Beetlejuice (Zeke Orcutt) is overjoyed to be marrying Lydia (Monica Bailey) so he will be able to return to the land of the living as Adam (Haiden Whitehouse and Barbara (Caitlynn Offenberger) Maitland look on in the Belpre High School production of “Beetlejuice Jr.” which will be performed this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the school. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

BELPRE – The “Ghost With the Most” will be coming to life this weekend as Belpre High School will be presenting “Beetlejuice Jr.” this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

With a cast made up of 7th to 12th grade students, the musical is based on the beloved motion picture turned Broadway phenomenon.

Lydia Deetz (Monica Bailey) is a strange and unusual teenager, still grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with the whole “being dead thing.” Lucky for Lydia, she and her father (Ty McFee) move to a new house haunted by a recently deceased couple Adam and Barbara Maitland (Haiden Whitehouse and Caitlynn Offenberger) and Beetlejuice (Zeke Orcutt), a delightful demon with a real zest for life. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium.

The show is directed by teacher Robin White who has directed shows in Belpre and at the Actors Guild of Parkersburg. He and others have been working on rebuilding the drama program at the school. They did “Just Another High School Musical” last year and White felt the students were able to do a lot with that show in terms of excitement and energy as well as more challenging technically, vocally and character wise.

“This year I had this wild idea to really step it up a notch,” White said. “I’ll admit that when it came time to choose a show, ‘Beetlejuice Jr.’ wasn’t even on my initial radar.

“Then I heard a song from the musical, and it made me think that maybe – just maybe – this could work. As l dug deeper, the technical demands felt a bit daunting, but I could clearly envision our students bringing these characters to life.”

White wanted to “push the envelope” in challenging their students to put on this show from the actors on stage to the technical challenges behind the scenes and give their students the opportunity to shine with more complex material.

“They have absolutely risen to the occasion,” White said. “We have an incredibly talented group of actors on this stage. They have taken direction with enthusiasm and have contributed their own ideas for character development, movement, and storytelling.

“Behind the scenes, we also have a dedicated team of students managing the many moving pieces-backstage work, lights, and sound. I strive to ensure that every cast and crew member understands how vital they are to making this production special, and I hope they feel that importance.”

In dealing with a wide variety of students, White said it takes a lot of patience and planning to make it all work and come together.

“It is finding the place where everybody can shine in some way and playing to their strengths too,” White said. “It is helping them find their strengths and discovering what they can do and showing them they have that capability to be a character, to sing a song and understand the flow of a whole production. That is the key to making it all work.”

White highlighted the importance, as an educator, to help kids find a place where they can thrive.

“The arts have a way to make the kids come to life and help them figure out a little bit about who they are or who they want to be,” White said. “I am glad we get to offer that to them here.”

A lot of the show is centered on the relationship between Beetlejuice and Lydia. White praised Orcutt for having comedic timing and bringing the zaniness of the character to life. Bailey has a strong voice and takes direction well.

“They have done a good job of leading the group,” White said. “They have helped everyone else step up in their performances as well.”

The entire cast has risen to the occasion in learning some difficult choreography and challenging music.

“They are doing it and hopefully having some fun too,” White said.

Theater helps build a sense of community, he said. Parents have stepped up to make props and sets. A senior, Liam Kocher, coordinated all of their costumes to build a portfolio as he is interested in costuming. Others have come in to help in other aspects to make the show look as good as it does.

“At its core, theater is about building community,” White said. “Through this process, I believe we have strengthened our theater community here at Belpre.”

The performances will be Friday night at 7 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in the Belpre High School Gym.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students.

For tickets reservations can be made by calling (740) 423-3000 or tickets will be available at the door.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com