Beetlejuice musical (Broadway touring) at Starlight Theatre, Kansas City MO (October 2-4, 2026)

Beetlejuice – The Musical at Starlight Theatre, Kansas City MO (October 2-4, 2026)

ERIC POPE reports and reviews for WHM

Could something so visually absurd, loud, and irreverent, also be a celebration of life, a sincere story of grief, and show the strength of family?

The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’ to the 2026 North American tour of Beetlejuice- The Musical in not only encompassing that wide range of feeling but also being just a fun and entertaining night out. We witnessed this on opening night of its very limited run outdoors at Starlight Theatre, running now through Sunday.

Starlight’s President and CEO, Lindsey Rood-Clifford perhaps described the production best, saying ‘Beetlejuice is big, bold, a little weird — and a great reminder of what live theatre does best: surprise us, make us laugh, spark our imaginations, and bring thousands of people together for an experience we can only have in the same place, at the same time.‘

Based of course, on the 1988 modern classic Academy Award-winning film directed by Tim Burton, the original stars included Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder.

The Musical’s plot also follows Lydia Deetz (Leianna Weaver), a teenager struggling with the death of her mother while adjusting to her father (Jeff Brooks) and his hyper-upbeat girlfriend, Delia (Bailey Frankenberg).

When Lydia discovers that the house is inhabited by the ghosts of Adam and Barbara Maitland (David Wilson and Kaitlin Feely), she finds people who understand her fascination with death. Then there is Beetlejuice (Ryan Stajmiger), the striped-suited demon who attempts to use Lydia to return back to the land of the living.

This is one of those productions whose ability to succeed, greatly relies on the lead actor, especially as Beetlejuice becomes the show’s narrator, comedian and master of ceremonies as the events unfold. Stajmiger as the demon is more than up to the task and gives his all, taking the role with likability and manic energy and makes it his own.

Not an imitation of Keaton’s film version, Stajmiger has a slightly rougher voice, a flexible physicality, and a knack for breaking that fourth wall and addressing the audience directly, along with the necessary comic charisma.

Weaver’s Lydia could be angst-ridden and sarcastic in hiding her grief, showed a range of emotions to suitably be able to take on this complex role, and completely owned the stage when given a solo turn.

One of the maybe less-noticed supporting roles, Juno (played by Da’zaria Harris Maxine Dean) as The Director of Netherworld was a joy to watch, with enhanced smoke effects while delivering her lines and in her tall Marge Simpson-like “Bulbous Bouffant” hairdo.

Of course, Lydia’s stepmom, Delia, was purposely over-the-top funny and manic, adding to the overall chaos, and nicely played by Bailey Frankenberg, who we managed to interview, just before the KC stop.

The production itself also shined – from David Korins’ scenic design (especially on the Deetz house), William Ivey Long’s costumes and Kenneth Posner‘s lighting design all helped to give the production its unique and distinctive visual identity.

The score by Eddie Perfect especially worked on songs such as “Dead Mom,” “The Whole ‘Being Dead’ Thing” and “Say My Name”- the notes and stanzas on the page, exceeded in their delivery, as a result of each of the actor’s performances.

While the production sometimes seemed like a lot to take in with so much going on; at its core, it is about people emotionally conquering their circumstances, learning to deal with loss, and ultimately, celebrating the life we have.

Because of the full content of the story, the audience is asked to laugh, to gasp, to sing, and maybe even cry a bit. All of which seems a lot for a single production, but Beetlejuice -The Musical succeeds in leading the way for all of that, and more.

Act Quick! Beetlejuice plays in Kansas City only through Sunday, October 4 with tickets available here: Beetlejuice | Kansas City Starlight Theatre

 (National Tour Photos by Matthew Murphy with Evan Zimmerman / Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)