hereliesbeetlejuice

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

I want you to talk about Lydia and Charles and their relationship.

If you want

Wow, I have NOT been on this blog in years and this has been sitting in my asks for a REALLY long time

So without further ado (for the maybe 3 people who still care), here's my long ass post about

Lydia and Charles Deetz, and why their relationship is the emotional crux of the entire show

I've said it before, but I want to reiterate that of all the characters in the show that she meets (Beetlejuice, The Maitlands, Delia), Lydia's most important relationship is the one that she has with her father, Charles. And this relationship serves as the emotional crux of the story, and is crucial in Lydia's development and eventual embrace of life at the end of the show.

I'm going to start off at the very beginning, with Lydia singing "Invisible" at Emily's funeral. The priest speaks some very important lines that get overlooked, but actually give us the main theme of the entire show.

In times like these we have no words, we have only each other/Scripture tell us "sorrow not, for we do not walk alone"

Of course, the "we do not walk alone" line is a direct reference to the fact that this is a show about death and ghosts, but it has a very clever secondary meaning that directly contrast with Lydia's feelings of isolation and loneliness expressed in "Invisible". She feels unseen, invisible in her grief for her mother, that people just look away when they're unsure of what to say or do.

Grownups wanna fix things, when they cant it only fills them with shame/So they just look away

Lydia turns to Charles when she sings this line, and he promptly does just that: he turns away. He cant face her in this moment, furthering Lydia's feelings. She feels alone, abandoned in her grief for her dead mother. Wanting desperately to be seen. But even though she doesnt specify by who, we know exactly who she wants and needs this acknowledgement from. And it's the only other person who knows and understands the grief she's feeling: her father, Charles.

Lydia isnt just grieving the death of her mother, but also the loss of her father. He's abandoned her, gotten a new fiance, and just supposedly just forgotten all about his dead wife, and wants Lydia to do the same.

'Cause Daddy's in Denial, Daddy doesnt wanna feel/He wants me to smile and clap like a performing seal

Daddy's moving forward, Daddy didnt lose a mom

No more playing daddy's game, I'll go insane if things dont change/Whatever it takes to make him say your name, Dead Mom

The song may be titled Dead Mom, but the song itself focuses just as much, if not more, on Charles. Lydia's moreso ranting here, expressing her anger and vulnerability in a way that she cant with her dad. The whole reason she sings "Dead Mom" is because in the scene right before, her attempts to get him to open up and talk about Emily get shot down. And at the end of the song, Lydia declares her intentions, to get her dad to finally talk to her, talk about her mom, by any means necessary.

Which is where the Maitlands come in.

While Lydia is excited by the existence of ghosts and by the prospect that her mother might be a ghost as well, her primary goal isnt just seeing her mother again. It's getting her dad to see and believe in ghosts as well.

"Your dad cant see us"

"He doesnt see me either"

Lydia wants, above all else, to be seen by her dad. And she belives that this will finally open his eyes, to get her what she's so desperately wanted since her mother's death: to have her family whole again. Both mother AND father.

Which is why the reveal of Charles and Delia's engagement breaks her. To her, Charles has not just forgotten all about her mother, but about their entire family. A family that Lydia desperately misses and needs at a time like this. But Charles is seemingly moving on, ready to discard the past. To discard their family. Discard her.

And it breaks her. It breaks her that her father may not care about her. And while its not true, those feelings are what drives her to climb onto the roof, feeling more alone and abandoned than ever...

But Lydia isnt the only one feeling alone.

Charles himself is very clearly taking things just as hard as Lydia is when it came to Emily's death, abeit in a completely different way. While Lydia throws herself into the macabe and gothic, wading dangerously deeper into grief and despair, Charles chooses to turn away from his own grief and throw himself into what he knows and where he's most confident: his work (if you havent, please listen to the demo track "A little more of your time", it gives us such good insight into Charles' character, idc that its not in the show).

