For a story built on the premise of refusing to stay dead, Beetlejuice has thrived on reinvention. The musical's Broadway run gained a second wind thanks to TikTok fandom, and its touring versions have leaned into the spectacle. Its arrival at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena – part of a growing wave of international tours in the region – feels like another resurrection, one that’s less about nostalgia and more about demonstrating that major contemporary musicals can find a committed audience in the UAE.
Before becoming an on-stage attraction, Beetlejuice began as Tim Burton’s 1988 gothic comedy, a quirky horror film that starred Michael Keaton as the eponymous lead and built a loyal following over time. The film, too, was given new life last year with the sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The musical doesn’t recreate the original movie frame by frame. It shifts the story towards the grief of Lydia Deetz (the character originally played by Winona Ryder), clarifies her family dynamics and turns Beetlejuice into a ringleader who breaks the fourth wall and steers the audience along. The film provides the base, but the stage version moves with a more direct and character-focused energy.
This touring production leans into that tone with confidence. The design is bold and playful, with crooked door frames, bright colours and projection work that help establish the world quickly.
At the centre of the action in the UAE show is Andy Karl’s masterful portrayal of the titular role. Karl's past stage credits include The Duke of Monroth in Moulin Rouge, Fiyero in Wicked The Musical, Phil Connors in the Groundhog Day musical and Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys.
The character requires quick shifts, sharp timing and a controlled sense of chaos – the humour lands cleanly and the audience interactions feel natural. Beetlejuice's famed guttural voice is impressive, but what stands out is Karl’s precision: he hits the jokes (even the localised versions) with beat, shapes the physical comedy with intention, and keeps the character’s unpredictable energy fully calibrated. It’s a technically smart performance wrapped in the looseness the role demands.
Opposite him is Karis Oka’s Lydia, who brings the emotional core of the story. My favourite performance of the evening, Oka's on-stage charm is straightforward and honest. Surrounded by a production full of constant movement, she grounds the story with unaffected, believable acting. Her rendition of Dead Mom is healthy and full, and when she strips it back in Home, I found myself welling up.
Impeccable lead performances aside, the production's firm commitment to the show’s original tone is remarkable. The darker humour, the quick jabs, the sarcasm and the more absurd lines are all intact. Nothing feels softened for the UAE audience, whom the creative team fully trusts to understand the jokes and lean into the material’s overall weirdness.
The decision pays off, with the crowd reacting to every beat. It is perhaps a lesson for future international productions that the local audience doesn’t need diluted material and will respond well to the full, confident version.
That said, the first act feels a little bit crowded with gags, something that is smoothed out in the second act, which has more breathing room, allowing the show’s soul to land perfectly and the performances to deepen.
Ultimately, what struck me most was the energy in the room. The audience embraced the show, with many wearing outfits inspired by the characters. If this level of support continues, Abu Dhabi could quickly establish itself as a dependable stop for major touring musicals.
This is a city still defining its relationship with musical theatre, and the messy, funny, fast and unexpectedly moving story that is Beetlejuice shows how far that relationship can go when the right production meets an audience ready for it.
Beetlejuice The Musical is at Etihad Arena until November 30; tickets start at Dh145
