Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
The juice is no longer on the loose after rising costs forced a major musical to end its Australian run early despite rave reviews.
Beetlejuice The Musical will play its final show on July 5 at Brisbane’s QPAC Theatre, with all remaining dates of the national tour in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney cancelled.
The call comes amid high costs, despite a stellar cast, outstanding production values and excellent reviews, a Michael Cassel Group spokesperson told AAP.
“For a production of this scale, the current logistical realities of touring across vast distances between Australian cities have created increasing cost pressures that ultimately made continuing the run unsustainable,” the spokesperson said.
“While audience enthusiasm for the show has been encouraging, a more cautious consumer environment combined with the economics of moving a production of this magnitude could not be justified.
“It is a difficult decision and not one we made lightly.”
Based on Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic, the production tells the story of teenager Lydia Deetz, who is obsessed with death and finds herself living in a haunted house inhabited by a demon with green hair and a stripy suit.
Making its Australian debut in May last year at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, the show was written by Aussie talent Eddie Perfect, who also played the ghost with the most, Beetlejuice himself.
Broadway star Andy Karl, who stepped up for the title role for the Brisbane run, took to social media to confirm the news.
“So grateful for the laughs and the Brisbane audiences. Let’s haunt this bitch,” he said.
Beetlejuice opened on Broadway in 2019 and was nominated for eight Tony awards during its four-year run, including for Best Original Score.
It has since been translated for productions worldwide, with a Polish version the latest in the works.
Michael Cassel Group says Australian cast members and crew had given everything to the production.
“To the Melbourne and Brisbane audiences who came along and to everyone who loves this production, thank you,” the spokesperson added.
“We’re sorry to be saying goodbye sooner than any of us hoped.”
Brisbane ticketholders for performances after July 7 can reschedule to earlier shows, with refunds available.
For those in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, customers will be automatically refunded in full and don’t need to take any action.
The cancellation follows that of Back to the Future: The Musical, which was forced to draw the curtain on its Australian journey over soaring running costs in January.