Charles is not a man that handles chaos and uncertaintly well, and even admits that he struggles with expressing his feelings and being vulnerable. And from what we know about Emily, she was the exact opposite.

Mama was positive, Mama was pure/Made me less dark, and dad less insecure

Charles' facade of being the "Big Successful Business Man" is there to hide his anxiety and insecurities, and nothing makes him more insecure than his role as a father to Lydia. Charles is a provider, it's what he knows and is good at. It's why he does things like moving them into a new house, getting her a "life coach", trying to get her to act more positive and happy. Yes, a big part of it is him avoiding his own grief, but in his own way, Charles is showing how much he loves and cares for Lydia. He wants her to be happy and healthy, but without Emily as the bridge between them, his way of going about it completely miss the mark. He feels alone, which is part of why he begins his relationship with Delia. When Charles felt like him entire world had crashed around him, Delia is what anchors him again, and gives him the support he needs to mmove forward, both him and Lydia. Unfortunately, things dont work out how he planned, and the wedge between him and his daughter only ends up widening.

Which is why we have the The Netherworld/Home scene.

Lydia is completely at her lowest, most vulnerable point in the show here. Her desire to reunite with her mother again leads her to a desperate goose chase through the netherworld, screaming helplessly for her mother like the lost little girl she is. She's all on her own, lost not just in an unfamiliar place, but in life general.

And the person that comes to find her, that jumped without hesitation right into hell with her?

Charles does. Her dad jumps right into the unknown after her, and finds her when she's lost. And they both finally open up to each other, to not just express their grief, but to share it with the person who knows exactly what they're going through and can help them get through the pain, the loss, and the sorrow.

Sorrow not, for we do not walk alone

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

Jenna Ortega for the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice press tour #her stylist always understands the assignment

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

ok ive seen this mentioned a few times before, but whats dc beetlejuice?

i can never find anything on it, is it like a demo or smth?

-🪲🕸️

hey there!! boy did you come to the right place!!

before beetlejuice came to broadway, its first public staging happened during its out of town tryouts in Washington DC back in 2018! that’s the first time i saw the show and it remains my FAVORITE version (SO much was changed in the transition between DC and Broadway) and since it’s so different, we tend to refer to the original version of the show as DC Beetlejuice!

i have some content on my blog under the tag “dc beetlejuice” if you care to peruse, and i am always soooo happy to yap about it if you have any questions!

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

I saw beetlejuice the musical and it was the first break from my depression in a long time. It made me happy! My friend and I came dressed as lydia and beetlejuice and it was :D

that’s so amazing!!!! i’m so so glad that you got to see it and have a good time. i’m sure you both looked incredible! 💜

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

…..nvm found them and wish i hadn’t

wait guys i missed the new beetlejuice 2 leaked photos before they got taken down someone send them to me

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

wait guys i missed the new beetlejuice 2 leaked photos before they got taken down someone send them to me

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

Well I was wondering if you know where a certain photoset comes from? I've been seeing it on Tumblr and it looks like it might be screenshots from a video. I don't think I can send anything via this ask box, so it might be easier if we messaged instead of me sending asks.

of course! anyone’s welcome to message me anytime :)

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

If you don't mind, can I ask you about a couple more Beetlejuice and Alex related things?

don’t mind in the slightest my friend, fire away! 💜💜💜

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

Okay, I'm gonna ask here too. Sorry if I'm asking too many things, but I have to know where that first boy Inferno picture is from? I know for a fact I've seen it before while looking up different clips and things from the show. That exact one too!

i do not i’m sorry!! i keep a folder in my phone of rare pics and clips from the DC version of the show (i’m not obsessed you’re obsessed shut up) but i’ve had that one since 2019 and don’t remember at all where i got it from :( most likely a cast member’s instagram throwback but not sure

if anyone else knows where it was originally posted plz help out!!

