Who says musicals can’t be scary? Theater has something for every time of year, including the frightful month of October. Whether you’re a musical lover or just a casual fan, these productions are sure to get you in the Halloween spirit.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Depending on which version of it you watch, Sweeney Todd is either an eerie Tim Burton tall tale or a grimly comedic journey into situationally convenient cannibalism. Either way, it’s a one-of-a-kind trip.
When protagonist Sweeney Todd returns to London from unjust imprisonment and finds that his wife, Lucy, is dead, he vows to get revenge. With the help of his old straight razors and a manic baker, Sweeney takes creative measures to avenge his wife. Tread lightly if you have a weak stomach.
Ride the Cyclone
This off-Broadway comedy features a cast portraying six recently deceased high schoolers, one sentient fortune-telling carnival machine and one very hungry rat eating through the fortune teller’s wiring. The liminal space between life and death is as wacky as it gets.
The children are members of a Canadian high school choir who tragically die after a roller coaster called the Cyclone breaks. In a series of solo and group numbers, each character pleads their case for why they should earn the right to return to the land of the living. Ride the Cyclone has a diverse range of songs, with “The Ballad of Jane Doe” in particular a beautifully haunting performance perfect for the Halloween season.
[Relax from midterm stress, doomscrolling with these 5 books]
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Don’t let the title fool you — this cult-classic isn’t actually a horror musical. Starring the incomparable Tim Curry, Rocky Horror is pure, unadulterated camp.
Watch as unassuming lovebirds Janet Weiss and Brad Majors find themselves trapped in the strange home of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist who somehow succeeds in creating life. With rock-and-roll musical numbers and unashamed raunchiness, this musical is sure to make any dull October night into one to remember.
The Hatchetfield Trilogy
The Hatchetfield trilogy is a series of three professionally recorded stage musicals created by the musical theater company Starkid, best known for A Very Potter Musical. The productions take inspiration from several horror tropes, including alien invasions, mind control and teen slashers. Each musical exists in an alternate version of the fictional town of Hatchetfield, and many familiar characters serve as Easter eggs throughout the trilogy.
The first musical is The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, a hilarious, self-aware production about a Broadway-hater named Paul who discovers his town is invaded by body-snatching, spontaneously singing aliens. Situational humor mixes with genuine heart as Paul and his friends attempt to evade this musical nightmare.
Next is Black Friday, a family-oriented musical that asks the question: what if the most popular toy of the holiday season was actually a Lovecraftian monster from the beyond? Bridging the gap between spooky month and “the most wonderful time of the year,” this installment has a lot to offer for anti-consumerist audiences.
The final musical is Nerdy Prudes Must Die, which follows the social outcast Peter Spankoffski and his friends as they deal with their evil high school bully, Max Jägerman. Things come to a head when the geeks accidentally murder Max, leading to the bully returning as a ghost and vowing revenge on all “nerdy prudes” in Hatchetfield. For any fans of more mature productions, this trilogy is for you.
[Lorde stuns with powerful visuals, energy at the ‘Ultrasound’ tour]
Next to Normal
This production is not necessarily scary, but it is a ghost story. Familial trauma and the paranormal collide to blur the lines between reality and delusion.
On the surface, the Goodmans look like a normal nuclear family. But as cracks appear in the family’s lives, we soon learn that the mother’s mental illness has taken a harsh toll on every family member, creating a household that is anything but normal. With plot twists throughout, Next to Normal grabs your attention and refuses to let go.
Bonus: Cats (2019)
This infamous movie musical is not scary, nor is it a thriller, but it is certainly unsettling. You’re sure to be covering your eyes in no time.
