The Fame Reporter interviewed Karis Oka. She is currently starring as the Lydia Deetz in the Tony Award nominated musical, Beetlejuice, with music and lyrics by Australia’s own Eddie Perfect. Playing at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre in Brisbane from 7 June before it embarks on a national tour hitting Perth, Adelaide and Sydney after its successful season in Melbourne last year.
Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, BEETLEJUICE is “A FEAST FOR THE EYES AND SOUL!” (Entertainment Weekly). And under its uproarious surface (six feet under, to be exact), it’s a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O!
We talked to Karis about her reaction when she was cast as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice, stepping into one of musical theatre’s most iconic gothic roles, bringing the chaotic Netherworld to Brisbane, her paranormal cat encounters… and more.
Welcome to The Fame Reporter Karis, when did you realise live performing was a job and what gave you the inspiration to pursue it?
I don’t remember when I realised it was a job. I think I just was like, I’m gonna do that, and I don’t think I had, like, a proper plan beyond that.
Each year of my life, it kind of like crystallised a bit more. The inspiration to pursue it was just my own mix of dreams and delusion.
What parts of Lydia’s story have surprised me the most as I’ve stepped into the role?
I think how fiery she is was maybe not the most obvious thing to me in the world when I started looking at the character. It’s an easy assumption to make, I think, because she’s famously not the happiest girl in the world.
But when you’re putting things on stage, it’s not very interesting to watch a character who doesn’t want or need anything. So everyone does. But the, like, tenacity with which Lydia does is kind of next level and something that I, I think if I forget that for even a moment, I’m like behind the eight ball.
When was the last time you had a paranormal encounter and what was it?
It was actually last night. I got a cat in January and she sees ghosts 100% because she sits on my bed head and looks up in the corners of the room.
There’s no bugs there, there’s no light changing or anything, and anytime I wake up it’s at the same time. It’s at like 3, nearly 3:30 in the morning. She is on my bed head just like looking around and her eyes are like kind of following something. So yeah, my cat can talk to ghosts.
Beetlejuice balances dark themes with outrageous comedy—how do you personally find that sweet spot each night without losing the heart of Lydia?
I personally don’t worry about that too much because it’s all happening around me. I’m just like a part of the puzzle. I don’t find I lose the heart of Lydia if I just really like say the lines and mean them because they are written so well.
A lot of that’s the sweet spot between the comedy and the darkness exists actually not so much in the way that I perform or choose to portray Lydia, but actually just like being in opposition of another character. Being in a scene with Beetlejuice and being like very aware that he has this energy and I have a different energy and owning that.
Having like a confidence to just play the moment as it is because I can trust that it’s just written so well, I really don’t have to worry about me balancing out anything ’cause it’s all just there.
Performing at QPAC in Brisbane, how does it feel bringing this gothic, chaotic world to a new city and what can audiences look forward to particularly?
I really loved it the last time I was there with Six: The Musical.
I think the audiences can look forward to seeing a show that is—I keep saying it’s not like any other show that I think they would see, but also I know I’m feeling that we’ve got like a cast of people that haven’t done this show in a hot minute. So we are so excited as well.
It’s not like we’ve been doing this for a long time and, you know, we’re keeping it fresh. It’s like, no, we’re going to be so excited to come back and rejuvenate all of these characters and scenes and moments. And we’ve got Andy Karl and like, it’s just going to have a different flavor.
If people had seen it in Melbourne, but if they hadn’t, they’re just going to get like a really like, g’d up version of the show. I’m really excited.
When was the last time you felt really seen by someone (opposite of invisible)? And what’s your favourite black comedy of all time?
The last time I felt really seen, probably just small moments with friends. That’s kind of all I’m really interested in. I’m trying to disconnect from like need— the need to feel seen by any sort of greater public because it’s just like that’s such a slippery slope.
I was at like a dinner party the other night and my friend chose the seating and put me exactly where I would want to sit and I felt really seen by that.
