With larger-than-life characters and innovative designs, the theatre has long been a source of inspiration for Halloween costumes. Costume designers have a unique ability to tell a story in an outfit and convey a personality and a mood with clothing, making it easily translatable for the spooky holiday.
From the terrifying Sweeney Todd to the mischievous Beetlejuice, make your Halloween season theatrical with these 34 Broadway costume ideas.


Ursula
Per Breiehagen
The Little Mermaid Playbill - Opening Night
The Phantom
Joan Marcus
The Phantom of the Opera Playbill - Opening Night, Jan 1988
Alex Newell, Hailey Kilgore, and the cast
Joan Marcus
Once on This Island Playbill - Opening Night
Billy Porter in Kinky Boots
Matthew Murphy
Kinky Boots Playbill - Opening Night
Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd
Martha Swope
Sweeney Todd Playbill - Feb 1979
A Tudor Queen
Joan Marcus
Six the Musical Playbill - Opening Night
Dorothy
The Wiz Playbill - July 1977
Beetlejuice
Matthew Murphy
Beetlejuice Playbill - Opening Night
Cats
Matthew Murphy
Cats Playbill - Opening Night, Oct 1982
Idina Menzel in Wicked
Joan Marcus
Wicked Playbill - Opening Night, Oct 2003
Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie
Joan Marcus
Thoroughly Modern Millie Playbill - Opening Night
Dolores
The Wild Party Playbill - Opening Night, April 2000
The cast of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical.
Joan Marcus
SpongeBob SquarePants Playbill - Opening Night
Harvey Fierstein in Hairspray.
Paul Kolnik
Hairspray Playbill - Opening Night, July 2002
Hildy
Caissie Levy and Patti Murin
Deen van Meer
Frozen Playbill - Opening Night
Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly!
Julieta Cervantes
Hello, Dolly! Playbill - March 2017
Michelle Williams and cast
Cabaret Playbill - Opening Night
Laura Osnes in Cinderella.
Joan Marcus
Cinderella Playbill - Opening Night
Lin-Manuel Miranda and cast of Hamilton
Joan Marcus
Christian Borle in Something Rotten!
Joan Marcus
Something Rotten! Playbill - Opening Night
The Witch
Martha Swope / The New York Public Library
Into the Woods Playbill - Opening Night, Nov 1987
Persephone
Matthew Murphy
Hadestown Playbill - Opening Night
Natasha
Chad Batka
Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 Playbill - Opening Night
Shrek
Joan Marcus
Shrek Playbill
Seymour
Emilio Madrid-Kuser
Little Shop of Horrors Playbill - Opening Night
Christy Altomare, Derek Klena, and cast
Matthew Murphy
Anastasia Playbill - Opening Night
Éponine
Michael Le Poer Trench
Les Misérables – Costume design by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland
A member of the Tribe
Hair Playbill - Opening Night
Jeremy Jordan in Newsies.
Deen van Meer
Newsies Playbill - Opening Night
Elle Woods
Paul Kolnik
Legally Blonde Playbill - Opening Night
Robert Preston
Friedman-Abeles/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
The Music Man Playbill - March 1958
Ben Platt
Joan Marcus
Dear Evan Hansen Playbill - Opening Night
A member of the diner
Waitress Playbill - September 2, 2021