This Season’s Must-See Theatre Hit: Beetlejuice The Musical

Introducing the perfect theatrical antidote to the festive season. Beetlejuice The Musical has arrived at Etihad Arena and it’s unlike anything you will have seen in the capital before.

Based on Tim Burton’s 1988 American gothic horror comedy, the production tells the dark, funny and moving story of Lydia Deetz, a teenager obsessed with the whole “being dead thing” and struggling to cope with the loss of her mother.

When Lydia calls on the ghosts haunting her new home, she accidentally summons Beetlejuice, played by Broadway legend Andy Karl, who makes his debut in the role in Abu Dhabi.

Desperate to break free from the afterlife’s rules, Beetlejuice plots a cunning escape: all he needs is a living person to say his name three times.

From there the audience is transported into a wild spectacle, full of mayhem and big musical moments but centred around a tender story about grief, family and finding your way back to the people who matter.

Five minutes with musical theatre star Karis Oka

During a sneak-peek performance, we caught up with Karis Oka, the actor who plays Lydia, to hear what it’s like to bring this beloved character to life.

Q: Do you feel a sense of responsibility playing such an important role as Lydia? What do you want audiences, particularly women, to take away from this show?

A (Karis): The story revolves around Lydia losing her mum, so it is ultimately about grief. Everyone can relate to that because we all know someone who has passed away. It’s a bit of a touchy subject, but the comedy in the show is what softens everyone. It gets people relaxed and happy, and then this little message about grief sneaks in – about how we deal with the fact that everyone we know is going to die. So it’s wrapped up in a lot of comedy and spectacle, but at its heart it’s about Lydia’s relationship with grief, her mum and her dad, and how two people can go through something completely differently…and how they come back together.

Q: You’ve been in the role a very long time. Does it still feel good every time you perform it?

A (Karis): We did over 140 shows in Melbourne this year so that was pretty intense. I'm not going to lie, it is hard to have time for other things, but you work it out. We've got a new actor playing Beetlejuice now (Andy Karl) so that freshens everything up. You know, just because someone's playing the same character does not mean they're giving the same performance at all. You learn a lot about the show and the character that you play when different people play alongside you, and that's also with understudies and covers when they go on, so it does stay fresh, surprisingly.

Q: How was your first performance in Abu Dhabi?

A (Karis): Oh, it was really lovely. Beetlejuice is a wacky musical – it's not very traditional – and the fact that people maybe aren't necessarily used to going to the theatre as much here, and they're giving a chance to this musical that's very bold, and are so welcoming and open to it, is just the best. Because if they were a bit hesitant, we would feel that as well. It's a two-way street between the audience and the people on stage. Last night’s audience made me so excited for the rest of the season. It was really special.

As Karis says, the show invites people to laugh, feel and let go. Something we all need a little more of as we edge to the end of the year.

But be quick – you only have until Sunday, 30 November before Beetlejuice disappears back into the afterlife.

Tickets are available at: www.etihadarena.ae/en/event-booking/beetlejuice-the-musical

The show is rated PG-13.