ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Wichita will soon have a haunting and musical presence wending through its streets and the Century II Performing Arts Center.
The national tour of the Tony Award-nominated show "Beetlejuice" will be making its way to Wichita's Century II April 2 through 6. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 2; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on April 3; 7:30 p.m. on April 4; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on April 5; and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on April 6. The show is based on Tim Burton's 1988 film and follows a deceased couple, Adam and Barbara Maitland, who try to haunt the new inhabitants of their former home and call for help from a devious bio-exorcist ghost named Beetlejuice, who can be summoned by saying his name three times. One of the new inhabitants is a young girl, Lydia Deetz, who is dealing with her mother's death and her neglectful father.
Cast member Megan McGinnis, who portrays Barbara Maitland, said there is a lot of excitement with bringing the show to Wichita.
“We've been touring the show for nearly two years, and the best part of the show is hearing the audience laugh every night. Coming into a new city, getting to meet all the different audiences and bringing our hilarious show to them is always really exciting for us,” McGinnis said. “The musical score is so astoundingly good and so catchy, so I love listening to that music every night, and I think the audience feels the same way. One of the other fun things about the show is how Justin Collette, who's our leading man, gets to break the fourth wall throughout the show, so there's a lot of that mindset of 'What's going to happen here?' as the show goes on, and I get to enjoy that offstage as much as the audience does.”
McGinnis said her obsession with the original film sparked her interest in being part of the stage musical.
“I auditioned for the show, it had been out for about seven months when I auditioned, and I was very lucky to be hired and join the tour shortly after that,” McGinnis said. “I've been a huge fan of the original movie ever since I was a child, I watched it over and over again with my mom, so when I heard they'd made it into a stage musical, I knew I wanted to be part of it. I didn't get the chance to see it on Broadway, but I knew a lot of people who'd been involved with it, and given that, I knew the stage show would be just as good as the movie I was so fond of. I was so, so excited to be hired for the tour! I have a husband and son back home, so there were definitely some logistics to figure out. But we were able to work it out, and they were also really excited for me, and here I still am nearly two years later.”
However, McGinnis said, her fascination with musical theatre in general began at a much earlier age, and that fascination has not wavered at all.
“I started really early, I was around 5 years old or so when I started doing theatre, and that came about mostly because I would sing around my house a lot but was also really shy,” McGinnis said. “My parents then thought to put me on a stage to help cure at least some of that shyness, and they ultimately ended up being right. I just kept doing theatre, and it was my favorite thing to do. I grew up in Los Angeles, where there's a lot of TV and film production, and I auditioned for some of those projects, but theatre was always my first love. It's interesting because a lot of people ask, especially when I teach, something along the lines of 'Have you ever thought about quitting' or changing career fields, but I have never given any thought to that because I love theatre so, so much. I even love being in an audience for a live show because to me, there's absolutely no experience like live theatre, so that's what keeps me going.”
McGinnis said being part of the show has been a wonderful experience, especially in terms of relating to her character.
“I love Barbara because she reminds me a lot of myself. She has a specific plan about how she wants her life to go, but it takes her dying to figure out how to actually fully live and take chances and have courage,” McGinnis said. “That's an important lesson for anyone and everyone, and it's a story I love helping tell every night. That part of the story is another reason I wanted to be part of this musical – like I said earlier, I was obsessed with the movie when I was growing up, so the ability to be part of that live every night is just amazing for me.”
McGinnis said she is excited for the Wichita stop and the rest of the tour.
“I want as many people as possible to come to the show because I guarantee they'll love it. It's irreverent and silly and fun while also having some heart, and the music is also fantastic,” McGinnis said. “After Wichita, I know we'll be stopping in Indianapolis, Birmingham, Ala., Miami, Syracuse, N.Y., and we also have a seven-week run in Toronto coming up, which should be really fun. That Toronto stop should be fun because it'll be our first chance to sit and relax, so to speak, because we usually have just really short runs in the cities where we stop. I've also never been to Toronto before, and I've heard it's beautiful, so I think that should be a really neat stop. I'm really excited and thankful to be part of this production, and I hope to see some great audiences while we're in Wichita. I would say come to have a good time, because this show has a place for everyone and should guarantee lots of laughs. We're all really excited to be in Wichita and having everyone come see the show, and I look forward to sharing the show and story with everyone who comes. It'll be a great experience for everyone, no one will forget it.”
