Newtown Middle School’s production of Beetlejuice Jr is set to open Friday, April 4. Performances will be staged at Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road, with evening performances at 7 pm Friday through Saturday, April 4-5, and matinee performances at 2 pm Saturday through Sunday, April 5-6.

Tickets are $10 and are available for purchase online at newtownms.booktix.net.

Beetlejuice Jr is a musical comedy based on the classic 1988 Tim Burton movie, Beetlejuice. The story follows the strange and unusual teenager Lydia Deetz, who is grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with the whole “being dead thing.” She and her dad move into a new house that’s haunted by a recently deceased couple and the zany and hilarious trickster demon Beetlejuice. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, the double-crossing specter shows his true stripes and unleashes a world of pandemonium.

The show is co-directed by dance educator and WCSU adjunct professor Jen Turey and NHS teacher Janice Gabriel. Turey is also the choreographer, while Bethany Cruson is helping out as the producer.

Cruson said that the students “couldn’t be more excited about the show.” They have been hard at work rehearsing for Beetlejuice Jr at the high school, where they will perform in only a week.

According to Turey, she and Gabriel picked the show because the junior version just came out this past August. However, that wasn’t the only reason they picked Beetlejuice Jr.

“At its heart, it’s a story about the value of life,” Turey explained. “It just felt like it was a very good theme shown through a comedic lens.”

To Cruson, she felt like the show has “a little something for everyone,” for both the audience and the students in the cast.

“It really feels like a miniature ensemble,” Cruson said. “Everyone gets their moment.”

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.