Character guide
Beetlejuice
from Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice is the loud, ghoulish trickster at the heart of the 2019 musical of the same name, a role built for chaos and comic timing.
- Show
- Beetlejuice
- Broadway premiere
- 2019
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Eddie Perfect
Beetlejuice: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1988 film and its 2024 sequel
On stage, Beetlejuice has a mother: in the musical Juno is his mother, who arrives to confront him, while in Tim Burton's 1988 film Juno is the Maitlands' afterlife caseworker, played by Sylvia Sidney. The stage demon also narrates and talks directly to the audience, opening the show with Prologue: Invisible and The Whole Being Dead Thing.
Michael Keaton played the character (variously spelled Betelgeuse on screen) in 1988 and again in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in 2024; Alex Brightman originated him on Broadway in 2019. The film ends with a sandworm eating him and his head shrunk in the afterlife waiting room, while on stage Lydia stabs him at their wedding.
Who is Beetlejuice?
Beetlejuice is a self-described bio-exorcist, a demon and con artist stuck haunting the space between the living and the dead, forever scheming his way toward getting said three times so he can wreak havoc in the mortal world. He narrates and needles his way through the story, breaking the fourth wall and mocking the other characters as often as he helps them.
The musical draws on the same premise as its source film, following a grieving teenage girl who strikes up an alliance with him after her family moves into a house occupied by a pair of recently deceased ghosts.
Beetlejuice's role on stage
Beetlejuice is the title character and clear lead, essentially functioning as the show's host as much as its antagonist-turned-ally. The part demands a performer who can sustain manic energy for an entire show: rapid-fire patter, broad physical comedy, and belted, character-driven vocals that lean theatrical rather than pretty.
It is a famously exhausting role to perform because so much of the show's comic momentum rests on Beetlejuice's presence, whether he is center stage or lurking at the edges commenting on everything happening around him.
Why Beetlejuice resonates with fans
Audiences love the character because he gets to say the things a polite musical never would, gleefully undercutting sentiment with sarcasm before pivoting to real heart. That mix of anarchic humor and surprising warmth, paired with Eddie Perfect's score, has made the role one of the most sought after comic parts in modern Broadway.
Beetlejuice: frequently asked questions
What show is Beetlejuice from?
Beetlejuice is the title character of Beetlejuice, a musical that opened on Broadway in 2019.
Is Beetlejuice a lead or supporting role?
Beetlejuice is the lead role, driving the show's narration and comedy from start to finish.
Who wrote the music for Beetlejuice?
The score for Beetlejuice was written by Eddie Perfect.
Think you can name today's mystery character in eight guesses?
Play today's Character Guesser