Can you hear that sound coming from Melbourne’s Regent Theatre? As of last month, the premiere Australian season of Beetlejuice the Musical has been performing eight shows a week, bringing the pop culture cult classic film to audiences both new and old with copious amounts of black comedy musical gold. Bringing the musical to the stage is an experienced group of Australian performers – from a major creative on the show Eddie Perfect as the chaotic Beetlejuice, Karis Oka as Lydia Deetz, and the delightful duo of Elise McCann and Rob Johnson as the good-natured ghostly couple of Barbara and Adam Maitland.
In our first interview Q&A, we had the opportunity to speak with the multi-talented Rob Johnson, whose credits span not only theatre but also comedy, writing, and television. A versatile performer, Rob has appeared in The Boomkak Panto, Calamity Jane (Belvoir), The Torrents (STC), and Spamalot (One Eyed Man), as well as on ABC’s Rosehaven. He received multiple award nominations for Calamity Jane, is a two-time NSW Theatresports Champion, and co-founded the improv troupe Bang Bang Rodeo. As a writer, his short story collection The Following is a Work of Fiction was shortlisted for the 2024 Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award.
So, please sit down as we talk to him about the ‘Whole Being Rob Thing’, covering his experience with the production, his advice to young performers, and put him through our traditional rapid-fire question round!
A couple of weeks have passed since previews opened, and now you are well and truly into the premiere season of Beetlejuice the Musical. From your spot behind Adam’s glasses, how have Melbourne audiences taken to the show so far, and has any encounter with fans already become a keeper for the scrapbook?
The response from audiences has been remarkable. As a company, we are extremely lucky to be part of a show that already has a bit of a cult following, as well as curious fans of the movie coming along to see what the fuss is about. But even without the energy of those groups, our Melbourne audiences have been incredibly enthusiastic and generous – it’s a privilege to do the show every night in front of houses that are so ready to have a good time.
My favourite encounter so far was with a young woman at stage door who told me she had been a fan of the musical for years, but had always found Adam Maitland to be annoying. My performance, however, had changed her mind about him. I’m not sure what I did to achieve this, but it was very encouraging to hear.
Cast your mind back to the 1988 film. What imprint did the movie leave on you when you first saw it, and what jumped out when you cracked open the musical’s script and score for the first time?
Beetlejuice was one of the big films of my childhood, I watched it with my siblings and cousins at my Nanna’s house probably dozens of times. Much of the humour and story went over my head for years, but the outrageousness and audacity of the whole thing was burned into my mind immediately. The scene where Delia’s awful sculptures come to life and trap the Deetzes was particularly scary to me. Also I was in love with Geena Davis (A League of Their Own was another childhood favourite), so loved the whole journey she and Alec Baldwin went on.
At the risk of blasphemy, I think the story and characters work more effectively in the musical. While we spend less time with the Maitlands, the focus on Lydia’s grief and loneliness is so powerful, and so well crafted, that it elevates the emotional core of the story far beyond the scope of the movie. Beetlejuice as a character is also made more interesting, and given more urgency, while still retaining enough of his appalling elements to satisfy fans of the original. It’s an amazingly well-executed adaptation, which is a bit of a rarity.
You’ve bounced from the wild west of Calamity Jane to the Arthurian mayhem of Spamalot. What distinguishes the irreverence of Beetlejuice from other comedy-heavy musicals you’ve done?
I wouldn’t necessarily say Adam is the “straight guy” in the comic world of Beetlejuice, but he’s far closer to it than I’ve tended to play. This has been an extremely fun switch from the more chaotic comedy roles I’ve played in the past, and has also given me the challenge of paying closer attention to arcs of rhythm than I might have done in the past – making sure the pacing of an entire scene lends itself to what’s funny, as opposed to just hitting the beats of individual jokes. The group of actors I’m working with are all incredibly talented comedians, and the show itself is so huge and ridiculous, that there’s a certain satisfaction to just stepping out of the way and letting it smack audiences in the face.
Adam Maitland is an earnest DIY-er suddenly thrust into the supernatural. Which aspects of his wide-eyed optimism are closest to “Rob,” and which required the biggest stretch?
In lots of ways, Adam is just a heightened version of myself. Quite a few of his neuroses are familiar to me. He’s also just a pretty normal guy who finds himself in an insane situation and reacts accordingly – if the audience spent more time with him before he died, they probably wouldn’t think he was particularly notable.
The one stretch for me is that Adam likes DIY. Luckily I don’t spend too long fiddling with a crib and connecting wires before I get killed off, but every night I’m thinking “I don’t even know how to pretend to look like I know what I’m doing here”. Though, of course, maybe Adam doesn’t actually know what he’s doing, either.
From writing to improv, you have a colourful background in different facets of the arts industry. What do you see as some of the defining moments in your career so far, and how do you weave some of your talents into a rigorously teched Broadway-scale show like Beetlejuice the Musical?
Some of the proudest moments of my career are shows not many people saw – improv shows at comedy festivals, weird sketch shows at dingy venues in Sydney. Also, while I’ve published a little bit, most of the writing I’m proud of has yet to see the light of day. But it’s the lo-fi, usually unnoticed work I’ve done over the years that allows me to feel confident with the specific skillset I bring to Beetlejuice. Weirdly I’m far more confident when improvising than when stepping onto a big stage in a scripted musical, so I trick myself into thinking it’s just another weird gig I’m doing in a black box somewhere. Most of the time, it works!
