Hazel Park Drama brings ‘Beetlejuice Jr.’ to the stage

HAZEL PARK — The next musical by the Hazel Park Drama program promises to be a districtwide affair, starring students from the high school, junior high and elementary schools alike.

“Beetlejuice Jr.” is a family-friendly adaptation of the Broadway musical comedy based on the Tim Burton film “Beetlejuice.”  Hazel Park Drama will present its own spin on it at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 6-7 at Hazel Park Junior High School, 22770 Highland Ave. Tickets start at $14 and are now on sale at hazelparkdrama.org.

“Beetlejuice die-hard superfans will be pleased by our interpretation of the source material while also being surprised at some novel elements — puppetry, blacklights and minimalist sets,” said Mark Fairbrother, a teacher and the director of Hazel Park Drama. “Like, if you’ve seen it on Broadway, the sets are super lush, and that’s the focus there. But here, we’re focusing on the characters themselves, with our actors exquisitely costumed and lit. They’re the focal point.”

Those actors include Preston Blaze as Beetlejuice, the titular demon who specializes in scaring humans out of households, and Axel Cochran as Lydia Deetz, the young goth girl who hires Beetlejuice to solve her own people problem. Both actors are seniors at Hazel Park High School.

Blaze said he’s putting his own spin on the iconic character.

“The way I’m approaching Beetlejuice is I’m taking the original idea of this kind of slimy guy and I’m putting more charm behind it, so instead of just being outright disgusting, he’s more alluring than straight-up nasty,” Preston said.

Cochran said “Beetlejuice” has always been one of her favorite movies, and now musicals. She said she identifies closely with her role of Lydia.

“She’s a very cool character — very misunderstood but also true to herself in how she doesn’t change for anyone. I can relate to that,” Cochran said. “So, she means a lot to me as a character. She’s so cool and honestly a great role model, because she’s so fierce and strong — even if she doesn’t always make the best choices, like trusting Beetlejuice. She still tries to do the right thing, and I love her for that.”

Other cast members include senior Kayden Morton-Tellis as Charles Deetz, junior Skylar Umlauf as Delia Schlimmer, senior Bria Collins as Barbara Maitland, and senior Jarell Hart as Adam Maitland. Jennia Topolnitska, a junior, is the props head.

Fairbrother said that in many ways, “Beetlejuice Jr.” is a full-circle moment for him and his oldest students. For example, Blaze and Cochran are graduating this May and have been with the Hazel Park Drama program since their freshman year, when they saw “Beetlejuice” during a February 2023 field trip to the Detroit Opera House.

“That was also the first professional production I’d ever seen in my life,” recalled Blaze. “I was just instantly captivated. It’s been my dream to be able to play this role my senior year.”

Coincidentally, at that time Hazel Park Drama was busy working on another dark musical: “The Addams Family.”

“In many ways, ‘Beetlejuice Jr.’ is a spiritual successor to that,” Fairbrother said. “Both are ghoulish fun with a bit of the macabre, dealing with some of the same themes and tones.”

Currently, there are 75 people in the Hazel Park Drama program, and for this production there will be more than 45 people on stage. There are students spanning the fourth grade through high school, drawing upon every theater program in the Hazel Park district.

Hazel Park Drama also features the involvement of industry professionals.

“The kids in our program don’t just pick up a script and stand on stage reading the lines, like with many high school clubs. Rather, we’re trying to expose them to professional standards and contacts and get them highly trained while also teaching them life skills like teamwork,” Fairbrother said. “Of course, having a social space to be with friends is a great side effect of this.

“And as I bring in professionals to work with students, especially my high school students, we intend for the high school students to mentor the younger students, as well,” he said. “So, it’s a culture of support and building up each other. That’s why I’m bringing in the little kids that can learn from and look up to the high schoolers, and those high schoolers can feel like leaders with something to teach.”

Blaze said the program is working hard to deliver something fresh with “Beetlejuice Jr.”

“I’m hoping audiences see the unique artistry we apply to our productions,” Blaze said.

Cochran said the creative process is the best part.

“We always try to take a new stance on how something is done, coming at it from a unique vantage point. There’s not just one way to depict the netherworld or a modern home,” she said. “There are so many ways you can be creative with it, and so many people here are putting in so much work. I see the dedication people put into this program to provide the best experience for those seeing the show and those in it, and it’s just wonderful. I feel this is going to be a great show.”

There will be a complimentary community coffee hour in the lobby about 45 minutes before each showtime. The performance runs about 85 minutes, including one intermission, and includes water-based fog, flashing lights and sudden loud noises.

For more information, go to hazelpark drama.org.