Video: Kerry Butler Doesn't Want to Say Goodbye to BEETLEJUICE

Welcome to Backstage with Richard Ridge

The hit musical Beetlejuice is getting ready to wrap up its Broadway run on January 8th

And I dropped by the Marquis Theater to catch up with one of the show's stars and one of Broadway world's favorites, Kerry Butler, right before a performance

Well, first of all, I'm so excited to be sitting with you here in the live. lobby of the Marquis Theater where you literally in like 15 minutes have to get ready

for performance. Yes. Yes, I do. So let's talk about everybody loves this show

Beetlejuice is getting ready to play its final performance on January 8th. Yes

What has made this so special for you, Carrie, with working on this show? Well, it's been really exciting that I got to create the role that I was with the show

from the very, very first reading before they knew what it was

And I always love being part of that creative process and to watch a show

Like we changed so much from D.C. to here. And then we changed so much just from the, from COVID

You know, we changed those people. And then we were able to bring that to the show

So it's just been, and it's just so great that I get to close out the show

It's been an amazing journey. And our creative team is just so collaborative and incredible

So it's been a really wonderful experience. And you've been the only actress except when you're on vacation playing Barbara, right

Yes, yes, yes. Besides my understays and my amazing understays, yeah, I played Barbara the whole time, which is exciting

So I was like, what have you enjoyed the most about playing with her? Because she's this iconic role that we all fell in love with in the film first

and now you're doing the stage version of her. Yeah, I feel like when you play a part eight times a week

it sort of comes into your life And so Barbara is just so positive and happy And so it is a great place to embody eight times a week It great to remind myself to enjoy the simple things and to choose life

So I feel like that has been, sometimes you play these dark characters and then you get depressed in real life

And so Barbara's not that. But she's so much fun at the same time, right? Yes, that's what I mean

Yeah, so happy. And like me, loves crafts. And so I feel very connected to Barbara

And it's been a great reminder for me. just not to sweat the big stuff or the small stuff

This show is so physical for all of you up there. And this is a live performance

So have any crazy things happen during a performance of Beetlejuice that have gone awry

Lots. So many. Well, so I levitate in the air. And one time, I don't know exactly, I don't remember exactly what happened

but there was something wrong with either the set not moving or the pyro not working

And we had to stop the show. and I'm levitating in the air

So everybody starts walking off. They're like, the voice comes without a mic

Oh, yes, we have to stop this performance. And so everybody starts walking up, and I'm just like

I pretended I was like Ariel and Little Mermaid. Or Peter Pan

Yeah, and just waving to the audience and the curtain comes down. But everybody else is gone. I'm still like just floating

So that was a funny one. Stuff has gone wrong with the sets not moving

with my hand not going on fire. Lots of crazy, crazy stuff

But I feel like that one was the craziest one. I was stuck levitating in the air. But I'm sure audiences love this

They love it. I feel like they're in a special show, like, oh, my gosh. Especially the fans that return to your show

Oh, yeah. There are fans for shows, but you have this incredible fan base

We do. With Beetlejuice. Yeah. And also, Alex usually improvs, like, when something goes wrong

And then the fans, like, go crazy. And they're like, I was there for that performance, you know, when the book fell through

the hole or whatever. So we have so many people who come like over 40 times

just come again and again So anytime anything is different they get very excited Because I was telling you I have friends that come back like once a month Oh my gosh And it starts out as five people then it 15 people then it 20 and they had Beetlejuice Day

Do they get dressed up? Some do. I love it. I love that, right? Yeah, we have, sometimes I'll look out, and it's like a sea of beetle juices

Yeah. Our audiences, and they, but they get dressed up as everything. They'll get dressed up as Miss Argentina

Like, it's really, really funny to look out and see. And sometimes, like, little six-year-olds are dressed up as beetle juice

How early do you arrive at the theater to get to your dressing room? Always at least an hour before the show

I like to start getting ready. Then I like to do my warm-up and my physical warm-up and put my makeup on

so I really like to be ready way before the show starts. What's the last thing you do when you're waiting in the wings

What's the last thing I do before I go on? Well, actually, I always pray for the audience

I always say, oh, please bless this audience. And if they're feeling sad, help the laughter to heal

them, anybody out there and help me to do the best job that I can to bring this audience

some joy. Yeah. What is it about Beetlejuice? Not just the film, but of course this show where people fly in from all around the world

to see it. What's that connection? I think it's people who feel like they are strange and unusual and don't have a place

in the world. And at Beetlejuice, they do. People feel connected to our show in a very, very deep way

And also now that Lydia is the star of our show, we have so many tweens who feel lost and they feel really connected with Lydia's journey

So many incredible people from the film and stars in general have come to see your show

What was the biggest pinch me moment for you of like, oh my God, I can't believe this person is here

Maybe Catherine O'Hara because it was right before the Tonys and she was going to introduce us with the Tonys and she absolutely loved it

And she was so generous and kind and took so many pictures with us

And then at the Tonys she got to say like I just saw this show it amazing And so that was really really nice of her Yeah And fun The creative team of the show is amazing Of course led by Alex Timbers What was it like being in the room with him and watching you all create this show together

and watching his mind work? He's so smart and also so funny

So much of the stuff he, that's in the show, kind of came up with him

I think that he also has a good improv background, which is kind of unusual for a director

So he'd be like, what if this happens here? What if you open this box and a head pops out

You know, stuff like that, so a lot of stuff that wasn't necessarily in the script and just improv

We did so many workshops so that we could see the set is a part of the show and kind of encouraged us to come up with things, especially Alex Brightman, to come up with kind of whatever you could imagine

Let's see if it would work. And he's very collaborative and, you know, changed so much from D.C. to, you know, to, you know

New York, and so not precious with things, and also the writers

All of our writers, we love. It's such a great environment, and no one is precious with things

No one's like, this has to be this way. They would really listen to our input

Finally, what will you miss the most once the show closes on January 8th

I think I will miss, I mean, I just love performing so much

I'll miss that. I'll miss having a place to go. I'll miss all of our friends

and I'll miss that reaction from the audience is just every night at the end of the show

It's like mind-blowing, just that sea of love. So those are the things I'll miss, but I'm excited to be with my family again

Well, listen, thank you so much for sitting with me. Thank you. You have a huge fan base at Broadway World

And like I said, you know, I adore you from your debut in New York. Blood Brothers

At the music box theater. Yes, it was. Yes, yes. We have a long history together

Happy holidays to you and your lovely family. Thank you, you too. And enjoy the rest of the run. Thank you

Thank you, my love