Photo credit: Playbill.org
As of Aug. 15, “Beetlejuice Jr.” has been available for public licensing, and thespians across the country have been intrigued by the concept. Many are curious as to how a show with innuendos and other mature themes could be converted into a show for children. As shocking as it may sound, this is not the first time something like this has happened. Many shows which seem far too vulgar for children audiences have been reworked into productions targeted directly at children.
“Beetlejuice Jr.” premiered on Broadway in 2019, however, it didn’t stay running long before the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to close, remaining shutdown until 2022. Ever since then, it has spiked in popularity, though commonly shadowed by the larger, more recognizable “Beetlejuice”, starring Alex Brightman.
As of Sep. 4, no theatres in the Manchester area have announced an upcoming performance of this production, however the namesake alone is cause for one in the near future. However, the tech requirements for the show give reasonable cause for some theatres to steer clear of the show entirely.