Warren Civic Theatre spooks with ‘Beetlejuice Jr.’

WARREN — He’s the ghost with the most, and he doesn’t have any rules.

The ghoulish character of Beetlejuice will haunt the Warren Community Center stage when the Warren Civic Theatre presents “Beetlejuice Jr.” Nov. 7-9. Taylor Johnson, a graduate of the Warren Consolidated School of Performing Arts, is directing the show, which features about 165 cast members between the ages of 7 and 18.

“Rehearsals are going so well. We are having so much fun. I want the audience to see something new. Kids doing it is always going to make it mean something different I think,” Johnson said. “It’s been really lighthearted, given that it’s a pretty dark topic of a show. We’ve done a really intentional job of making sure that rehearsals feel very fun, really silly and really collaborative.”

Because of the large cast, the main roles were split into two different productions. The “Bob” cast performs at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 and 3 p.m. Nov. 8. The “Sandworm” cast performs at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 and at 3 p.m. Nov. 9. The ensemble is the same for all shows.

Sunny Reyes is playing the Beetlejuice character in the “Bob” cast. The “Sandworm” cast features Nolan Rice in the lead role of Beetlejuice. Both lead performers live in Sterling Heights. Rice, 13, attends Carter Middle School and the Middle School Visual and Performing Arts at the Butcher Educational Center in the Warren Consolidated Schools District. Reyes, 17, attends Arts Academy in the Woods in Fraser.

“Beetlejuice Jr.” is based on the 1988 film starring Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice and Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz. Lydia, whose mother has died, has moved into a new home with her father Charles Deetz and his second wife, Delia Schilimmer. The house is haunted by Adam and Barbara Maitland, a recently deceased couple, and Beetlejuice, a mischievous ghost who tries to cause trouble for Lydia and the Maitlands. The “Beetlejuice Jr.” cast shows off their acting, singing and dancing chops as the story unfolds.

Rice said Beetlejuice was one of his dream roles. He even dressed up as the ghoulish character last year on Halloween.

“To have this role is just so, so is amazing,” Rice said. “The kids, their vocals, the choreography is amazing. They’re so great. The show is a really hard choreographed show. I want to give people the best show they can have.”

Reyes recently watched “Beetlejuice Jr.” and took notes on how to portray the character.

“It’s definitely spooky and there’s a lot of ghost supernatural appeal. He’s a very fun, charismatic character,” Reyes said. “I wanted to be able to portray him as this very on/off switchy person. He’s just everywhere. I just like that about this character. He’s this guy that wants to be seen by people.”

The show’s choreographer Geri Elise Conner was Johnson’s childhood dance teacher.

“To get to pair up with her on this, it’s been really special. Geri is an incredible choreographer,” Johnson said. “She has stepped to a whole level on this show with choreography. She’s asking kids to dance in ways I’ve never seen these kids dance. It’s been really fun to see the kids rise to the challenge that she’s giving them. The music is more complicated than in shows past, and the subject matter is a lot heavier. Because of those different elements, it created a really strong cast bond.”

It’s hard for Reyes to pick a favorite scene or song.

“They’re all so good. ‘The Whole Being Dead Thing,’ I love that,” Reyes said. “Also, nearing the end of the show there’s a moment where Beetlejuice has very high emotions. It’s just so much back and forth and it’s so fun.”

Johnson’s favorite number is “Say My Name.”

“The key is that Lydia has to say Beetlejuice’s name three times,” Johnson said. “There’s this whole number about how he cannot come back to life unless somebody sees him and says his name. That’s kind of the recurring theme. You thrive best when people see you and address who you are.”

Rice’s involvement with the Warren Civic Theatre began in 2022 when he ended up at Bikini Bottom in the summer production of “The Spongebob Musical.” He’s done several other shows since.

“The shows are about connecting with people and giving people a great show and to just be happy with your shows,” Rice said. “So, come see it. It’s going to be one heck of a show.”

Reyes has been in musical theater since second grade, participating in more than 10 musicals. “Beetlejuice Jr.” marks Reyes second show with the Warren Civic Theatre.

“There’s a magic here. They get the job done and have such a great product,” Reyes said. “They really care and they’re so talented. They make sure we feel cared about and they really bring out the best of everyone.”

“I want to make sure the kids in our cast walk away knowing that the best way to make a really good product is to lean on each other and rely on each other and make it about working together so that we all feel really proud of the product we make,” Johnson said.

For tickets to ‘Beetlejuice Jr.’ go to warrencivic.org. The Warren Community Center is located at 5460 Arden Ave. For more information about the Warren Civic Theatre, email WarrenCivicTheatre@gmail.com.