Evolution of Beetlejuice In Theme Parks & Beyond - DIStory Dan Ep. 98

[@Colonel_Kitty]

I had the honor of seeing Alex Brightman in Beetlejuice on Broadway in the first show after COVID. He is an absolute entertainer

[@LillianWard-mw4qe]

I cannot imagine the energy of that crowd. Must have been a blast.

[@XemeraldXD]

I was never able to fly to the other side of the world to see it (sadly) so im waiting desperately for a London production!! Which would still be in another country but i could realistically travel there so

[@connorseesall3523]

Me and my bro saw Justin Collette and he was so great!!!! So so so funny lol!!!!

[@makkerin9740]

As a dutch beetlejuice show fan, i LOVE how you think Walibi obtained the license to Beetlejuice and ‘Friend like me’. They didn’t aks Universal or Disney SHIT. They just… used him! Illegally! Also, the version of ‘friend like me’ he sings, is a parody! So he isn’t singing the orginal song what so ever. And like you said, most of the thing he says ARE dirty. I think a good 50% of his dialogue are sex jokes. If you’d want, i’d love to translate the whole show for you!

[@chrisfabo]

Japanese Beej is 100% pulling from Kabuki and other Japanese tradtional theater. It works SO well for him in the context, culturally.

[@Juledropsify]

Can confirm the Japan show is amazing! we ducked into the theater to get out of the rain and stumbled on it and it's SUCH a hidden gem. Beetlejuice speaks Japanese but the rest of the monsters speak and sing in English. it was so funny even though we couldn't understand some of it! i truly hate to think we could've missed out on it!

[@_NickyDoesThings_]

Not gonna lie I wish I was a kid in the 90's so I could've experienced Beetlejuice and Ghostbusters in Universal or at least could've gone more often growing up so I could say I got the chance to see the evolution of him in the park. Can't wait to see your next evolution video!!

[@DistoryDan]

It was truly so magical.

[@BabyKreekCraft]

Wsp

[@thefantasticretroreviewer3941]

Lucky

[@enriquearmingomezayala6146]

Hi Dan!! You should look for Coco Bongo’s Beetlejuice, I know it’s not a park but he is a big deal in these night clubs at Mexico, has a performance every night!!

[@thefantasticretroreviewer3941]

@@enriquearmingomezayala6146 I also never knew about it

[@Deaniac25]

Fun Fact: voice acting veteran Dee Bradley Baker (Olmec, Perry the Platypus, Momo, Klaus in American Dad, etc) was an in-park Beetlejuice for the "Graveyard Revue" at Universal Studios Florida early on in his career. He's mentioned that on Rob Paulsen's podcast if I'm not mistaken. The more you know!

[@thattheatrenerd1418]

I would honestly pay money to see that lol!!! Like mans a voice chameleon.

[@mightyfilm]

I'd love for him to say "Do you eat? I've got the money" in his Beetlejuice voice.

[@TOONJERZEY]

@@mightyfilmdanuta

[@mightyfilm]

@@TOONJERZEY DAAAAAANUUUUUUTAAAAAAA!!!!

[@Twilight1993100]

My favorite is definitely Broadway beetlejuice. The costume and character itself were just done so well and I loved it. Definitely one of my favorite shows.

[@heltaku9397]

Here's a fun bit of trivia: the performer who played Beetlejuice for Walibi Holland now plays a very, ahem, SIMILAR character called "Dirty Jack" who sings parody festival songs for Carnaval. He has several music videos under the name Vieze Jack. Worth a look for any Beetlejuice fan.

[@christianjohansson6454]

Omg I thought he looked familiar!!!

[@maxdestefano8310]

This is GOLD

[@yannickvangelder2404]

Hi Dan! Im dutch and this is the rough story that is told in the walibi fright nights show: Beetlejuice makes some dirty jokes, interspersed with well-timed, cartoonish sound effects. While talking, he picks out a victim from the audience. Beetlejuice then performs a striptease, and just as he’s getting into it, his wife bursts in. She gets mad at Beetlejuice and reveals a guillotine. Under the guillotine, there’s a cauliflower, and the guillotine slices it clean in half. Afterward, the chosen victim is placed under the guillotine, but her head stays on her body, and she´s allowed to return to the audience. Beetlejuice and his wife (Frankenstein’s Bride) then try to promote their “Ghosttrap XS.” Beetlejuice demonstrates it, but it doesn’t work. So, Beetlejuice grabs his “Ghosttrap XXL.” He opens it, and a monster is still inside-a large horror bunny. The bunny scares some of the audience, and Beetlejuice has to fight the bunny at the urging of his wife. Two Dutch songs about a cute bunny play, and then Beetlejuice shoots the bunny. The earlier chosen victim (from the guillotine) is placed into the Ghosttrap and disappears. Then, Beetlejuice needs someone to help “pump” the coolant into the Ghosttrap XXL. The trap has enough fluid, the victim returns, and the show comes to an end.

[@tomokokuroki8189]

Nya, it's the monster bunny the one that appears in "The twilight zone movie"? It sound like it is. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnvSgYF4esmXq80

[@yannickvangelder2404]

@@tomokokuroki8189 Their heads are somewhat the same but otherwise they don't look alike kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnbXk6ajg9aMl8kfeature=shared&t=239

[@movieguy546]

THE CARTOON IS WILD ASF LOL THE GUY WHO VOICES BEETLEJUICE NAILS IT LOL

[@michellee1190]

@@movieguy546 sometimes when I’m bored, I will just hear cartoon Beetlejuice yell, “You ATE Mr. Book??? … Well kids, looks like Mr. Silverfish is going to Mr. Jail.” in the back of my mind.

[@sarahmcmann5253]

@@michellee1190I love that scene

[@sineadsdolls-drawings]

I was born '95 so you can imagine i didnt get to watch beetlejuice until i was old enough to understand the jokes and stuff but man did that movie make me enjoy anything Michael was in! Beetlejuice definitely helped audiences and people enjoy a quirkier and more tongue in cheek character and having different variations of him in the parks and such gave more audience variety without offending too much of the wrong crowd.

[@gracekim1998]

I haven't seen it yet but this is at ;east reassuring

[@jaynefeeney]

Dan, my fiancé, Ron Schneider proposed and wrote the Beetlejuice Graveyard Tour when he was head writer and a creative supervisor for Universal Studios. Here’s a Disney connection.. Ron is the Original Dreamfinder at Epcot.

[@jaynefeeney]

Ve Neill, the woman who did Michael Keaton’s make up for Beetlejuice came to Universal Studio in Orlando and taught the original Beetlejuice actors how to apply the makeup.

[@dspl4347]

I love how this man thinks that Wallibi Holland actually licensed Beetjejuice and "Friend Like Me". They never do. They had a lot of trouble a few years ago with I believe Nintendo characters. But they just don't care at all. Fun fact about the guy playing Beetlejuice. He is now his own act: Vieze Jack!, translated: Dirty Jack.

[@melonyrobinson9944]

Dan's summoning the theatre kids with this one

[@keyonalyles2267]

He talked about the Broadway version, now I can dye a happy woman 🥰🥰🥰

[@KRobinson-ko1ne]

What color?

[@keyonalyles2267]

@@KRobinson-ko1ne Green of course 😎

[@hayleywaalen2612]

Beetlejuice is always hanging out with the Ghostbusters LOL

[@ztslovebird]

We ALMOST had one more Wayne Brady-Beetlejuice crossover next spring, but Alex Brightman had to withdraw from the Broadway Cruise.

[@michellee1190]

I was stage crew for the Beetlejuice show at USH in the Castle Theatre. It was one of my favorite jobs ever and not just because they let me handle explosives.

[@FatFiber8096]

I absolutely loved the musical and am so excited to see the sequel on Saturday

[@nullsleep5178]

When I was a kid I loooooved the graveyard review. I made my parents watch the show over and over again all day

[@RPena98]

I miss the cartoon so much, it deserved more episodes 😭😭 I did see Beetlejuice the musical and I have their autographs!! The cast is so lovely and I had a blast! I definitely would see it again if it came around!!

[@nickvincentbarbera]

Your summary of the Halloween Horror Nights lore is the most accurate I’ve ever heard, and I’ll refer to Fear’s lantern as “Magic Spook Lantern” from now on 😂

[@tanjiro_lemon]

how did u comment 40 min ago the vid was posted 13 min ago XD

[@i.m.evilhomer5084]

Fun Fact: Beetlejuice in that weird ABC Family Fun Fair special was voiced by Bill Farmer of Goofy fame in one of his earliest voice acting gigs.

[@thefantasticretroreviewer3941]

No way

[@aaronsarchive82]

When I saw you were mentioning Wayne Brady and the WB Movie World attraction, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. You did your homework, Dan! But did you know Beetlejuice played a cowboy in a show the general public never saw? Probably since Ronald Schneider talks about it in his book. I'm guessing you have it. Check out the show he wrote for the bake-off held in Orlando. It's wild!

[@theprodigiousspiderstarTM]

A...ACTUAL crossover with beetlejuice and ghostbusters?!.. I WISH there was a movie with this crossover. Talk about Beetlejuice MANIA during the 80s-90s and NOW now. What a wild Evolution!

[@colleenwins]

One dude I used to see in the "Milk Men" show at Hersheypark when I worked there in mid 2000s is all over Broadway now and is going to be on that new Lin Manuel Miranda concept album. Theme park live entertainment is important!

[@stevenhaurez6076]

Disney Dan Disney Dan Disney Dan! Just trying to conjure this video into existence

[@DistoryDan]

YOU CALLED?

[@BetterThanNothingStudios]

Wow! He appeared!

[@acsaudiodramas]

Really awesome video. Had a lot of fun and learned some new stuff. That they replaced Bettlejuice with Alf for the German Gremlins ride makes sense, since Alf was so extremely popular - actually more popular than Beetlejuice - with Germans. I know that since I'm German and I was like 8 yo when this Gremlins Ride was a thing. I grew up with the Beetlejuice cartoon and later watched the movie, but despite being this old, Alex Brightman will always be my favorite Beetlejuice - and the musical the best adaptation to me.

[@darkstorydragon6482]

If you want to talk to a Beetlejuice, Wally Wingert (example: voice of The Riddler in the Arkham games) played the Juice at the Universal Studios Hollywood version of the Beetlejuice's Rockin' Graveyard Revue. Pretty cool dude.

[@jessicalaw5582]

Start to finish, I grinned ear to ear! Well done and thank you for mentioning the Gremlins ride (that Scooby Doo now has) Btw fun fact, BJ in the promo tape at 16:06 is also the same actor for Jack the Clown.

[@NylonCrane]

Osaka where Japanese Universal is located is known for comedy theatres. If Japanese people hear someone is from Osaka, people expect sense of humor from them. Not just Beetlejuice but the entire park has a little bit of Osaka feel.

[@MathieuLeblanc1991]

The Gremlins ride is now the Scooby Doo dark ride, it was closed when I went to Australia last month sadly as part of a multi year renovation. Beetlejuice does meet and greets during the summer there ( our winter).

[@GachaKittie]

ALEX BRIGHTMANNNNN

[@danielbissell]

One of my favorite VHS promo tapes is Jon Lovitz narrating for "Banjo Kazooie" on N64.

[@RaoulDuke77]

Calling it "Dead in Concert" instead of "Live in Concert" is legitimately clever though, not a bad joke, great video man 👍

[@MarleyQuinn715]

Great video as always ! I remember as a kid my summer camp hired a costumed cartoon Beetlejuice for some reason and I just remember thinking he was scary looking because I did not know who that character was. But just a semi weird childhood memory of us kids doing a conga line with Beetlejuice. 😂

[@Mushiipanda]

The Japanese Beetlejuice reminds me a lot of Kabuki makeup and wigs actually! It seems very keeping in with Japanese theater

[@CowGirlKat8691]

I have a picture of myself with the Beetlejuice character at Universal Studios from the 90's & he did a great job! 🤠

[@mollymcdade4031]

Additional detail about the Broadway Beetlejuice - his hair changes colour throughout the show to represent his different emotional states (green, purple, yellow etc.) I forget the exact details of the colour meanings though

[@Taydar]

Once a theatre kid, always a theatre kid.

[@thefantasticretroreviewer3941]

If I was born SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many Decades later, these would be fun for me to check out.

[@Heather-so4wr]

16:12 - I love that they used to send out VHS tapes to promote stuff! I have a Barbie Epcot VHS promo tape that I found at a yard sale and it's one of my favorite things amongst all my collections. I'd love to find a Beetlejuice one!

[@pink-a-palouza7888]

YOU JNOW HOW LONG IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS OVER 5 YEARS LIKE MAYBE 6 YEARS THE MUSICAL WAS OPENED FOR AT LEAST FEW MONTHS IT SHOWTIME!!!!

[@BubblyDayz]

I totally forgot about that beetlejuice show at universal. It used to scare me so bad lol.

