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The Australian tour of Beetlejuice the Musical will call curtains for the final time in just two weeks after being cancelled early in its Brisbane run – and well before arriving in Sydney, Adelaide, or Perth.
A statement from tour organiser Michael Cassel Group posted online shortly before 5pm on Friday said all shows after July 5 would no longer proceed.
“We know this will be disappointing for those who were looking forward to the show, and we sincerely thank you for your enthusiasm and support,” the statement read.
The highly praised musical was just one week into its Brisbane run when the pin was pulled. Also cancelled were a seven-week run at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre, as well as shows in Adelaide and Perth, which just last month added two weeks to its run.
Queensland Performing Arts Centre contacted ticket-holders on Friday offering those with cancelled seats either a full refund or an exchange to a similar seat at an earlier Brisbane show at no extra cost.
“We currently have seats available in all performances before the end of Sunday, 5 July 2026,” QPAC’s email said.
A Cassel group spokesperson said moving costs over “vast distances between Australian cities” for the large-scale production – which features animatronics and moving set pieces – made the show unsustainable.
“While audience enthusiasm for the show has been encouraging, a more cautious consumer environment, combined with the economics of moving a production of this magnitude, could not be justified,” the spokesperson said.
“It is a difficult decision, and not one we made lightly … we’re sorry to be saying goodbye sooner than any of us hoped.”
The Cassel group thanked its cast and crew, as well as audiences in Melbourne and Brisbane that came along, and “everyone who loves this production”.
The musical had a four-month run in Melbourne last year, where it featured homegrown talent, including Karis Oka in the role of Lydia, and Beetlejuice the Musical’s creator, Eddie Perfect, as the titular ghost with the most.
Perfect relinquished his role for the show’s Brisbane run – handing it to Broadway powerhouse Andy Karl, who was set to carry the part until the end of the show’s Australian run in late 2026.
The abrupt cancellation falls in line with a growing list of shows opting for shorter Australian runs, with some producers saying many theatrical runs in major cities have effectively been halved in the past few years, despite garnering high praise from theatregoers.
Brisbane ticket-holders were advised to contact QPAC from Saturday morning to arrange their exchange, although the Cassel group said it would contact affected ticket-holders via email.
People in other cities would receive an automatic refund, as would those in Brisbane who did not arrange an exchange before the final show on July 5.
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