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

I'm a new fan of the Beetlejuice musical. I keep seeing posts and comments about "Boy Inferno"? Who is that?

WELCOME FRIEND!! so glad to have ya!! 💜

this is one of my favorite questions to be asked because of all the bits of the original DC show (my first and favorite version) this is one of the losses that made me saddest :/

i’ve rambled about them tons before, so i’ll link you to the posts (including an audio of their song) so i don’t forget to mention anything!! hope you enjoy and thanks for asking!!

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

Hello! Can you please tell me what the video is of Alex Brightman and Sophia Anne Caruso dancing on stage in normal clothing is? The one where Alex kind of flips Sophia around his back and then sets her down. It looks like a rehearsal. Would you mind sending me the link to the video?

hey there!! absolutely wouldn’t mind, it’s from a little compilation video Rob McClure made as a tribute to his time at Beetlejuice when he left the show back in 2019. unfortunately i’m not aware of a full version of that particular clip available to the public (someone correct me if i’m wrong!) but you can find the compilation video on his insta, link below! 💜

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

thinkin about dc beetlejuice (when am i not) and got to wondering how boy inferno got roped into their netherworld job of inducting the newly dead. cause they didn’t commit suicide so technically they don’t owe any civil servitude debt. the only explanation i can think of is juno secretly being a ginormous boy inferno fangirl during their career and when she found out they died was like “oh yeah no it’s a rule here that groups of five that die in a plane crash on a waxing gibbous moon during a leap year have to be the welcoming committee sorry i don’t make the rules”

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

i’ve said it before but i’ll say it again if you finished the musical hating Charles and thinking he’s a bad father you missed the entiiiiiire point of the show

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

what i like about movie beetlejuice is none of the lore makes any sense or is even attempted to be explained, he’s just some fucked up guy and all the writers wanted to say about him was “look at this fucked up guy” and we all said shit dude he sure fuckin is and that was that

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

In addition to the upcoming Japanese production, the Brazilian production of Beetlejuice has finally set a premier date! October 5th! Plus then we’re also getting the Norwegian Cruise Line production with Michelle D’Amico as Lydia

YESSSSS!! i’m not gonna lie i haven’t been keeping up with the cruise production as well as i should be (almost auditioned actually but decided against it) so i have much much research to do on the cast. if you or anyone else has thoughts i’d love to hear them!!

and the Brazil production i am VERY excited about i can’t wait for the production photos!!!

i am just so dang happy seeing how widespread our little show’s gotten and finally fans outside the NYC area (and the US in general) are getting their chance!!!! SO PSYCHED FOR YOU ALL!!! 💜

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

Just saw one of the tour’s first shows and I have THOUGHTS but basically it was phenomenal and not very much was changed

hello there!!

again, SO sorry for the delay in answering this i need to get back into being more active on here.

just so you know i did get all of your asks, i’m seeing the tour later this month (!!!!!!) and planning on going in as blind as i can so i haven’t read your asks yet, but i’ll be sure to get to them as soon as i do! (and i’ll be tagging spoilers for others that want to go in blind)

excited to compare thoughts!

[hereliesbeetlejuice]

I personally really love the costume design for the Japanese Lydia! It seems that she has heavy Lolita fashion inspiration (which, iirc, started as a form of alt/protest fashion), and I think that's a lovely little thing for our strange and unusual fave! The intense makeup is also a high point for me, but I could just be biased as someone who really likes that fashion/makeup style.

VERY valid points well said!!!

i think the things i like the most are also the things that are giving me pause. the style and heavy makeup makes her look older imo and while part of me wants to keep her looking like the kid she is i do very much love the look of it. there’s an artsy sorta vibe to her that on one hand i feel might look too mature but also she is canonically an artsy gal and we love that about her!!!!

i’d kill to see this look in action, if anybody gets their hands on a boot you know who to come to (and likewise if i find one i will be sharing !) 🖤