The 2019 Broadway musical adaptation of Tim Burton’s 1988 film that became an unexpected TikTok phenomenon, saved from closure by Gen Z fandom rallying around its irreverent goth aesthetic and Alex Brightman’s manic performance.
The Demon’s Second Life
“Beetlejuice” opened on Broadway April 25, 2019, expanding the film’s story while amping up the crude humor and meta-theatrical comedy. Alex Brightman’s hyperactive performance as the titular “ghost with the most” earned a Tony nomination and cult following.
The show was scheduled to close June 2020 to make way for “The Music Man” revival, but COVID-19 shut down Broadway first. During the pandemic, TikTok users - particularly Gen Z theater kids - created viral videos lip-syncing to “Say My Name” and “Dead Mom,” generating 2 billion views and sparking a grassroots campaign to save the show.
When Broadway reopened, producers brought “Beetlejuice” back April 2022 at a new theater, crediting TikTok fandom for its resurrection. The hashtag #BringBackBeetlejuice mobilized thousands of young fans who’d never seen it live but felt ownership through social media.
The musical’s crude humor, goth aesthetic, and celebration of death as a punchline resonated with a generation processing pandemic trauma through dark comedy. It represented a new model for Broadway success: social media virality mattering more than critical acclaim.