Beetlejuice Jr. 2025

As of publishing this blog update, Beetlejuice is my most recent gig. It was intimidating to be among the first wave of designers to take on the Junior version of the hit musical, but it was so much fun! This was the sixth show I've worked with Broadway Training Center of Westchester and it has been a privilege to work with these incredibly talented children in such a kind and supportive environment. I could ramble on and on about all of the wonderful people I got to work with, but alas this article isn't about that. I'll be focusing only on my specific contributions to the show. I'll be highlighting a few of my favorite costumes while providing insight into my design process and specifying any unique challenges I encountered along the way. I have taken the liberty of censoring the faces of all actors pictured because they are minors. 

Beetlejuice’s outfit was especially fun to make. I wanted to do my own take on the iconic striped suit without straying too far from the source material. I really liked the weathering and the general grodiness of the outfit in the Broadway production. Instead of tracking down a generic striped fabric, I decided to make my own. I tore up several different black and white fabrics that I had on hand and I made the textile myself. The variety of weights and textures added to the disturbing gnarliness of the coat. The tattered hem of the suit also allowed for plenty of movement to highlight the actor’s incredible performance and characterization. A short, stiff suit simply would not do. My original sketches for the coat were nearly floor-length but I made some adjustments for practicality. I was very pleased with the way the coat moved onstage and how the weathering looked under the lights. 

For Lydia’s black dress, I started with a simple tulle dress that already had excellent volume from the waist down. The director was concerned about Lydia looking too mature in comparison to the rest of the cast. When it comes to youth theatre, this is often a challenge. When you have a ten-year-old playing someone in their forties, it can be hard to believe that the person playing the fifteen-year-old really is actually fifteen. I wanted the black dress to be cutesy while still reading as punk. I took inspiration from shoujo manga and anime for the neckline of her black dress as well as the sailor collar of her yellow dress. Lydia’s red Wedding dress posed another challenge. I designed the red dress to slip on over her black dress like a robe so she could change in and out of it quickly. It was secured in the front with three snaps that were easy to navigate in the darkness offstage. 

The last from-scratch garment that I’d like to focus on is Delia’s dress. I wanted to complement the actress’s choices and help her bring the character to life. Delia is a difficult character for a child to take on and this kid took the challenge in stride. For such a unique character, I simply had to build the outfit from the ground up. The concept I landed on for the design was something I call ABBA meets That’s So Raven. I wanted some of that 70s disco energy to properly age her but also some early 2000s flair that somehow aged her even more. The fabric and trim choice also gave it some muppet vibes that I think matched Delia's energy well.

There are so many other costumes that I enjoyed making for this show but I will leave it there for now. Honorable mentions go to the wigs for the Recently Deceased and the Beetlejuice Cheer Squad Uniforms.

Alright, that's a wrap on the first article of Willow's Super Impressive Costuming Portfolio That Is Also A Blog That Is Also A Business (title in the works). Thanks for checking it out! I intend to post weekly updates, each week focusing on a different production or project that I worked on. Check back in next week for more!