Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2026.
Washington sweats through a swampy July, but at the National Theatre, black is having a moment.
There’s something perverse about donning funeral black on a steamy D.C. evening, but that’s exactly the charm of Beetlejuice, the ghost-with-the-most musical currently haunting the National Theatre through July 17.
Ryan Stajmiger leads this touring production as the titular “bio-exorcist,” delivering the manic, motor-mouthed chaos audiences expect, equal parts carnival barker and con man who’s been dead just long enough to lose all sense of propriety. Opposite him, Leianna Weaver’s Lydia anchors the show’s emotional core, a teenager processing grief who finds friends in two ghosts.
And the one-liners come fast. This is not a subtle show. The humor leans bawdy and gleefully self-aware about it, the kind of wink-nudge innuendo that has parents doing quick math about whether their 13-year-old is ready for this particular field trip. It works because the show never lets you forget it’s in on the joke; Beetlejuice himself seems to know he’s in a musical, breaking the fourth wall with the shameless confidence of a man who has literally nothing left to lose.
Director Alex Timbers keeps the pace relentless, Eddie Perfect’s score gives the ensemble plenty to sink their teeth into, and the chorus numbers land with commitment.
So layer on the black lace, don’t skip the SPF on the walk to the theater, and let the Netherworld’s chill do what the D.C. humidity cannot. Beetlejuice runs at the National Theatre through July 17, with tickets available now. Visit: https://www.broadwayatthenational.com/show/beetlejuice/.
