History Theatre / Beetlejuice

* AdultFear: Charles Deetz gets a lot of this. First, his daughter's in a seemingly unbreakable depression after the death of his wife at the start of the play. Then said daughter ''summons a demon'' to their new home because she felt he wasn't paying enough attention to her or acknowledging her mother's death enough. ''Then'' said daughter ''dives into the afterlife in an effort to find her mother.'' The man goes through the wringer.

However, in September 2021, as Broadway shows began to reopen, it was revealed that ''Beetlejuice'' [[https://www.playbill.com/article/beetlejuice-finds-a-new-home-viral-musical-will-reopen-on-broadway would return to Broadway in April 2022]], moving to a new location.
The show reopened on April 8, 2022 at the Marquis Theatre.

However, in September 2021, as Broadway shows began to reopen, it was revealed that ''Beetlejuice'' [[https://www.playbill.com/article/beetlejuice-finds-a-new-home-viral-musical-will-reopen-on-broadway would return to Broadway in April 2022]], moving to the Marquis Theatre.

* AdaptationalSexuality: Otho was implied to be gay in the original film and this is still the case in this musical, but the scrapped song "I am Very Good at Running Cults" had him mention that he's bedded a lot of women.

* TakeThat: BJ's brutal jab at a certain musical from the 1940's.

** ''"Say my name."'' Betelgeuse, of course, needs a living person to say his name three times, while Lydia just wants her father to listen to her, and acknowledge her late mother instead of acting like she never existed. (He eventually admits to her that [[spoiler:he didn't want think about his wife because he's still grieving over her, and her memory is just too painful to bear]].)

* ButHeDoesSoundHandsome: During "Say My Name," Betelgeuse possess the Maitlands and has them relentlessly praise him in order to convince Lydia to let him free.

The musical alters and rearranges many aspects of the original story, but stays true to the zany, gothic visuals and absurd BlackComedy of Burton's classic. It was nominated for eight Tony Awards for the 2018-2019 season, including Best Musical; it didn't win any. Thanks to a huge fanbase, the show seemed to be getting a comeback during 2019-2020 Broadway season and was to run through June 6, 2020 to make way for the Creator/HughJackman-led revival of ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'', which would take its place that Fall.

However, due to the Broadway shutdown from the UsefulNotes/CoronavirusDisease2019Pandemic, the show missed their closing date; the shutdown began mid-March 2020 and is currently scheduled to end May 2021. Producers had begun looking for a new venue for the show, as well as scheduling a national tour for 2021 or developing a proshoot, but no plans were set in stone, leaving the show's run on Broadway - rather appropriately, given the text - in limbo.

--> '''Betelgeuse:''' ''[to the audience]'' Wow. Those people just died and you guys are clapping. You look like you're getting really comfy with the whole 'being dead' thing.

However, due to the Broadway shutdown from the UsefulNotes/CoronavirusDisease2019Pandemic, the show missed their closing date; the shutdown began mid-March 2020 and is currently scheduled to end May 2021. Producers had begun looking for a new venue for the show, as well as scheduling a national tour for 2021 or developing a proshoot, but no plans were set in stone, leaving the show's run on Broadway in limbo.

* GenreSavvy: While Lydia is committed to making her Dad suffer, she's not an idiot. She knows a supernatural being showing up out of the blue and offering to solve all her problems in exchange for [[DealWithTheDevil one small favot]] is a desaster waiting to happen.

!!God, I hope you're ready for some tropes about death!

* BigDamnHeroes: Before [[spoiler:Juno]] gets the chance to kill the Deetzes, [[spoiler:Betelgeuse rides in on the sandworm and allows it to devour Juno]], ultimately saving their lives.

* FailedDramaticExit: At one point, BJ attempts to disappear in a puff of smoke. When the smoke bomb he uses ends up being too wimpy, he just opts to exit through the door.

-->'''Betelgeuse:''' A dance break on an album? [[DidntSeeThatComing Ama]][[BlatantLies zing]]!

!! I'll be your G-U-I-D-E to the Tropes.

* TheBarnum: Betelgeuse, in a nutshell.

-->'''Betlegeuse:''' (on the cast recording) If you die while listening to this album, it's still gonna keep playing!
-->(At the Tony Awards): If you die during this performance, the broadcast will not stop!
-->(At the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade): If you die during Thanksgiving Day, you don’t have to do the dishes!

* CentralTheme: Death, of course. The opening number "The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing" blatantly and repeatedly calls this "a show about death".

* CentralTheme: Death, of course. "The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing" even blatantly calls this musical "a show about death" in the opening. Betelgeuse has [[TheFatalist a cynical approach to it ]](''"When you're dead, who gives a shit?"''), and the living try desperately to avoid the uncomfortable subject. Meanwhile, Lydia's story has a more positive and hopeful viewpoint (you can’t dwell in the past, and have to learn to say goodbye to your deceased loved ones in order to continue your life at its fullest, but you can always keep their memory in your heart). Miss Argentina and the Netherworld inhabitants also offer a cautionary message with the song "What I Know Now", which advocates not being reckless or suicidal -- some of them died of preventable accidents rather than suicide, but still lament their choices that landed them in the Netherworld before they were ready to go.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: In "The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing", Betelgeuse informs the audience that "if I hear your cell phone ringing, I'll kill you myself."

However, due to the Broadway shutdown from the UsefulNotes/CoronavirusDisease2019Pandemic, the show missed their closing date; the shutdown began mid-March 2020 and is currently scheduled to end May 2021. Producers had begun looking for a new venue for the show, as well as scheduling a national tour for 2021, but no plans were set in stone, leaving the show's run on Broadway in limbo.

* HesBack: Subverted with the song "Barbara 2.0" where the Maitlands rally themselves--they realize they were never ''really'' living before and decide to really bring it in order to help Lydia.

* ThemeTuneCameo: At the end of "The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing", the ensemble briefly vocalizes the original film's theme music.
** One could stretch this trope to mention that a modified version of "Jump In The Line," which was popularized by the ending of the original film, serves as the musical's finale.
* [[HesBack They're Back]]: Subverted with the song "Barbara 2.0" where the Maitlands rally themselves--they realize they were never ''really'' living before and decide to really bring it in order to help Lydia.

* DeathlyDiesIrae: The ensemble sings "dies irae" to the traditional tune during the final moments of "The Whole Being Dead Thing".

* RelatedInTheAdaptation: In the movie, Juno was merely [[spoiler:BJ's former employer]]. In the musical, she's [[spoiler:his '''mother''']].

* AscendedExtra: Miss Argentina has an entire song about how she regrets killing herself and missing out on the rest of her life, and is joined halfway by several other spirits who recently died (a skydiver who jumped at the wrong time, a woman who committed suicide by dropping a toaster into a bathtub, a classy man who died when he ignited his bed while smoking in it, a football team whose bus crashed, a man who was murdered by his wife, whom he cheated on, a jockey who was thrown from her horse, a construction worker who was careless with explosives, and the recurring extra of the hunter with the shrunken head). This is the first key moment that helps push Lydia out of her suicidal state.

* AscendedExtra: Miss Argentina has an entire song about how she regrets killing herself and missing out on the rest of her life. This is the first key moment that helps push Lydia out of her suicidal state.