Theatre Review: Beetlejuice

 The Production: Beetlejuice - The Musical

The Theatre: The Regent Theatre on Collins Street

Until 3 August (This was a preview ticket)

Runtime: Two and a half hours

Stars: 3.5

Reminder to self. YOU DON'T REALLY LIKE MUSICALS... Well, not the big budget ones. 

BUT... I love Tim Burton's film, Beetlejuice and I've always wanted to see inside the Regent Theatre, having lived in Melbourne for 25 years I've never been inside the place, so I listened to my better angels and got a ticket up the back of the stalls where a quick escape could be had. 

For the price, I got my money's worth. Would I see it again? No. But other people really seemed to enjoy it and gave the production a standing ovation. 

On the good side of things, Beetlejuice is a spectacle. It's wonderfully staged and the lighting is fantastic. 

Tick. 

It also takes most of the elements of the movie and incorporates them into the musical. We have Adam and Barbara, there's Lydia's parents, Charles and Delia (although there is a pivot here - not worth going into), there's some of the quirky characters you find in hell, like Miss Argentina, the girl scout, Otho, the football players, and thankfully, Bob. Bob is everybody's favourite. 

Lydia, played by Karis Oka, is excellent, and Eddie Perfect makes Beetlejuice his own. Both are excellent, and even from my seat up the back, you could see they were having a ball. 

But, yeah, this is the sort of musical that doesn't float by boat. I even fell asleep while the Banana Boat Song played. Not a good sign. 

I truly think this was a matter of "It's me, not you." I quite liked this. I liked the music, the dancing and enjoyed how the show deviated from the movie, yet payed homage to it as well. 

But I'm a purist, and just as you should never meet your heroes, you should be very careful about seeing musicals of your favourite films. 

Others will drink this up. It's a very entertaining musical about death, as the first song extols.

As for me, I'm just glad I finally got to have a look inside the Regent Theatre. 

And Beetlejuice, the movie, is available on Binge. 

Today's song: