Latest / The BSB Podcast / Exclusive Interview: Matt Kurzyneic of 'Beetlejuice the Musical'

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Exclusive Interview: Matt Kurzyneic of 'Beetlejuice the Musical' · The BSB Podcast

• 0:00
  Thank you so much for joining me today, Matt.
• 0:01
  How are you doing?
• 0:02
  I'm great, how are you?
• 0:04
  We're doing good.
• 0:05
  I'm so glad to talk to you.
• 0:06
  We're so excited for Beetlejuice to arrive back in Detroit.
• 0:08
  um This is one of my favorite shows.
• 0:10
  It was one of my sleepers when it came here last time.
• 0:12
  I wasn't expecting just how much I was laughing, so I'm so excited to see it again.
• 0:17
  And first off, I just want to congratulate you.
• 0:20
  You just celebrated a year on the touring production, didn't you?
• 0:22
  I did, just celebrated a year and what a way to celebrate to come back to my hometown Detroit to do my favorite show.
• 0:29
  It's really, really wonderful.
• 0:31
  What is it like to bring a show like Beetlejuice back to your hometown?
• 0:34
  That has to be quite exciting.
• 0:36
  It's cool.
• 0:37
  So everyone's very excited here because they all had a great time with Detroit.
• 0:41
  And of course, the people that weren't a part of the tour yet, I've been just hyping it up.
• 0:45
  And so it's really, it's come full circle for me.
• 0:48
  Yeah, I've done the show for about a year now.
• 0:50
  I was on the cruise ship version of the show.
• 0:51
  So I've done it all over the world, all over the country.
• 0:55
  And what a great way to come back and perform in Detroit.
• 0:59
  And yeah, it's really exciting.
• 1:01
  So it's that full circle, like hometown moment, know, just like returning home, seeing it happen and getting to experience it, you know, with the people that were here with you.
• 1:10
  Exactly.
• 1:10
  I also, so uh I grew up in Metro Detroit, like I said, and like I saw my first like touring Broadway production at the Fisher Theater.
• 1:20
  saw Avenue Q and I think it was 2009.
• 1:23
  um so like really getting a chance to like step on the stage that one of the stages that like started it all for me is like a really like surreal moment and yeah, really, really
• 1:33
  awesome.
• 1:34
  I mean, that is pretty cool to be able to come back and be like, this is the theater that started my journey, you know?
• 1:39
  Yeah.
• 1:40
  Oh, absolutely.
• 1:40
  Yeah, it's really, really something.
• 1:43
  uh So how has what is your time been like on this production?
• 1:47
  You said you've been out a year You've done that you've done it on a cruise ship.
• 1:50
  I mean, this has been quite a journey with Beetlejuice for you
• 1:53
  It really has.
• 1:54
  Well, even before that in New York City, when the show was on Broadway, I was one of the bartenders at the reopening after COVID.
• 2:01
  So like when, you know, I'm hearing all this great music and laughter and everything, I'm at the bar, like serving drinks to all these people.
• 2:09
  And like now having the opportunity to be a part of this show and to have taken it to so many different, wonderful countries and cities all over the, like, it's really, really
• 2:20
  wild.
• 2:21
  The show is something that like,
• 2:23
  I haven't seen many others do is that it connects to people at all points in their life, whether it's their first point of theater or if it's, uh you're experiencing loss or
• 2:36
  tragedy or something.
• 2:37
  It has something for everyone that I think uh has withstood the test of time of its lifespan so far.
• 2:45
  It's one of the reasons why I think this show has been continuing on for so long is because it does touch people in that.
• 2:52
  uh strange and unusual way.
• 2:54
  So it's really really something.
• 2:56
  I'm gonna say this, growing up I wasn't necessarily like a Beetlejuice kid.
• 2:59
  I think I was a little bit scared of it, you know?
• 3:01
  And then when it came to Detroit, my friend was like, let's go see this.
• 3:05
  it just, it's so fun.
• 3:07
  I was actually like crying to the point where it was actually hurting to laugh.
• 3:10
  Cause I was, this is such a, just a hilarious show.
• 3:14
  It really, yeah, and the funny thing about the show too is that it's different every time.
• 3:18
  uh One of the beauties about this versus other shows is that our talking to the audience as Beetlejuice uh relies so heavily on that audience that having that response back, for
• 3:32
  example, so I'm one of the Beetlejuice understudies and my, like every Beetlejuice has their own little bits and jokes and quirks and whatever.
• 3:40
  And one of mine is that I don't, like when Beetlejuice is first revealed, uh I don't start the show until the audience applauds for me.
