Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 12/08/2024
(FAIR LAWN, NJ) -- It's Showtime! The ghost-with-the-most comes to the stage when Aspire Performing Arts Company presents Beetlejuice JR. from December 20-22, 2024 at Fair Lawn Community Center. Based on the blockbuster motion picture turned Broadway musical, Beetlejuice JR. tells the story of a strange and unusual teenager named Lydia Deetz, who is grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with death.
Luckily for Lydia, she and her father move to a new house haunted by a recently deceased couple and Beetlejuice, a delightful demon with a real zest for life. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium.
With music and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Eddie Perfect and a book by the Tony Award–nominated pair Anthony King and Scott Brown, Beetlejuice was nominated for eight 2019 Tony Awards, including Best New Musical.
cast photo
Performances are Friday, December 20 at 7:00pm, Saturday, December 21 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm, and Sunday, December 22 at 2:00pm. All performances take place at Fair Lawn Community Center (10-10 20th St., Fair Lawn, NJ). To purchase tickets, visit aspirepac.ludus.com or call 201-220-4933.
"Beetlejuice has a large and fervent fan base among people of all ages," said Drew Cohen, Music Theatre International's President and CEO. "The response to Beetlejuice JR. from audiences around the country is nothing short of astounding. Bravo to Aspire PAC for bringing this musical so vividly to life...figuratively speaking, of course."
The show is directed by Brooke Garfinkel and produced by Aspire PAC Artistic Director Lisa Beth Vettoso. K. Leigh Weinman is music director and Melanie Della Peruti is choreographer. The team also includes production manager Cheryl Wilbur, stage manager Madie Jones, and production assistant Karson Moscola.
Aspire Performing Arts Company, established in 2011, has earned a strong reputation in the Northern New Jersey area for its high-quality theatrical productions and professional arts experiences for local youth, teens, and young adults. Since 2016, Aspire has received 19 New Jersey Association of Community Theaters (NJACT) Award nominations – including Best Overall Production for its 2023 production of The Addams Family - four Broadway World Regional Awards (50+ nominations), and 35 National Youth Arts Awards (50+ nominations).
Beetlejuice JR. is presented through special arrangement with, and all authorized materials are supplied by, Music Theatre International 423 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019, 212-541-4684, mtishows.com.
Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.
MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide.
MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
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