Before this article, we do want to preface that we only saw one cast. While we are sad to have missed the other, the Maroon Cast was filled with strong vocals and powerful performances.
As the sun set, a new excitement fell over the school. We stood outside the dormant auditorium expecting a great show. Parents clutched programs around us. As we looked back on the months that came before opening night, we remembered hearing songs and music spilling into the hallways, a testament to the amount of work and preparation that was put into the musical.
Beetlejuice is not an easy story to tell. The characters are known for their signature personalities, and the story is complex as well as imaginative. However, Tohickon has a talent for making scripts and characters come to life.
The musical opened with a short song from the ensemble who all wore elaborate costumes and makeup. Immediately, we were taken aback by the clear and powerful vocals sung by each and every student on stage.
The scene that followed was a solemn funeral in which the audience was introduced to Lydia (Kendall). She stood, turned away from the coffin of her mother to face the audience.
Shortly after, we met Barbara (Paige) and Adam (Prithvi). From the start, they were a captivating duo. They sung about the start of a family. All the while, Beetlejuice (Matt) sat on the side, watching it take place. After it ended, he continued to narrate the story in a comical tone.
Beetlejuice, throughout the musical, impressed us with his ability to make the audience laugh and with his stage presence. His voice was a perfect impression of the signature one from the 1988 movie.
Later on, we heard a song from Lydia.
As she sung about the loss of her mother, we were amazed. Every single face watched her and cheered her on as she perfectly embodied Lydia’s emotions and character. She was full of attitude and personality as well as raw emotion. Her voice was beautiful and captivating as she moved about the stage, hitting high notes easily and powerfully.
Further into the play, we met Delia (Evelyn). A guru in all things emotions and a life coach for Lydia, she was a character with a vibrant and prevalent personality. She walked around the stage in a beautiful floral pattern dress and sang a duet with Lydia. Evelyn has a voice that is truly stunning and impressive. She made us laugh as she sang alongside Kendall, showing the contrast between the two characters.
Mr. Deetes (Kyle), Lydia’s father was also a captivating character. He talked sentimentally, powerfully, and vulnerably about the death of his first wife while supporting Lydia in her journey to acceptance. Kyle is truly talented and played the role of Lydia’s father unbelievably well.
We also watched an incredible scene in which the Deetes’ family and dinner guests Maxie Dean (Seth) and Maxine Dean (Amelia) are possessed into dancing to the Banana Boat (Day-O) song.
In the Netherworld, we’re introduced to Miss Argentina (Riya). She hilariously sung about the afterlife, her life as a beauty queen, and what she would’ve done differently. Riya has a beautiful voice that made the character so interesting and fascinating to watch. Behind her, a chorus of dead people joined in. Among them, most notably, was a man with an extremely small head wearing a bright yellow suit.
Also in the Netherworld, we met a demon, who we later realized was Beetlejuice’s mother, (Alexa L.). She made us jump in our seats as she powerfully and loudly ordered around the line of people just entering the afterlife.
Another character we loved watching was the girl scout (Alexa G.) with an unfortunate health problem. She was scared by Lydia, as she teams up with Beetlejuice (which is some scary but interesting character development), when she knocked on the door selling cookies. Her voice was sweet and perfectly matched the character. Alexa is very talented, and we laughed as she dramatically fell into the arms of her fellow girl scouts. We also met Otho (Bianca) who, hilariously, helped Delia catch the ghosts in her house as the musical reached its climax. We watched him run around the stage alongside Delia which made us smile.
Throughout the musical, we were constantly impressed by the ensemble. They danced perfectly in sync while singing songs that narrate the scenes. On stage, we saw dead cheerleaders, girl scouts, and an array of different ghosts. Their costumes and makeup were beautiful as well as detailed. They filled the auditorium with sound as they ran down the aisles and collapsed dramatically around the parents. They shrieked and squealed when Beetlejuice told them to, “RUN!”. We laughed as they rushed past us and chased each other down the stairs. They sang together, a chorus of emotion and perfected vocals.
When the musical ended and we watched the bows, the entire auditorium got up in a standing ovation. The actors on stage smiled as they were met with loud cheers on opening night.
We want to congratulate the cast and the directors for a beautiful and flawless performance. Additionally, we want to recognize the stage crew and lighting crew who worked tirelessly throughout the musical. For everyone involved, please continue to pursue this passion. It is amazing what you all have accomplished.