• 3:50
  So, and I will sit there and I will wait and I'm like, I can't hear you.
• 3:54
  Like I do, because I like to have that conversation with that audience and it gets people riled up, it gets them going.
• 4:01
  And I think that's such a beautiful thing with this show and it provides that little escape for a couple of hours.
• 4:06
  But I do agree.
• 4:08
  Like the show is very, very funny.
• 4:10
  I think it's funnier than the movie to be completely honest.
• 4:12
  That's blasphemous, I know.
• 4:15
  would agree with that.
• 4:15
  I would agree that it is funnier.
• 4:17
  And I felt like it was more topically appropriate too.
• 4:20
  Because there was like, last time there was like jokes of just being like, this feels like it was kind of sometimes ripped from the headlines.
• 4:25
  like you said, maybe those bits that you get to work in there.
• 4:28
  Absolutely, we are our creative team and like the writers of our show and everything else have been very gracious within reason like we don't stray too far off a topic but like we
• 4:39
  have the ability to like whatever is new whatever is happening like we can have uh a little bit of fun a little bit of it gives us that SNL element too which is kind of funny
• 4:49
  of yeah but always within reason I promise so uh
• 4:53
  Oh, I mean, but that's the fun part of it because then it makes each show very unique because you like you said your your beetle juice is different than everybody else's beetle
• 5:01
  juice and Everybody who sees that gets to experience that differently
• 5:05
  For sure.
• 5:05
  have, so it's funny, one of my other jokes that I recently said is that oh anytime I say the word butt as Beetlejuice, I'll point at butt, butt, you know, and throughout the
• 5:17
  entire show to the point where like people have like seen me at the stage door and everything else and it's become a running joke now too.
• 5:23
  So it's very fun.
• 5:24
  I'm also in the ensemble.
• 5:26
  I'm the tap dancing pizza guy and like I built a whole brand of tap dancing pizza guy fandom.
• 5:34
  So.
• 5:35
  So it's really been a great experience.
• 5:37
  We need to get hoodies and stuff that say tap dancing pizza guy.
• 5:40
  I have a, and it's funny, it's a red hat too.
• 5:44
  So I'm like, I'm taking over the red hat industry, everything else.
• 5:49
  oh So speaking of the musical, this is based on the Tim Burton film of the same name, but the thing about Tim Burton is that he has such a unique world that he kind of builds with
• 6:00
  his stories.
• 6:01
  What is it like stepping into that world?
• 6:03
  It's every night is like a kid in a candy store for me.
• 6:08
  Like even backstage, like watching some of the magic that happens every night, I'm just, I'm blown away.
• 6:15
  I know how the tricks work.
• 6:17
  I know how the special effects and the puppetry and some of our larger than life characters that make appearances.
• 6:24
  And I'm still just in awe of like what they've, not only you have created, but created that.
• 6:30
  they can then tour around the country.
• 6:32
  mean, we're bringing Broadway style entertainment to all of these wonderful cities and it's really, really magical just to like see, know, cause we can see the audience.
• 6:40
  So we can see how excited they are, how, um you know, they jump scares and excitement and laughter and everything.
• 6:48
  It's really, really cool.
• 6:49
  It's really, it's a wonderful opportunity.
• 6:52
  You know, mentioned the puppetry and I was amazed that first time when, you know, the big puppet, the big snake comes in and you're just like, how did they pull this off with a,
• 7:00
  you know, not the touring productions they have to move, they have to take these things with them.
• 7:04
  And that big puppet was amazing.
• 7:06
  Yeah, so her name is Sammy.
• 7:09
  Sammy, uh his name, her name, I'll have to ask.
• 7:13
  yeah, their name, exactly.
• 7:17
  We have a special crate just for Sammy that's like VIP, like first in or last in, first out, like, you know, very luxurious uh coach for her.
• 7:28
  But like, yeah, going back to that too, like from the second you walk into the theater, you're already in the world of this Tim Burton-y like.
• 7:35
  I don't know if you remember, I love a good pre-show and I think we have one of the best.
• 7:39
  You walk in and you just have the lights and the music and the sign and it's really like, it gets you into that world from the second you walk in.
• 7:48
  The sign is, I still have a picture of it on my phone from the last time, because it sets the mood right away.
• 7:54
  You're in this show, and I'll agree with you, there isn't a lot of shows like this.
• 7:59
  And this is, again, one of my favorites.
• 8:01
  ah I was so excited when it was coming back around.
• 8:03
  I was begging Amber, who works for Broadway in Detroit, was like, please, this Beatles dude's coming back around.
• 8:07
  And she was like, just wait, you'll see.
• 8:09
  And I've talked it up to everybody.
• 8:11
  So this is one of those shows, though.
• 8:13
  You just can't, the Tim Burton world is there from the moment you step in.
• 8:17
  and you see that neon sign with the curtains and you're like, we're here.
• 8:20
  Like this is, this is it.
• 8:22
  Yeah, it's one of those like buckle up like your worst and even when like the overture first starts like it's in your face.
• 8:30
  It's loud.
• 8:31
  It's and it's funny and it's a little mysterious and strange and unusual as we'll call it.
• 8:35
  But yeah.
• 8:37
  So while a lot of the story does remain intact, how do you feel like the narrative
• 8:40
  of the musical sets itself apart from the film?
• 8:43
  uh Without too many spoilers, um for anyone that hasn't seen the musical, I guess what I can say is that we've taken the original source material and flipped it on its head.
• 8:55
  So instead of um Delia being, which was the Catherine O'Hara character, she was the mother in the original movie.
• 9:04
  She is kind of in a way like a stepmother sort of figure.
• 9:09
  um Lydia's mom has passed.
• 9:12
  uh at the very start of the show and we start the show at the funeral of Lydia's mom, uh which sets the stage for Lydia kind of dealing with the loss of a parent and her father
• 9:23
  dealing with the loss of a spouse and how do we overcome something like that.
• 9:27
  So I think that like the writers have taken this story that we know and made it so familiar but yet still new and interesting that like if you've never seen the movie,
• 9:36
  there's still something that like, I understand what's happening here.
• 9:40
  And then Beetlejuice comes in and flips everything upside down and black and white.
• 9:45
  Yeah.
• 9:47
  You know, one of the things that I do think is so unique about this is that you had mentioned kind of like how there is like a lot of heart to this and there is with, and you
• 9:55
  kind of get that infused with the fact that they added this music, like Dead Mom is like, well, it's kind of like a banger, but it's also kind of this heartfelt song of heartbreak
• 10:05
  and stuff.
• 10:05
  And so I do think that it does a really good job of adding the music that adds a lot of the heart and soul to the show that you didn't see in that film.
• 10:13
  for sure, especially in like also songs like Home too.
• 10:16
  Like Lydia's got some really wonderful songs.
• 10:19
  Adam and Barbara have some great songs.
• 10:21
  There's also like a demo.
• 10:23
  I don't know if you've listened to the demo album, but there's a lot of songs.
• 10:26
  Oh, it's great.
• 10:27
  So there's a lot of like demo songs that weren't that didn't make it into the show.
• 10:32
  But like you can really get like a kind of like a peek behind the curtain of like what was like Adam and Barbara have like a wonderful backstory that like didn't make it for this
• 10:40
  production.
• 10:41
  But yeah, it's really like, mean, like I said, we're backstage and I watched the audience or watched the show just as much as the audience does.
• 10:48
  I'm always in the wings like watching and like the scene and act two between Lydia and her father without spoilers is just like, you're like, I was just laughing and now I'm crying.
• 10:59
  Like what's happening here?
• 11:00
  Yeah, it's really a beautiful, beautiful.
• 11:03
  That's the great thing about a show is that when you can have a variety of emotions, like you said, it appeals to every person, you know?
• 11:11
  My mom might not laugh at all the jokes, but she's gonna cry her eyes out at the heartfelt moments.
• 11:15
  Exactly, and it's one of those things that like there is some like adult content in the show as I'm sure you know but like it we there is like some Pixar-y kind of moments where
• 11:26
  like it'll fly over the heads of the young ones so that like they can still have a good time without really getting all the inappropriate yes
• 11:32
  So you did transfer from the cruise line, the Norwegian Cruise Line show.
• 11:37
  What was that transfer like?
• 11:38
  Was there a difference between the shows or was it pretty consistent?
• 11:41
  Very.
• 11:41
  So the cruise ship production is like an hour and a half, like condensed version of the show.
• 11:46
  uh And so some characters were cut completely.
• 11:50
  There are some like songs that are cut down or removed.
• 11:53
  um It's really like, it was like a streamlined shot out of a cannon version of the show, which is very, very fun to work with.
• 12:00
  And the original creative like Broadway team came out to like workshop this new version of the show, which was very, such a cool opportunity.
• 12:08
  uh And then yeah, we got to do the show on a moving ship for eight months.
• 12:13
  So like, you know, we have actors that are flipping off of tables and chairs and everything and the floor is moving while we're doing that.
• 12:21
  Which was a wild experience for me.
• 12:23
  My favorite is we were holding the umbrellas in the opening number and like the ship must have like rocked and you could see all of us slowly lean to one side.
• 12:32
  And uh it was a really cool experience.
• 12:35
  But now being here like.
• 12:36
  I've realized that like there will never be a finished version of this show.
• 12:43
  There's always going to be different interpretations and um versions.
• 12:49
  I don't know.
• 12:49
  I really think it's cool.
• 12:51
  I know someday when the tour goes regionally and when other community theaters and that's where I got my start in high schools and community.
• 12:58
  I know that they're doing a Beetlejuice Junior right now that's all over the country and seeing all these different versions of the show, it just makes me so excited because I'm
• 13:06
  like
• 13:06
  The possibilities are endless.
• 13:07
  So it's really, really wonderful.
• 13:11
  In fact, we have three Beetlejuice Juniors going on right now in our area.
• 13:18
  um Avon Players is doing a Beetlejuice Junior.
• 13:22
  um Stagecrafters in Royal Oak and Ridgedale in Troy, they're all doing Beetlejuice Junior right now.
• 13:30
  Oh, that's awesome.
• 13:32
  Um, so you mentioned that like, not only are you the understudy for Beetlejuice, but you're also in the ensemble, but you're also the understudy for Adam and Otho.
• 13:39
  Like, so what is it like balancing so many roles and like, how do you approach having so many roles in your head?
• 13:45
  So I said this a while ago and I feel like the reference is late by a couple months, but if you've ever watched Severance, uh I like to joke around that it's a bit like Severance,
• 13:56
  like every time I'm in a different elevator, or like, you know, I go down a different elevator depending on which role and you kind of turn off like everything else.
• 14:02
  uh Yeah, it's really.
• 14:05
  I think they've created such wonderful characters that I can kind of just lock in, but like there's always going to be that little voice in your head that's like, wait, you know
• 14:12
  those other lines too.
• 14:13
  So you have to like turn that part of your brain off and, and if you're doing a scene with someone, but luckily we have like the greatest, uh, principal cast and, and stage
• 14:24
  management team and costumes and wardrobe and all of our crew that really like, once they get you in the hair and the makeup and the costume, it's like putting on like,
• 14:32
  you know, like your armor and you're like, anytime I put on like any of those costumes, I'm like, all right, I'm locked in.
• 14:37
  Let's go.
• 14:37
  Let's have fun.
• 14:38
  Um, so yeah, it's, and a lot of prep, a lot of, we rehearse once a week, once every two weeks still, like we've been on tour and like, we, do a lot of like understudy rehearsals
• 14:51
  and vocal rehearsals and dance rehearsal, like brush ups.
• 14:55
  And we have, you know, creative teams, our associate directors coming out next week to like work on stuff and like,
• 15:01
  We really have lot of opportunity to keep playing and keep rehearsing.
• 15:06
  Rehearsal doesn't stop just when you open the show.
• 15:08
  It just keeps going, which I love rehearsal.
• 15:11
  Which makes sense, you want to make sure that you're continuing to know your characters and their themes and stuff like that.
• 15:16
  Exactly, yeah.
• 15:17
  Yeah, which is is fun.
• 15:19
  We get to play in the sandbox a little bit more.
• 15:22
  Do you have a different approach of becoming Beetlejuice or becoming Adam?
• 15:28
  Or is it mostly like makeup and once you put on the makeup and the costume, you're kind of like, oh, here I am and you can just jump into it.
• 15:35
  For me, I actually, like to, when I'm getting my makeup done, like before the show, I'll put on stand-up comedy.
• 15:43
  uh So like we'll sit there and we'll listen to, know, Dave Attell or I was listening to Shane Gillis or like, or uh George Carlin or like, like listening to all these like, you
• 15:56
  know, comedians throughout the years.
• 15:58
  And because a lot of what Beetlejuice does is stand-up comedy where like set up punchline, set up punchline.
• 16:03
  but like working with an audience and like reading a room and when do I move on from this joke?
• 16:08
  When can I like let them laugh a little bit more?
• 16:10
  And really, just, for me personally, gets me into the zone.
• 16:13
  uh I also always have uh Jolly Ranchers.
• 16:17
  That's my pre-show.
• 16:19
  Just like to get the saliva going and turns my tongue green, it's great.
• 16:23
  yeah, exactly.
• 16:29
  For you, what themes from the show really seem to resonate?
• 16:32
  uh One of the ones that I personally love is the family that you might not have started with, but you end with, is usually the best one.
• 16:50
  This central theme of uh your found family.
• 16:54
  uh
• 16:55
  And we all have our little strange and unusual quirks at the end of the day, but we all love each other.
• 17:01
  We're all there to support each other.
• 17:03
  It's such a found through line, found theme in the show that like, the end of the, when we do the final number, which once again, no spoilers, it's a great bow tie on coming
• 17:19
  together and accepting each other for who they are and like.
• 17:23
  finding love and like accepting loss, I think is another one too.
• 17:27
  Cause like, you know, not many musicals deal with death in a funny way.
• 17:32
  It's such a taboo.
• 17:33
  I mean, we talked about the opening number.
• 17:34
  It's a very taboo uh topic.
• 17:38
  And when we can kind of address that with love and laughter and acceptance, like it's really, really powerful stuff.
• 17:46
  And once again, I think that's why the show is, you know, become what it was or what it is, is because we deal with those.
• 17:52
  We don't shy away from it, which is really, really something.
• 17:55
  And I do think that it speaks to just the character itself of Beetlejuice, of like, who else could kind of poke fun at death?
• 18:01
  like, there should be beauty to it as well, you know?
• 18:04
  Yes, there's a lot of sadness, there's a lot of grief, but part of grief is the beauty of that.
• 18:11
  And exactly, and making the most out of every day because you don't know how much time you have.
• 18:16
  like, so go and see Beetlejuice the musical and spend those days coming to see the show.
• 18:25
  How do you feel like this production has challenged you as an actor?
• 18:29
  In every facet of my career and like my entire, you know, growing up in Detroit, going to school at Western Michigan University, learning all of that, moving to New York City has
• 18:41
  all built me up to this point.
• 18:43
  I feel like I've used all of my, my skill sets.
• 18:46
  When I was a kid, I like did magic and I would like learn magic tricks in my backyard.
• 18:51
  And here I am eight shows a week doing like magic tricks on stage.
• 18:54
  like,
• 18:55
  All of my skill sets are being used, with the show, which is really wild.
• 19:00
  And very thankful that I had the childhood and everything that I did.
• 19:05
  Talk about full circle of not even just coming back home, but like look at you're like all my skills right here uh
• 19:10
  Very thankful for my parents and for everyone that like put me in this direction.
• 19:14
  Absolutely.
• 19:16
  One final question for you then is just what are you hoping audiences take away from this production of Beetlejuice the musical?
• 19:22
  I hope they take away merch.
• 19:23
  hope they...
• 19:25
  Absolutely.
• 19:26
  I mean it's good merch so...
• 19:28
  the merch is actually great.
• 19:29
  Yeah.
• 19:30
  No, I hope they walk away a little bit lighter, a little bit happier, a little bit more thoughtful.
• 19:36
  And I hope they got to escape.
• 19:38
  know that things are rough out here.
• 19:41
  And every day we're hit with something new at every level, at every angle.
• 19:49
  And I hope that they can come in, turn off for two and a half hours, enjoy a very funny and a very heartfelt show, and then walk out.
• 19:58
  you know, having, you know, something, something in them a little bit warmer, a little bit like, uh, happier.
• 20:05
  I guess that's a weird way of saying it.
• 20:07
  Yeah.
• 20:08
  Strange and unusual.
• 20:09
  Exactly.
• 20:09
  Yeah.
• 20:10
  Thank you so much for your time today, Matt.
• 20:14
  I really appreciate talking with you.
• 20:16
  Right, so nice to meet you and can't wait to see you.
• 20:18
  let me know.
• 20:19
  also I will say tell people if they want to like DM me on Instagram or like follow me.
• 20:24
  MattK313 is my Instagram.
• 20:27
  I respond to everyone and like if anyone has any questions about the show or fun things or they want to come to the stage door and sign autographs, I go to the stage door every
• 20:35
  night and I just love meeting people that come and see the show.
• 20:39
  I mean, that is awesome.
• 20:40
  think that's such an important part of this too, of like you connecting with the audience in a different way.
• 20:45
  Well, I didn't, remember going to that stage door at the Fisher Theater and the Fox and Opera House and everything.
• 20:49
  So like, I remember being those kids.
• 20:52
  So like, and listening to shows like yours and like, what's the next show that's going to be here?
• 20:56
  So like, I remember this.
• 20:58
  So like, I know there are kids out there that are doing the same thing.
• 21:01
  So like 100 % like definitely message me and yeah.
• 21:06
  Perfect.
• 21:06
  Well, Beetlejuice the musical, arrives at the Fisher Theater on August 5th and runs through the 10th.
• 21:11
  So get your tickets now from Broadway in Detroit and we'll see you there.
• 21:14
  Awesome, thank you.