[@jonathanthegreat2008]

2 EPISODES LEFT!!!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ *laughs heartily, yet maniacally*

[@caitlinabbott7895]

Talk about Alex Brightman now- 22:07 Thank you

[@shiroitenki]

I only care about that

[@gabrielsola6780]

He probably won’t it isn’t his brand sorry (btw I wrote this before finishing the video so if he want to it’s ok

[@lizzyjuice]

Yessss Talk about Alex bright man pleaseeeee

[@connorseesall3523]

Got to see the show live in April with my bro Charlie and it is so phenomenal!!!! Also saw the sequel last night and it is great!!!!!!! Now I and my bro Charlie get to see the show live again in like less than a week!!!!!! This time finally with our bro Ian,his girlfriend Morgan and our friend Gabe!!!!

[@LENNIE-LCO]

Totally remember watching the cartoon series as a kid back in the 90s on Fox Kids!

[@ratbones620]

I really hope Beetlejuice shows make a return to Universal with the new movie coming out

[@DirectionerKelso1202]

The Beetlejuice show is absolute one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen. It’s so fun!

[@russmakesstuff]

Back in the early 90s I had such the crush on the "Bride" in the Hollywood Universal Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue. Ah, memories.

[@OhGeeWillickersMister]

19:47 That's the same guy who sings as Vieze Jack, he is also a theme park and festival designer IRL. The early days of the Vieze Jack character are heavily influenced by Beetlejuice, but some parts are NSFW (or NSFL) like when he throws a, let's say, synthetic willy, into the audience. If you look it up, like these stage shows, it's all Dutch but you can tell some wild stuff is going on.

[@maximusprime3459]

I remember seeing a ABC Family Fun Fair show at one of our local malls. That spinhead Beetlejuice was nightmare fuel.

[@kenharrington4437]

Thanks for the memories. Caught a few clips of myself in the Universal Fl stuff (even one with Wayne Brady!) :D

[@ModelsExInferis]

Since you touched on Ghostbusters, a full evolution would be wicked! (Also, it's cute that you called EGB a huge success! We GB fans love it, but it didn't go down well with the straights, as Venkman would say!)

[@spectermaddness4704]

Don't know if you would count this but in the early 90's SeaWorld SanAntonio used to have it's Halloween Shamu Show hosted by BugJuice. A Beetle juice nockoff.

[@grantwilliams4384]

Can you do Alvin And The Chipmunks Dan I really looked on the internet and there’s a lot of costumes!

[@TomasGomezGoitia]

Beetlejuice is a mean and fun character

[@CeciBunnifly]

Thank you so much for making this video!!

[@EthanArtsAndStudios]

Nice before the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice tomorrow! 😀👍🏽 I’m binge-watching the first movie on Max.

[@ThatMeddlingQueen]

11:17 Fun fact! This wig used to be on display at the Universal Legacy Store before they closed it down to make way for the Epic Universe Preview Center!

[@Xtremeinfla2008]

Great video man!! Absolutely love Beetlejuice! ❤❤

[@Thedanyeager623]

Pay Kenny more. I love his editing style! But also, Dan, your presentation is fucking perfection!

[@sephypsycologist]

dang, there was a promo tape? wish I had that one as a kid. I loved the cartoon, but some of these guys would've sent me running to the hills XD wow, the international market is not a place i'd have expected BJ to do so well, but he sure did!

[@mightyfilm]

It's a shame there hasn't been a significant, out of theme park Beetlejuice/Ghostbusters crossover. He is, after all, the antithesis of the Ghostbusters, being a human exterminator and all. Come on. The Ghostbusters crossed over with the Transformers and the Ninja Turtles twice (and once more as a toy collaboration), why not give us ol' BJ and the Busters in comic book form?

[@BILLYLOUMIS531]

I really like Alex brightmans beetle juice on broadway

[@Elmerstudd007]

Hell yeah! I'm excited to watch this!

[@Gojiboyo]

The cartoon mascot suit is named ee-ool-ooce

[@DaddyOfTheSugarVariety]

I saw the Beetlejuice/Ghostbusters show live & it was awesome! My cousin filmed it and I have it on VHS.

[@ginahorner7195]

Algo algo ALGO!! Keep crushing it Dan, we love you 💜🖤💚

[@sxastaronbroadway]

im beetlejuice for halloween this year!!!!

