May 17, 2023
Matthew Murphy/Kimmel Cultural Campus
The first national tour of Broadway's "Beetlejuice" will stop at the Academy of Music from Tuesday, May 30 through Sunday, June 11.
A touring Broadway show will soon bring its "ghost with the most" to the Kimmel Cultural Campus.
The "Beetlejuice" national tour stops at the Academy of Music Tuesday, May 30 and runs through Sunday, June 11. Based on Tim Burton's 1988 film, the musical comedy follows unusual teenager Lydia Deetz whose life turns upside down when she meets a ghostly couple and a ghoul by the name of Beetlejuice. Tickets can be purchased in advance.
The Tony-nominated show opened on Broadway in 2019 before closing down amid the pandemic. It reopened on Broadway in April 2022 and ran through Jan. 2023. It's now on its first national tour.
Philly theater-goers will watch a touring cast led by Justin Collette, of Broadway's "School of Rock," as the titular ghost, as well as newcomer Isabella Esler, who plays Lydia. Local actor Michael Biren, of Cherry Hill, is in the ensemble.
“Beetlejuice” is coming to Philly later this month as part of its first national tour, and actor Michael Biren of Cherry Hill is in the production's ensemble.
Courtesy of/Allied Global Marketing
"It's very heartfelt," Biren said of the show. "It's very funny; it kind of feels like a rock concert at times. So it's a really great job to show up to every night. And the fans have been absolutely incredible. ... The fans have always been such an important part of ['Beetlejuice']. It's been really wonderful."
Biren, a graduate of Cherry Hill High School West and Muhlenberg College, said his favorite musical number in the show is the song that opens the second act, "That Beautiful Sound." He's looking forward to returning to the Philly area to see his family and enjoy his favorite cheesesteak, from Tony Luke's.
"Philadelphia is one of the stops on the tour that everybody gets really excited for," Biren said. "I can't wait to be there."
The show comes to town as major news just dropped about the upcoming sequel to the "Beetlejuice" film. "Beetlejuice 2," directed by Burton, will see Michael Keaton reprise his role as Beetlejuice, with Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara returning to the franchise too. Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe have also signed on to the movie. The plot has been kept under wraps thus far.
The tour's cast members are already looking forward to seeing the movie, according to Biren, even though it isn't set to hit theaters until September of 2024.
"It's fun to live in this world," Biren said. "The fandom of 'Beetlejuice' is so crazy, and it's fun to be a part of it in some way, shape or form. So yeah, we can't wait. We're so excited."
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