Alex Brightman from the School of Rock musical is taking on the role of Beetlejuice in the new stage production and Sophia Anne Caruso, who appeared in the David Bowie musical Lazarus, is playing Lydia Deetz. The Beetlejuice musical has been in development for quite some time, and it's now getting ready to wreak havoc on the stage. The show is holding pre-views starting October 14th in Washington D.C. and will later make its way to Broadway for the 2018 - 2019 season, if all goes according to plan.

Alex Brightman, the Tony-nominated star of the School of Rock musical, is excited to bring Beetlejuice to life on stage alongside Sophia Anne Caruso. The actor revealed that show is going to be bit over-the-top, which makes sense to fans of the original Tim Burton film. Brightman also hints at a different take on the story. He had this to say.

"If you told eight-year-old Alex Brightman that he would be bringing a millennia-old, bio-exorcist demon from hell to life onstage, that would probably make a lot of sense to him. I'm bursting to show everyone what we're cooking up with this show. It's going to be a ridiculous and oddly heartwarming blast!"

The Beetlejuice musical is being produced by Warner Bros. and will officially open in Washington D.C. on November 4th after the October pre-views. The production is being directed by Alex Timbers and it will feature a musical score by Eddie Perfect with choreography by Connor Gallagher. The official synopsis for the Beetlejuice musical looks just like the story from Tim Burton's movie. The synopsis reads.

"Beetlejuice tells the story of Lydia Deetz (Caruso), a strange and unusual teenager obsessed with the whole being dead thing. Lucky for Lydia, her new house is haunted by a recently deceased couple and a degenerate demon (Brightman) who happens to have a thing for stripes. When Lydia calls on this ghost-with-the-most to scare away her insufferable parents, Beetlejuice comes up with the perfect plan, which involves exorcism, arranged marriages and an adorable girl scout who gets scared out of her wits."

Additional casting for the Beetlejuice musical will be announced before the October 14th pre-views. In addition to the titular character and Lydia Deetz, the show also needs The Maitland ghost family, played onscreen by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis. Plus, Delia and Charles Deetz will also need to be cast as well as Otho and some other ghouls and ghosts. Tim Burton's 1988 movie had a lot of musical elements in it, propelled by Danny Elfman's excellent score, which will more than likely make an appearance in the new musical's score.

While the Beetlejuice musical is very exciting news, there are still fans that are hoping that the mythical Beetlejuice 2 hits theaters in the near future. The sequel has been talked about since the early 1990s, but it seems like it's never going to happen, which could be for the best. Instead of making a sequel which could tarnish the legacy of the film, a reimagining for the Broadway stage is on its way. This news first appeared at The Hollywood Reporter.