Inside goth icon Beetlejuice’s journey from screen to stage

Tim Burton first introduced audiences to prankster demon Betelgeuse in his 1988 film, Beetlejuice, and the pinstriped poltergeist has had a cult following ever since. In 2018, the film was adapted into a hit Broadway musical. It still follows recently deceased couple Adam and Barbara Maitland as they attempt to scare away the new occupants of their home. But the stage version focuses on goth teen Lydia, who is grieving her mother and discovers she’s able to communicate with the dead. With an assist from the Maitlands, she conjures Betelgeuse, who proceeds to wreak undead mayhem upon the house. After wrapping up its Broadway run in 2023, the show toured the US and is landing at Mirvish this month. For a sneak peek, we spoke to creative director David Korins about his devilish designs. June 3 to July 19, CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre

1. The opening number is a song about death. It takes place in a cemetery, where Lydia’s late mother is laid to rest.

2. Tony Award–winning costume designer William Ivey Long spent years developing Betelgeuse’s hair and makeup. “He wanted the character to look a bit rotten,” says Korin. “The green in his hair is meant to evoke a mould or fungus.” New Brunswick–born actor Justin Collette plays the title character in the show’s touring company.

3. “Tim Burton’s characters have this hand-drawn quality,” says Korin. The costumes are designed to look like they came straight out of Burton’s sketchpad.

4. To reassure Burton fans that they’re in good hands, Korin made several references to the director’s other films in his designs. “The hills are created in the style of claymation, like in The Nightmare Before Christmas,” he says. And the tombstones contain easter eggs about other Burton characters, including Edward Scissorhands.

5. While the original Broadway set used static backdrops, the Mirvish production swaps them out for a massive LED screen that displays the changing scenery.

6. The wonky, angled frames—another Burton reference—are made of Plexiglas and lit from within. The colour of the lights changes throughout the show.

7. To hit just the right gothic note, Long incorporated a variety of styles into Lydia’s outfit. He added safety pins, lace, and other goth, punk and emo touches.

8. Here, Betelgeuse comes bursting out of the dining table, frightening the Maitlands.

9. The house transforms several times throughout the show to create different settings. “The furniture, doors, light fixtures, walls, bannisters and fireplaces all switch up,” says Korin, as the house morphs from classic Victorian to gaudy postmodern and back again.