Tony nominated star talks Beetlejuice The Musical

Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! A new musical has brought the beloved character to Broadway — and in a play about death and the afterlife, Tony-nominated star Alex Brightman told us how the role helped him understand the deaths of loved ones.

Alex Brightman is the Tony nominated star of Beetlejuice The Musical


Alex Brightman is nominated for a Tony award for his portrayal of Beetlejuice: The Musical. Directed by Alex Timbers, the musical earned a total of eight Tony nominations: including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical for Scott Brown and Anthony King, Best Score for Eddie Perfect, and Best Lead Actor in a Musical for Brightman.


Brightman grew up in Saratoga, California. His father founded Apple's Worldwide Disabilities Solutions Group, and his mother worked at a dialysis clinic. His brother, Jesse Brightman, is a startup executive. He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, an all-male Jesuit high school in San Jose, California, and graduated in 2005.


Brightman first worked on Broadway entertainment in 2008, as an understudy in the ill-fated production of Glory Days, which ended after its first non-preview performance. Brightman never performed in the show. Thereafter, Brightman was cast as the munchkin Boq and made his Broadway debut in Wicked. He stayed with the show for two years. He obtained his next Broadway role in 2013 in Big Fish as an ensemble member and an understudy for a main role. Later in 2013, Brightman was cast as Michael Wormwood in Matilda the Musical.


The show is about death — a subject he doesn't shy away from. The stage adaptation of the Tim Burton film opened April 25 at the Winter Garden Theatre, home of Brightman’s previous show, School of Rock — The Musical, which earned him his first Tony nomination.


“Our show is a really good way into being able to have this conversation with people's kids with, you know people that may not feel comfortable bringing it up to their loved ones. We offer them a way into sort of leave our show and say, hey wasn't that crazy and also while I'm at it lets continue chatting about this subject that people have deemed taboo for so long.” Brightman concludes.


Brut.


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Brut.