Eddie was just shy of perfect

Beetlejuice is one of those highly anticipated musicals that’s finally hit the Australian stage, and it was worth the wait. With its TikTok virality, a homegrown composer in Eddie Perfect, and the label of “Melbourne-exclusive”, this production came in with big expectations.

The high production set value is no joke. Broadway fans would know this show isn’t easy to pull off – but honestly, they nailed it. With some minor details which is limited by the Regent Theatre’s infrastructure, the result was smooth transitions, grandiose sets, and a very well-paced show. It felt like a storybook unraveling in every scene. I really liked the Tim Burton-style graphics they used for projections during transitions. It fit the world perfectly and that it acted like 5-second “loading screens” of a video game.

This cast has a lot of heavyweights. Karis Oka (Lydia) is perfect for this role. Seeing her in the Australian premiere of Ride the Cyclone showcased her incomparable talent, and she fully shone as Lydia. Lydia is set up as the misunderstood, angsty teenager destined to become the demon’s sidekick, and Oka conveyed that and more. As the show progressed, her performance gained even more depth — I found myself rooting for her, especially during the song ‘Day-O’ which really kicked my enjoyment into high gear.

Beetlejuice himself, Eddie Perfect was well… just shy of nailing it completely. He had the voice, the presence, the wit. He absolutely delivered. But I still found myself missing that chaotic edge that made Alex Brightman’s take so electric. You can hear it in the soundtrack. You can see it all over TikTok. That said, this is far from a letdown. Perfect knows this character inside and out, and it shows. A rock-solid 9 out of 10 performance.

Standouts include Erin Clare as Delia Deetz for having a clear character buildup throughout the show. Written to be a cringe-y stepmom at the start, Clare made this character her own by act 2. She was funny and also charming. 

Barbara (Elise McCann) and Adam (Rob Johnson) are the goofy couple that join our heroes’ adventure. McCann and Johnson played their roles very well and were very clearly professionals. These characters function not only as comedic relief but also helped to ground the story. They kept the momentum going without ever dragging, and that’s a very underrated skill in theatre. 

Overall, the main six characters felt like a tight knit group and had really good chemistry with each other, I found myself looking forward to every scene just to see what they’d do next.

The music? No skips. I wrote most of this review listening to ‘Say My Name’ on repeat. Eddie Perfect’s score has more range than people expect. Personal favourites include ‘Say My Name’ (of course), ‘That Beautiful Sound’, and ‘Creepy Old Guy’. And yes, it’s pretty damn cool that the guy playing Beetlejuice also wrote the music to Beetlejuice. It’s just one of those shows that will leave an effect on you. One critique I would have would be about the song ‘Home’, which I find too “mainstream pop” sounding to genuinely capture Lydia’s arc climax. 

It’s not flawless but Beetlejuice absolutely delivers where it counts. With a cast this strong, phenomenal set designs, and a score this good, it’s worth the label “Exclusive to Melbourne”. Easily, a 4.5 out of 5.

Beetlejuice The Musical. The Musical. The Musical. is now running until 11th September at the Regent Theatre. Book tickets here.