Will Burton loves his “Beetlejuice” character

Posted

“I saw Rob McClure play Adam on Broadway,” Will Burton told me, “and I knew that was the role I wanted to play.”

Will Burton spoke to me from Atlanta where the popular musical based on the Tim Burton movie was drawing big crowds in their two-week run before arriving at the Providence Performing Arts Center April 25-30.

“Adam and his wife move into an old Victorian house in Connecticut and are planning to start a family when they suddenly die,” Will said.

Enter Beetlejuice, the agent of chaos, who succeeds in scaring off all the prospective tenants. What follows is hysterically funny.

“Adam is a neurotic, passionate character who is not much fun to play. I get to act, sing, and dance. Dancing is my passion.”

Burton grew up in Durham, North Carolina and now lives outside Atlanta. He graduated with a degree in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan.

He gets confused with two famous namesakes, Will Burton, the London casting director and Will Burton, the actor who appeared on the soap operas, “Days of Our Lives” and General Hospital.”

He has quickly made a name for himself with regional appearances on Broadway as Ambrose in “Hello, Dolly” and Gremio in “Kiss Me Kate.” He appeared Off-Broadway in “Between the Lines” an in Regional Theatres as Igor in “Young Frankenstein” (One of his favorite roles) and as Tommy in “The Music Man” at the prestigious Arena Stage in Washington, DC.

“This is my first time on the road,” he said. “It is quite a fresh experience and I love it.”

Will travels with his service dog, Teddy, an Italian Water Dog who has adjusted beautifully to airline travel, sleeping under the seat in front of him.

“I’ve never been to Providence, and I am so looking forward to it,” he said. “I hear the restaurants are great and I’d love to get to Newport.”

“We’ve done eight weeks without any time off,” Will said. “While the company provides a physical therapist and arranges a gym to work out in every city, my role is so demanding that it keeps me in shape. Plus, I like to run.”

Beetlejuice-The Musical will be at the Providence Performing Arts Center April 25-30, right on the heels of “Six.” It is the last show of the season. Tickets are available at the box office.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here