Beetlejuice musical arrives in Houston with new staging choices

The touring production of the Beetlejuice musical opens its Houston run on Tuesday, November 3, at the Hobby Center. The stage version differs from the 1988 film in key plot points and character depth, according to cast member Kaitlin Feely. Feely plays Barbara Maitland, a ghost who haunts the home of teenage Lydia Deetz. In the movie, the demon Beetlejuice appears for only 17 minutes. In the musical, the character is present from the first scene and is portrayed with more redeeming qualities.

The story centers on Lydia, a goth teenager mourning her mother. She suspects her father, Charles, intends to replace her. Lydia’s life shifts when she meets the Maitlands in the house her family recently occupied. Feely notes that the musical emphasizes Lydia’s grief and her changing relationship with her father more than the film did. She describes the plot as more developed than its cinematic counterpart.

Feely, who is on her first national tour, characterizes Barbara as sincere, warm, and resilient. The character shares anxiety and fear with her husband Adam. Feely says Barbara learns to conquer those fears and become the best version of herself throughout the show. The production also changes how the Maitlands die. In the film, they die in a car crash. In the original Broadway play, they fall through a trapdoor. For the touring show, which may not have trapdoors available, they are electrocuted in their home.

Feely says the Maitlands become special to Lydia because they listen to her. Lydia’s mother was her best friend, and she feels the adults around her only tell her to get over her grief. The Maitlands are the first characters who accept her feelings and give her a space to talk. Feely grew up in a northwest suburb of Chicago and discovered musical theater after seeing Wicked on Broadway. She attended Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, graduating in 2020 during the pandemic.

After college, Feely worked full time at a math tutoring center using her minor in mathematics while theater remained closed. She describes joining the Beetlejuice tour as a major step up from regional theater. She notes the show has a dedicated fan base that has seen it return to Broadway twice. Audiences often dress in stripes or as characters like Lydia, wearing the red wedding dress or black dress associated with the role. Feely says the show mixes humor with visual spectacle, special effects, and choreography inspired by Tim Burton’s style.

Performances are scheduled for November 3 through November 9 at the Hobby Center, 800 Bagby Street. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost between $55 and $167. Information is available by calling 713-315-7625 or visiting thehobbycenter.org or broadwayatthehobbycenter.com.