My favorite black comedy of all time…first thing that came to mind is Addams Family Values. Like, I grew up watching that, the one with Joan Cusack. It’s just so good. It’s a movie I know back to front and I like could say all the lines along with them. Another one would be maybe something like Serial Mom, the like John Waters one.
‘Dead Mom’ is such an iconic song and is now in a lot of people’s audition books, what was it like making it your own for the show?
The final version will be the one I do on closing night at the very end of it all, but it will just keep growing and like I found my own version kind of before I even started auditioning when I was just singing it for fun, years and years before all of this.
But then when I went into rehearsals, I remember I had some offers that I gave to Katie Davis, our director, and like Alex Timbers, and everyone has to all sign off and agree on them. If you’re like changing notes and stuff as well, you can’t just be adding things left, right and center. So I made sure it made sense to the character and the moment and was something I could do 8 times a week.
Lydia has become a voice for young people who feel a bit “outside the norm”—what do you hope audiences, especially younger ones, take away from your portrayal?
What I hope audiences, especially younger audiences, take away from my portrayal of Lydia is just that you’re not actually that alone.
Like, I feel like the loneliest person in the world sometimes, but you’re just not. You never are. You’re actually just a human and experiencing life, whether it’s grief or, you know, troubles with family or, yeah, a demon on your roof. It’s like you’re never that alone and just because you’re— the way you connect with people might look different to other people doesn’t mean that it’s not real or, yeah, less valid in any way.
If you could play a role in another Tim Burton film on stage who would it be and why?
I would play Weird Girl from Frankenweenie. I don’t know if it would work on stage. I don’t think it needs to, but hypothetically. She’s like this girl with— I think she’s got a fringe, big eyes, empty eyes. She’s ghostly white, but she’s just a normal girl. There’s like actually nothing supernatural about her. And she has this cat that has dreams about people, and she’s voiced by Catherine O’Hara. So I love that character so much.
Or even Elsa in Frankenweenie, who’s voiced by Winona Ryder. Obviously they keep it all in the fam, but I love that film and I think those characters are really sweet.
If Lydia had a playlist, which artists or songs would definitely be on repeat?
I actually do have a Lydia playlist. It’s like music I listen to to get in the zone, or if it’s like her playlist that I imagine she made. Somehow a hybrid of the two. But I think she would listen to a lot of classical music.
My Lydia would be listening to like Portishead and like Suzy and the Banshees and maybe Bauhaus.
Any backstage rituals with the cast and what do you love about this ensemble of performers?
In Melbourne, we did always do like the Sunday quiz at interval, which when I think about it was kind of a bit inconvenient. Like I was always kind of leaving it early anyway to go and get ready to do Act 2, but it was weirdly nice to like not stay in the zone of the show, it just makes you like remember that you guys are all humans with a life outside of the show.
To have that a little slice of that right in between Act 1 and Act 2 while people are out there getting, you know, the next glass of wine and their Maltesers was kind of fun. It just made you feel normal for a second and like, like you hit the refresh button. And I really liked that.
No matter what Beetlejuice itself means to people in the cast, crew, we all understand how important it is to so many people, whether you grew up watching it or you just watched it to audition for the show, everyone has a deep respect for the musical and Eddie Perfect and what the show has done for Australian musical theatre.
If you had a day in the Netherworld, how would you spend it?
If I had a day in the Netherworld I would surely just be chatting everyone’s ear off.
I would be wanting to know about death, the moment they died, how did it feel, where did you think you were going, were you scared, what did you see etc. I would be like doing a podcast interview I guess.
What is a future dream of yours in any aspect of life (travel/career/bucket list)?
I recently started doing voice acting and I really adore it.
I would love to do more voice acting as I love animation. Adult animation would be awesome to pursue and I would also love to play someone with a gold or a silver tooth.
Thank-you for joining us at The Fame Reporter Karis. We wish you all the best for the tour of Beetlejuice.
TICKETS
Beetlejuice The Musical
Lyric Theatre – Brisbane
Playing from 7 June to 2 August
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Image credit – Michelle Grace Hunder
The Fame Reporter 