Alex Brightman and Sophia Anne Caruso to Star in World Premiere of Beetlejuice

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures (Mark Kaufman) and Langley Park Productions (Kevin McCormick) have announced the stars of the pre-Broadway world-premiere engagement of the new musical comedy Beetlejuice, beginning performances October 14 in advance of a November 4 opening at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Leading the cast will be Tony nominee Alex Brightman (School of Rock) as Beetlejuice opposite Sophia Anne Caruso (Lazarus) as Lydia. The production is directed by two-time Tony nominee Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge!, Peter and the Starcatcher), with choreography by Connor Gallagher (The Robber Bridegroom), an original score by Eddie Perfect (King Kong), and a book by Scott Brown and Emmy nominee Anthony King (Broad City). Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Beetlejuice tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager obsessed with the whole "being dead thing." Lucky for Lydia, her new house is haunted by a recently deceased couple and a degenerate demon who happens to have a thing for stripes. When Lydia calls on this ghost-with-the-most to scare away her insufferable parents, Beetlejuice comes up with the perfect plan, which involves exorcism, arranged marriages, and an adorable girl scout who gets scared out of her wits.

The creative team includes scenic design by two-time Tony nominee David Korins, costume design by six-time Tony winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony winner Kenneth Posner, sound design by four-time nominee Peter Hylenski, projection design by Peter Nigrini, puppet design by Michael Curry, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick, illusions by Michael Weber, musical direction by Kris Kukul, music producing by Matt Stine, and dance arrangements by David Dabbon.

Beetlejuice is based on the 1988 Warner Bros. motion picture with story by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson. The film was directed by Tim Burton and starred Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara, and Winona Ryder.