Halloween may be over, but spookiness and fright never stop when it comes to “Beetlejuice” the musical. The show opened on Oct. 8 at the Palace Theatre on Broadway. It is only running for a limited time — 13 weeks — before the show’s national tour kicks off in February 2026.
The titular role is played by Justin Collette, an award-winning actor and musician known for playing the lead role in “School of Rock” on Broadway. The other main character, Lydia Deetz, is played by Isabella Esler, who is making her Broadway debut at the age of 21.
Trisha Paytas, the frequently memed social media personality and actress known for her raw emotion and viral “crash out” YouTube videos, made her official Broadway debut on Nov. 4, playing Maxine Dean. Paytas will hold the role until Nov. 23.
On Oct. 10, Paytas announced on Instagram that she would be participating in the revival of the show, and fans went wild. One commenter called her the “queen of manifesting,” while another noted that “the rise of Trisha must be studied.”
“You always hear about aging out. … My younger self could have never handled this. I wanted it so bad in my 20s and even early 30s.” Trisha Paytas
Paytas has been “manifesting” her dream of being in “Beetlejuice” since 2020. She made multiple music videos of her singing the songs from the show, like “What I Know Now,” performed by Miss Argentina, and “Say My Name,” performed by Beetlejuice. Both of these well-known songs feature choreography and upbeat energy that captivate the audience. Paytas’ “Say My Name” video, in which she plays both Beetlejuice and Lydia, has 1.7 million views and 61,000 likes on YouTube.
Listeners of the “Frenemies” podcast know that Paytas is a longtime fan of “Beetlejuice” and a self-proclaimed theater kid. Now finally under the lights at 37, Paytas said in an interview with Playbill that the experience “feels like a dream.”
“You always hear about aging out. … My younger self could have never handled this. I wanted it so bad in my 20s and even early 30s,” Paytas said. “This is the first time that I feel like I’m stable. I can enjoy and appreciate everyone around me.”
Speaking to Broadway.com, Paytas talked about what she wants to bring to the stage. She mentioned how many famous people have played her role before, each introducing their own variations of the character. Many have been curious how Paytas would adapt to a live musical on Broadway, which is a significant step up from her self-produced one-woman shows.
“I’m bringing a little bit of Trish energy to her,” Paytas said, referring to her character choices while she dances, sings and “break(s) chairs.”
“Beetlejuice” originally debuted on April 25, 2019 at the Winter Garden Theatre as an adaptation of the 1988 movie starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder.
The show’s original run was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a couple of years of on-and-off production, it finally reopened on April 8, 2022, at the Marquis Theatre. The show ultimately closed soon after, despite its relative popularity. With Broadway still recovering from the shutdown, the producers worried about how the show would fare long-term.
But as “Beetlejuice” became its own cultural moment with a fan-favorite 2024 movie sequel, the production found new legs to stand on.
If you want to have a good laugh, shed a few tears or see Paytas in the spotlight, then this is the show that will blow you out of the netherworld.
During the show on Nov. 6, Paytas made her first entrance as Maxine Dean toward the end of Act I1. Two swinging doors opened to reveal her, complete with dark black hair, a purple, flowy dress, purple eyeshadow and big, shimmery diamond jewelry. The audience cheered, clapped and hollered for a minute straight while Paytas stood there smiling and laughing alongside her castmates, who looked thrilled for her to be there.
It was Paytas’ second show, and she seemed slightly nervous. At some points, she lagged slightly behind on the choreography, and at times it felt like she was following the lead of her castmates. But when she sang, she was in tune and on time, showing that she practiced and put lots of effort into the role. During her primary scene, Paytas had two lines that the audience laughed at, with one mentioning how her character is her husband’s fourth (and best) wife.
After that, she had two solos during the iconic song “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” in which the family is possessed by Beetlejuice to sing and dance during a business dinner.
Paytas was not the only link to the internet and Gen Z culture in the show. The character Dehlia Deetz made a “six-seven” joke when trying to relate to her step-daughter, Lydia. The reference to “six-seven,” a popular joke online, elicited laughter in the audience, particularly from those who were on the younger side.
Most of the show had a dark and mysterious vibe, with flashing strobe lights occasionally used during scene changes. Fog enveloped the stage area, and purple lights illuminated the actors and actresses.
If you want to have a good laugh, shed a few tears or see Paytas in the spotlight, then this is the show that will blow you out of the netherworld.
