Actor finds the thrill in joining the musical cast of ‘Beetlejuice’
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
The musical Beetlejuice might be described as an emotional rollercoaster for actor Patrick Oliver Jones (he/him). He joined the cast earlier this summer, but he auditioned for the show two years ago. And upon getting the call to continue his audition, he found himself faced with a Sophie’s choice.
“I got several callbacks then, but at that time, I also had the choice to do another show that I was told would potentially go to Broadway,” he said. “I chose that show. It didn’t go to Broadway.”
Beetlejuice the Musical opens Oct. 29 at Bass Performance Hall and runs through Nov. 3
But Fate hadn’t forgotten Jones. Previously, he had auditioned for a number of roles for Beetlejuice — none of them the roles he’s playing now. But when his current part came open, the company called Jones in.
“They were keeping me in mind for the roles of Charles and Adam, which I auditioned for,” he explained. “After about a week, they offered me Otho, but I’m also covering those other two roles.
Patrick Jones
Jones got what he wanted and then some — and he seems to be having a blast. He’s embraced the character even away from the stage by embodying him for his Instagram reels.
“I’ve gotten to go on as Charles, but Otho has been a surprise. He’s a trip of a character as this guru, and he’s so over the top,” Jones said. “He’s kind of sexual and kind of condescending and he has all this hair and jewelry — and it’s fun leaning into the character.”
Upon getting cast, Jones only rehearsed the show for a week with two other new cast members. Then he joined the tour for a month — not performing but studying and getting into the groove with the cast and learning more about the role from his predecessor Abe Goldfarb.
At the same time, Jones felt the freedom to make Otho his own.
“The directors and company were encouraging about letting the actors bring their own aspects to the
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