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| Isabella Esler Photo by Matthew Murphy |
highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)
Click here for more information on this production that runs through August 27
"Sure, the score is uneven and all over the place, and the book tries too hard at times to be original while sticking close to the film screenplay to keep fans happy, but with an inventive set design chock-full of fun effects and magical elements, it is a crowd pleaser. ...The book by Scott Brown and Anthony King attempts to flesh out every character and many of the film's plot points. But it's so overstuffed that not all of the changes truly succeed..the only change that hits the bullseye is how the musical shifts its focus to Lydia and shows that both Lydia and Beetlejuice feel invisible, unloved, and unseen, so they share a common bond. There is also a nice emotional moment between father and daughter that resonates under Alex Timbers' direction in the otherwise over-amplified and nonstop surrounding lunacy. The score by Eddie Perfect is pretty much forgettable. Like the book, the lyrics are overstuffed with pop culture and topical references, many of which won't be caught due to the fast nature of the lyrics, the odd and often muffled sound balance, and the unclear line and lyric delivery. As great as (Isabella) Esler is as Lydia, and she is the major stand out here, she's given numerous songs to sing about missing her mother that are interchangeable. Also, almost every song ends with the same loud, bright button that appears to only be there to garner audience applause. It's as if Perfect doesn't realize that you can end musical theatre songs without these buttons." - Gil Benbrook, TalkinBroadway.com (click here to read the complete review)
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