BY VITA HEWITT

Beetlejuice – The Musical has come to San Francisco!

This is not the first (and most certainly not the last) popular film to be adapted to a Broadway musical. There have been several of these that have bombed in the most smelly of ways. I’m happy to say that Beetlejuice is not one of these.

photo by Vita Hewitt

If you are expecting a dutiful, yet musical, retelling of the beloved cult classic, it’s not going to happen. Instead, we get an irreverent, hilarious adaption with the titular character (played by Justin Collette) breaking the fourth wall immediately and keeping the audience intrigued. He teases, makes amazingly crude observations, prances and sleazes his way through the show in the most lovable of ways.

Costumes on the stage and in the crowd, too.

As you probably are already aware, San Francisco adores a reason to dress up. The sight as I walked into the theater warmed my Bay Area heart. The stage itself is a beacon of green and purple lights, a visual reminder of the iconic 1988 film, directed by Tim Burton. Glitter Zombie was clearly the look for the night. I found myself surrounded by many imaginative versions of Lydia Deetz, and an eyeful of black and white striped suits.

The first scene shows the funeral of Lydia’s mother, explaining immediately why the black clad teen (beautifully done by Isabella Esler from San Jose) is the depressed way that she is. This is a show about death, as the first number gleefully tells us. The whole of the cast, directed by Alex Timbers, seems to be having a wonderful time. They kept the full house on their toes and laughed from beginning to end. All are amazing and clearly good at their craft, but the stand out for me would have to be Delia.

Photo for Datebook/SF Chronicle: Matthew Murphy

Delia has gotten an upgrade from the film to life coach and hopeful step mother to Lydia. Portrayed by Kate Marilly, I found myself disappointed when she wasn’t in the scene. Her physical comedy and one liners were spot on. There is a scene where she manages to jump up on the kitchen table in the most horrendously alluring way. You must go see this show just for this! It is certainly something to aspire to. She was a delight to watch.

Delia was a fantastic opposite to Barbara (Britney Coleman) and Adam (Will Burton) who really did justice to those parts. Barbara especially did such a wonderful job of playing the straight woman to the rather grotesque Beetlejuice. She is so convincing that she really helped the story to feel oddly believable as we careened from one unbelievable situation to the next.

View from our seats – photo by Vita Hewitt

Is Beetlejuice The Musical just like the movie version?

The story line doesn’t mirror the film exactly. It builds on a few different themes, most notably feeling invisible and moving through grief. The characters and their interpersonal relationships build up in a very satisfying and three dimensional way. The dynamic between Lydia and Beetlejuice is both hilariously awful and endearing.

I really enjoyed how the show pokes fun at the more. problematic parts of the film (See the song Creepy Old Guy) with Beetlejuice belting out jokes about his underage bride and my favorite line by Charles who asks “Have you guys seen Lolita? This is just like that, but fine!” I could not stop laughing.

If you are looking for something to do this holiday season then please, do yourself a favor and go to this show. Your inner goth will love it. Your tween will love it. Your fond memories of the film and the animated series (truth be told, the show is more of a reference to this) will not be tarnished. Brush off your striped suit, grab your eyeliner and have a great time.

Beetlejuice is playing at the Golden Gate Theater from December 7 through the 31.
For tickets visit: goldengatetheatresf.com