In saying that, my proudest moment as an actor was touring as part of the original company of Calamity Jane, which was a life-changing show for me in lots of ways; as a writer, it was completing a short story collection, which went on to be shortlisted for the Vogel’s Literary Award in 2024.
Working opposite Elise McCann’s Barbara, what was the key to locking in the Maitlands’ gentle, dorky chemistry, and how do you keep it feeling newly-wed-fresh eight shows a week?
Working opposite Elise is a dream. She is such a pro, and is such a kind and generous person and performer, that it didn’t really take much “work” for us to establish who our Adam and Barbara were and how best to navigate our story together. Also, the show is so fast-paced and tech-heavy, and our characters do so much heavy lifting with establishing the story and the rules of the world in Act 1, that it hasn’t had a chance to not feel fresh yet! There’s so many calculations constantly happening even in scenes that seem simple. If we get to a point where we’re so relaxed that we need to find new inspiration, it will be a welcome challenge.
Eddie Perfect not only wrote the score but now haunts the stage as Beetlejuice himself. How would you describe the dynamic between Adam and this larger-than-life ghost, and what have you discovered in rehearsal (or on the fly) about sharing scenes with Eddie?
The dynamic between Adam and Beetlejuice is not healthy. For the first time in his life Adam finds himself to be a bit of a sex magnet, but it’s not really the attention he’s looking for. To be fair to Beetlejuice, he is genuinely attracted to Adam and wants to be as close to him as possible. But seriously, Jesus Christ.
What makes all of this very funny and easy to play is that Eddie is such a sweet and thoughtful man. During rehearsal it was normally me who was suggesting things he could do to up the ante in Beetlejuice’s pursuit of Adam. Adam does not consent but Rob is heaps into it.
Adam’s journey, from “flat-pack heaven” to embracing the after-life’s chaos, carries surprising heart. Which beat of his character arc resonates most with you personally?
The second act number ‘Barbara 2.0’ is my favourite moment of the show. Barbara, the more natural leader in this marriage, finally puts her foot down and tells Adam that they have to be properly brave if they’re going to face the challenges ahead of them, and that they have to do it together. It is, in a sense, an ‘argument song’, but is based entirely in love – Adam and Barbara did life together, and now they have to do death together, and they’re both afraid but will do anything as long as it’s with the other by their side. It’s incredibly sweet and, if you think about it for a bit, really beautiful.
Having undergone the premiere performances and months of rehearsals, what has been your most memorable experience on Beetlejuice the Musical to date?
An obvious answer, but nothing can top opening night. To present such a fantastic show, showcasing the work of literally hundreds of people, for a huge and extremely friendly audience, on one of the best stages in Australia, with my partner and parents there watching, was properly crazy.
For students eyeing a path that blends acting, comedy, and writing, what piece of advice do you wish someone had handed you when you graduated, and/or when you chose the industry as the one you wanted to pursue?
Follow your creative instinct. Even if it’s weird. Even if it’s not ‘cool’. If you absolutely love making collages out of Barbie paraphernalia from the 1990s, do that. Nothing is more sustainable than genuine passion. This doesn’t mean you won’t be frustrated, or knocked back, or told by people that probably don’t know what they’re looking at that you don’t know what you’re doing. But, to an extent, fuck that. Because if you keep working at the thing that your brain is telling you is your thing, eventually you will genuinely know what you’re doing, and any question of why you started off on the path of Barbie collages will be thrown out the window. So stay open to lots of different things, collaborate on random projects, get used to working with other people who have different ideas to you, make friends and build a reputation and all that stuff – but don’t let the guiding voice of your instinct get buried. It’s the thing that will save you in the long run.
Rapid Fire Questions
Favourite song in Beetlejuice the Musical (Can be one of yours, can be another)?
‘What I Know Now’ – so funny, so entertaining, so deeply wise.
Favourite moment in the show?
The sandworm’s rodeo appearance in act 2. Completely unhinged.
Favourite line of dialogue you get to deliver?
A short and heartfelt speech Adam makes to Beetlejuice in act 2, where he declares that Beetlejuice has won his heart. May or may not be a ruse.
Favourite piece of choreography in the show?
The butterfly spins Eddie and I do across the stage in ‘Creepy Old Guy’. It’s ungainly, but we’re having a lot of fun.
Favourite costume in the show?
My own – so simple, so comfortable!
Favourite piece of staging/set design?
The end of act 1 as a whole. It’s immense and ridiculous. If I had to pick one element: the pig.
First impressions when walking into rehearsals on the first day?
Anxiety! I even had to sit down while everyone was standing in the introductions circle. Thankfully these feelings lowered to a simmer very quickly.
Favourite fun fact about Beetlejuice the Musical?
That the Girl Scout used to die. So brutal. It makes total sense that they changed it. But I still find it very funny.
I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to Rob Johnson for taking the time out of his busy schedule to share his thoughts, insights, and more about his career and the process of rehearsing for and ultimately performing in the opening month of Beetlejuice the Musical. I would also like to extend my gratitude and thanks to the musical’s production team and the Michael Cassel Group publicity team for facilitating this interview opportunity.
Have you read this interview and left wanting to see Beetlejuice the Musical now more than ever? The musical is currently only being performed at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, with no word if or when it will commence a national tour. Ticketing information for the production can be found on the official Beetlejuice the Musical Australia website. Want to know how this production stacks up? Check out my full review!
Check back this weekend for our second Beetlejuice the Musical interview!