[@Lisasplace]

for your context: Walibi has Fight nights aka halloween fight events. They had 'Vieze Jack' be Beetlejuice and it was a hit and a kick start to the guys career. And yes it's absolutely filthy

[@DepthTravel]

i actually remember going to universal one time, and beetlejuice spit in my hat. also i never knew the ghostbusters and beetlejuice had a show at universal.

[@DisneyDudeRBX]

As an Aussie, I love seeing representation of the parks like Movie World, even if its a small bit of the video

[@sakurapablo671]

Reason why no one was volging, cause it wasn’t sort of a thing, till camera’s gotten smaller and now, everyone is doing handheld stuff. So, yeah, VHS was bulky just a bit, before it became smaller for handheld cameras.

[@markthomas6236]

I love what you do

[@UsedtobeaDuchess]

The surprise Wayne Brady cameo!!! Twice!!!

[@xlnyc77]

With Japan's cultural Kabuki, an over-the-top Character with white face paint is par for the course

[@thefantasticretroreviewer3941]

This is one amazing Video you made

[@J.C.T-bh9gt]

Thank you for this video ❤ Also In TeenTitans Go there’s a Halloween episode with Beetle Juice

[@roseannechapman6249]

We have a VHS promo tape for 'Walt Disney World Resort in Florida: Holiday Planning Video' that me and my sisters used to watch all the time (we never went) . When my brother in law came across it years later, he just couldn't understand why we had a 'vhs tape for an advert'.

[@WanderingBoyMom]

Joey Fatone from NSYNC played Wolfie in the graveyard review. That's the only trivia I know from the show. And whenever we vacationed there when I was a kid, we always saw Beetlejuice. It was my mom's favorite. I think my grandma secretly liked it too.

[@muppetsretrofan8873]

I've never seen the movie but now I really want to, especially with the sequel coming out! Can't wait to see your next evolution video! If you do a Jack In The Box evolution video one day, I recommend checking out Worthpoint. It only has pictures of stuff, but said stuff can get super interesting, such as a 1978 Company Poster [that has some VERY useful information about the company], the Sooper Scooper magazines [complete with photos of the Jack walkaround with MICKEY], fun company folders, and tons of unique Jack In The Box merch especially from the 70s era. Honestly, Jack has one of the most mysterious yet one of the most fun evolutions ever. My favorite incarnation is the 70s one from the animated ads especially since Paul Winchell, OG voice of Tigger and inventor of the artificial heart and ventriloquist [probably spelled that wrong], did the voice of Jack and the other JITB characters, most notably Onion Ring Thing.

[@berniedavis6676]

best episode yet. now do a solo ghostbusters evolution vid.

[@Elmerstudd007]

Dan! Kenny! Please I need you to do me a massive favor and look further into the Walibi Holland Beetlejuice because that character had so much popularity that the actor who played him made up his own version called Vieze Jack (Dirty Jack) that is basically trailer trash Beetlejuice with parody song music videos! It's the weirdest thing that needs you're attention!

[@Nightwing881]

This December I get to meet the original broadway performer of Beetlejuice!

[@ReturnOf2008]

I saw the graveyard review in 1995 but now I need to check if we saw Wayne!

[@julianmedina6324]

Beetle juice is my favorite scary cartoon

[@tanjiro_lemon]

the fortnite joke is so true XD

[@LÀGINDY123]

Blues Brothers,Beetlejuice and Elvis is an epic mashup

[@enriqueramirez0615]

That's the goal for these costume being horrifically scary with comic relief.

[@randomrandomson4855]

I swear somebody somewhere has to have footage or images of the less documented shows/events

[@clyde___1]

yesss new disney dan

[@Lisasplace]

love th supernatural soul of picture haha

[@trekendra7981]

Please I beg of you,even though he's not Disney, Please do Scooby Doo

[@Lisasplace]

perfect timing im seeing the movie tonight haha

[@DiabloSandwich59]

I've requested this before but it's been a while: Evolution of White Rabbit. And also for a non-Disney breakdown, the Twizzler Mascot.

[@RavenMichaelis]

Dan, we don't talk about Extreme Ghostbusters. it wasn't a good cartoon. xD

[@quinn5553]

Hi dan i love your videos!! And i've been thinking i would love to see any looney tunes costume evolution like bugs bunny Daffy duck or Tweety idk i think it would be a really cool video 💕

[@sorceress1986]

wait wait wait...19:19.....Ghostbusters....possessed by Beetlejuice...doing NKOTB's The Right Stuff. Why would someone bless me like this when I never got to see it in person?!