
Justin Collette stars as Beetlejuice, Megan McGinnis as the ghost Barbara, Will Burton as Barbara’s husband Adam, Jesse Sharp as Lydia’s father Charles and Sarah Litzsinger as Lydia’s stepmother Delia.
Hailing from Wisconsin, Mosley recently graduated with a musical theater degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. There, she was in productions of “Little Women,” “Sweet Charity” and “Spring Awakening.” She hit the stage for regional versions of “Into the Woods,” “Rent” and “Les Misérables.”
She joined “Beetlejuice,” her first national tour, in May. She auditioned for “Beetlejuice” virtually and was notified she was chosen for the tour a month before she graduated college.
When Mosley originally joined the tour, she played Girl Scout and shrunken head characters and understudied Lydia a few times. She moved into the Lydia role at the end of October.
“Because I got to go on more than I thought I would, I was able to be more comfortable and play around with what my Lydia would do in certain scenes,” Mosley said about her understudy appearances.
“Now that I’m very comfortable doing it every day, I’m able to find more nuances.”
Mosley said Lydia is a much more complicated character than she thought.
“She is so moody and so goth. I think she’s misunderstood. She’s seen as this abrasive character,” she said.
“What I’ve found in the scene work is life has no meaning without her mom. Now that her mom has been ripped away, she’s trying to figure out how to be her own person and figure out why she’s here. She just wants everything to have meaning. I think we get to see that turning point with Lydia and find the softness that she has in act two.”
She said audiences have certain expectations for her iconic character, which doesn’t mirror Winona Ryder’s version in the film.
“I feel like the musical has so many differences from the movie, and all of the characters are very personalized,” Mosley said.
“They’re just very different from the movie characters. I feel like I’m able to create a new world with this Lydia. I feel like she’s a little quirkier and she’s a little spunkier. There are moments where I’m able to be sassier.”
Mosley has always loved Halloween, but she didn’t connect with “Beetlejuice” until she became part of the tour. She had never seen the musical live before she got the part.
“I was very familiar with the show and music. I had always wanted to play Lydia while in school,” said Mosley, who added she was drawn to the pop-rock feel of the production’s music.
“I was really drawn to Lydia’s songs and story. It was just something I could see myself doing.”
One of the biggest challenges to the show is its high energy.
“I think figuring out how to pace myself, with doing eight shows a week, has been hard. I’m figuring out how I can sustain the quality of performance I want to give,” Mosley said.
In the past, for the show “Xanadu,” Mosley had to develop her rollerblading skills. In “Beetlejuice,” there are lifts and moments where she is thrown into the air. At one point, she does a trust fall off a high table.
“Beetlejuice” focuses more on Lydia and her story, so audiences get a chance to get to know her on a different level.
“It’s interesting because there’s more story based in Lydia, her connection to her mom,” Mosley said.
“You get to see more of her connection with her dad. You get to understand why she is the way she is.”
In the animated series “Beetlejuice,” which ran from 1989 to 1991, Lydia and Beetlejuice had a very different relationship. The two of them were good friends. The musical also gives further insight into Lydia’s and Beetlejuice’s connection.
“There’ s so much interaction between Beetlejuice and Lydia,” she said.
“That’s what’s really nice. We get to see the relationship between the two and see how that gets stressed, and they get closer. It’s really interesting, and it’s really fun to be one-on-one with Justin a lot in the show.”
Mosley said that Collette and others who portray Beetlejuice have found ways to bring their versions of the over-the-top character.
“I think Justin has made this thing his own,” she said.
“I would say he has definitely made it larger than life. He’s just commandeering the show. He is so hilarious in the role. Everybody who covers Beetlejuice has made it their own thing, and it’s really fun to see.”
Although the musical differs from the film, the two do share elements, such as the sandworm, miniature Beetlejuice village, the “Handbook for the Recently Deceased,” the dinner possession scene and prominent deceased characters.
“We definitely see the sandworm,” Mosley said. “We have the attic. I think one of the really cool things that are really similar to the movie that people love and don’t expect is the netherworld. You see some of the familiar characters from the movie. You have the football players and Juno. The set just looks amazing with the way they do the netherworld,” Mosley said.
Mosley said there are a lot of details in the set, including the attic space.
“It’s so cool to see everything and if you are seeing it multiple times, being able to pick out new things that you didn’t notice before,” Mosley said.
“Beetlejuice” National Tour
WHEN: Various times Tuesday, Dec. 3, to Sunday, Dec. 8
WHERE: Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Boulevard, Tucson
PRICE: Tickets start at $45
INFO: 520-621-3341,
broadwayintucson.com
