Halloween is almost here. To celebrate, Playbill has come up with a list of ways theatre fans can enjoy the holiday in style. Whether it’s a concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below or Joe’s Pub, a ghost story at a New York City park, or a streaming extravaganza, there’s no shortage of options this year.
Check out the list of Halloween events happening in NYC and online below.
In-Person
The Woman in Black (ongoing at McKittrick Hotel's Club Car)
Director Robin Herford again reunites with actors Ben Porter and David Acton, who both starred in the London stage production and the previous New York run, for this Stephen Mallatratt adaptation of the novel by Susan Hill. The story follows a young lawyer who happens upon a small town with a dark secret.
Broadway Fright Night (October 25 at Green Room 42)
Created and hosted by Stephen DeAngelis, the evening pays homage to Broadway and Off-Broadway’s most terrifying characters. The lineup includes selections from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Carrie the Musical, Ghost the Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, Miss Gulch Returns!, and Return to the Forbidden Planet. Performing are Fred Barton, Nick Cearley, Zoe Constantinedes, Erin Hill, Logan Elizabeth Nikole Jones, Gina Milo, Mia Pinero, Justin Matthew Sargent, Tally Sessions, Anne Tolpegin, and Alyssa Wray.
EPIC Villains: A Wickedly Inclusive Cabaret (October 25 at Joe’s Pub)
Broadway alums Ben Bogen, Gaelen Gilliland, Amaker Smith, Willy Falk, and Haley Swindal join the EPIC Players for a celebration of pop culture’s favorite baddies. Songs from Sweeney Todd, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and more will be performed along with re-imagined favorites like “I Want to Be Evil,” “Bad Guy," and “Symphony for the Devil.”
Gorey 849 (October 30 at Kimpton Hotel Eventi)
The 5th annual 849 Halloween Ball offers an immersive journey into a world inspired by artist Edward Gorey. Real Housewife of New Jersey Margaret Josephs serves as the Mistress of Ceremony with performances by Amanda Lepore and The Girls of Karen Black, among others. Real Housewife of New York, Luann de Lesseps will be a guest of honor.
When the Light Goes Out: Spirits, Souls, and Spooky Tales (October 29-31 at NYC Parks in Brooklyn)
Hedgepig Ensemble celebrates the legacy and tradition of ghost stories in this piece. Using a company of performers, audiences will get to explore themes of connecting with those who have passed away, the idea of bad things hiding in the dark, and deep-seated fears. The performances take place in South Oxford Park, Ronald McNair Park, and Cuyler Gore Park.
Into Sweeney Todd’s Woods (October 31 at Feinstein’s/54 Below)
Celebrate Stephen Sondheim with the eighth annual musical mash-up of two of the composer’s most terrifying shows. Sweeney Todd’s original Johanna, Sarah Rice, joins as a special guest alongside host Phil Geoffrey Bond and a lineup featuring Victoria Cook, Scott Coulter, Harris Doran, and more.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Halloween Spooktacular (October 31 at Feinstein’s/54 Below)
The Tim Burton holiday favorite comes alive at the NYC institution with performances by Treshelle Edmond, Will Roland, Sky Lakota-Lynch, Jared Goldsmith, and more.
Winnie’s Rock Cauldron Cabaret (October 31 at The Green Room 42)
Bette Midler tribute artist Jennica McCleary plays Winifred Sanderson in this theatrical rock concert. The evening, also featuring Mary and Sarah Sanderson, is filled with music and parodies covering many decades and genres.
Subject (ongoing at Memredux Laboratories)
This immersive production from Welcome to Campfire is part art installation and part dance performance in the theatre district. The storytelling event is set in a dystopian New York City where a new pharmaceutical industry—memory-erasing drugs—is on the rise.
At Home
Swingin' With The Mouse: Villains (available until November 5)
Join in some sinister fun as Swinging with the Music celebrates Disney villains SWTM way with this film capture of a live performance from earlier this month at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s in Los Angeles. Performers include Garrett Clayton, Richard White (the voice of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast), Jake Novak, and Janaya Mahealani Jones. The evening is hosted By Pablo Rossil.
I Put a Spell on You: The Sanderson Variant (October 28)
The annual Hocus Pocus-themed Halloween extravaganza created by and starring Jay Armstrong Johnson will once again haunt an online audience this year. Johnson as Winifred Sanderson is joined by Allison Robinson and Amanda Williams Ware as sisters Sarah and Mary, respectively. This year, the beloved sisters attempt to spread their variant while recruiting some of pop culture’s most iconic villains to fulfill their delightfully devious plot.
The Theatre Channel, “Musical Horrors” (on demand)
Watch the second installment of the West End musical web series, featuring Trevor Dion Nicholas taking on “The Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Show and Aimee Atkinson singing “Dead Mom” from Beetlejuice. The episode also features Linzi Hateley returning to Carrie, Bradley Jaden and Sophie Isaacs dueting on Dracula, and Ria Jones performing from Into The Woods.
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