[3] COME ON, EILEEN | A. TVEIT ✔️

1.7 surprising

BUGBEVERAGE, A MUSICAL
by Sam Carmichael
for Buzzfeed AM to DM

What do you get when you mix a literally perfect composer, weirdly hyper teenagers, killer vocal and some very talented stage technicians? If your answer was a musical extravaganza based on a beloved classic from the eighties, then you just got a ton of brownie points.

As most new yorkers, I've grown up around this great city's culture and most of it stems from an avenue filled with dreams. Broadway has been a stage for great stories over years, the winter garden in particular houses what ressonates with everyone who's felt out of place in their own lives, it sings an anthem of proving yoursel in spite of everything and if you can't tell it by now: I am a huge fan of Beetlejuice. From it's incredible work of lighting to stellar pefomances every night, it nearly caused me a heart attack when they invited me to watch it (the same night as Robert Downey Junior (!!!)).

Nothing short of that one Lady Gaga gif, just as it is on stage, their crew works tirelessly backstage to ensure a smoth run for everybody. So to change things up a bit, I sat down with Miss Eileen Flanagan, head of logistics (basically the boss). Let's welcome her so we can discuss broadway, eviction notes, our most embarassing moments and a certain bohemian.

[WOULD YOU SAY THERE IS BAD BLOOD STEMMING FROM THE BEETLEJUICE FANDOM TOWARDS THE SHOW TAKING OVER?]
WELL, DEFINETLY. I MEAN, WE WERE AND STILL ARE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESFUL SHOWS CURRENTLY ON BROADWAY SO EVERYONE WAS SUPRISED. AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE IMMINENT LOSS OF SOMETHING DEAR, PEOPLE WILL LASH OUT, IT'S A BIT INEVITABLE. BUT I DO HAVE TO SAY HUGH HAS BEEN MOST GRACIOUS WITH OUR QUEST FOR A NEW THEATER, AT LEAST UNTIL OUR NATIONAL TOUR. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE WE'LL KEEP DOING OUR THING THOUGH.

[YOU SEEM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS JOB, WAS IT ALWAYS YOUR DREAM?]
NOT REALLY, IF I'M BEING PERFECTLY HONEST. I GREW UP DIVIDED BETWEEN NYC AND DUBLIN, GIVING A LOT MORE THOUGHT TO THIS DICOTOMY THAN WHAT THE HECK I'D DO FOR A LIVING, UNTIL MARTINA GOT INTO MAMMA MIA AND SENT ME AN INVITATION FOR HER FIRST PERFORMANCE. FROM THE MOMENT I STEPPED INTO THAT ENVIRONMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT FELT WRONG BEING ANYWHERE ELSE.