From Grief to Giggles: A Junior Journey into the Netherworld in Stagecrafters’ ‘Beetlejuice Jr.’
Kicking off its 2025–2026 season, Stagecrafters Youth Theatre presents Beetlejuice Jr., a delightfully eerie and humorous adaptation of the Tim Burton film and subsequent Broadway musical of the same name, tailored for younger audiences and their families. Running from July 25 to August 3, 2025, on the main stage at the Baldwin Theatre in Royal Oak, Michigan, this production is just under two hours long, including a 15-minute intermission—longer than the standard 60-minute JR versions, but still structured to maintain the show’s pacing and spirit. Are you ready for a trip to the netherworld….I mean Stagecrafters for Beetlejuice Jr.? Hitch up the sandworm and grab your camera, and let’s see what this production has to offer!
[Warning: spoilers and impressions of Stagecrafters’ production of Beetlejuice Jr. are below!]
Beetlejuice Jr. is a child-friendly (and parent-approved) retelling of the Broadway musical
Beetlejuice Jr. brings the “ghost with the most” to life in a fun, family-friendly, and easily accessible way. The show centers on Lydia Deetz (Riley Chu), a darkly precocious teenager grieving her mother and fascinated with the idea of being dead. When Lydia and her father, Charles (Emmanuel Powell), move into a strange new house, they discover it’s haunted by the kindly Maitlands—Adam (Jack Steiger) and Barbara (Lauren Singer)—who are intent on reclaiming their home after passing away. Which may be easier said than done, when the husband and wife ghosts aren’t good at the whole being dead thing yet, and might need a little help from both those still living and someone residing in the netherworld.
Realizing they share the same goal, as Lydia also wishes to leave the house, the Maitlands and Lydia decide to work together. Perhaps, if Charles and Delia (Trudy Gechter), the hired life coach for the death-obsessed teenager, become frightened enough, they’ll run as fast as they can, letting Barbra and Adam to get back to their peaceful death. However, a complication arises in the form of a certain green-haired being. Lydia, feeling isolated and alone, desperate for a connection to someone, summons Beetlejuice (Rocco Morrow), a cheeky netherworld stylite with boundless energy. What starts as a desperate wish for companionship morphs into full-scale chaos when Beetlejuice unleashes supernatural mayhem in the mortal world.
Can Lydia stop the can of worms she’s opened from destroying everything around her? However, perhaps the better question is, can she find the love she’s been looking for since her mother’s passing? Beetlejuice Jr. captures the immense amount of heart present in the Broadway musical, reminding us that community and family is there, even in the darkest of moments.
Stagecrafters provides the entire theatrical experience for Beetlejuice Jr.
Although this version is aimed at middle-school performers, the Stagecrafters rendition extends the duration to include a full intermission, offering a more substantial theatrical experience for both the cast and the audience. Ticket prices are uniformly $15 (plus $3 online fee), and all concession proceeds support their youth scholarship program.
As with other Jr. editions of Broadway musicals, Beetlejuice Jr. trims or omits several of the edgier elements—songs such as “Barbara 2.0,” “Fright of Their Lives,” and “Creepy Old Guy” are removed or heavily edited, and any adult language is sanitized or reworded to ensure a school-appropriate tone. Ensemble singing is emphasized, opening roles for many young performers and supporting a chorus-driven structure. The show embraces spectacle—but scaled for youth theatre—with simplified staging projects that evoke Netherworld magic without excessive technical demands.
Despite the cuts, the core story remains compelling. Lydia’s journey from grief to connection is supported by strong character interactions with the Maitlands, and Beetlejuice himself evolves from a self-serving trickster into someone capable of empathy. The result blends laughter, heart, and occasionally haunting moments in a way that resonates with younger performers and audiences alike.
Beetlejuice Jr. runs for one more weekend, closing on August 3rd, so get your tickets to the netherworld now! If you dare… Have you seen a production of Beetlejuice Jr. before? Planning on going to check out Stagecrafters’ production of it? Let us know on social media @BoxSeatBabes and we hope to see you at the show!
Exclusive Interview: Rocco Morrow & Riley Chu of Stagecrafters’ Beetlejuice Jr.
