How to Throw a Spooktacular Broadway Halloween Party

Happy Halloween, BroadwayWorld! Spooky Season has arrived and no one does chills, thrills, elaborate disguises, magic, and mischief quite like theatre folks. From murderous phantoms to demon barbers, homicidal high schoolers to carnivorous alien plant life, the musical theatre canon is chock full of terrifying tales sure to send shivers down the spine of audiences of all ages!

The theatre district is currently playing host to a number of Halloween-friendly tales of terror. On Broadway, you can go to hell and back at Hadestown, make magic with the witches of Wicked, get locked up with the merry murderesses of Chicago, die with laughter at Death Becomes Her, head into the Upside Down at Stranger Things: The First Shadow, or sit-in with the ghostest with the mostest at the return of Broadway's Beetlejuice.

If Off-Broadway is more your speed you can try to survive Westerburg High at the camp classic, Heathers the Musical, hear the tale of the Headless Horseman at Sleepy Hollow, mask up at Masquerade, get possessed at Excorcistic, get intoxicated at Drunk Dracula or do your best not to feed the plants at the long-running revival of Little Shop of Horrors.

And if a trip to the theatre isn't in the cards, you can bring all the fun home with our tips for how to haunt your friends and family Broadway-style! So, fire up the ghost light and sink your teeth into our tips for how to throw a singularly sensational Broadway-inspired Halloween happening that is sure to dazzle your gang of ghouls! It's showtime!

Frightening Foods

Little Shop of Horrors 'Feed Me' Finger Foods

Journey to Skid Row for some treats that pay tribute to Off-Broadway's favorite (and only) maniacal alien flytrap, Audrey II! In lieu of any actual plant-icides, sub in some of these great gross out recipes resembling human body parts! For some extra flair, add labels to each piece with the names of Audrey II's victims. 

You can also check out these great vegan treats including mushroom eyeballs or Halloween apple bites that resemble the ravenous maw of the Mean Green Motha from Outer Space. 

Heathers 'Candy Store' Goodie Bags

Halloween is nothing without candy, so honey, whatcha waiting for? Have your guests and/or trick or treaters step into your very own candy store (and cut down on cross contamination) with individual goodie bags inspired by the homicidal high school in Heathers the Musical! Fill each bag with your favorite treats, some real retro 80s candy, hair scrunchies, or Heather Chandler's snack of choice, Corn Nuts!

Beetlejuice 'Being Dead' Baked Goods

What better night than Halloween to confront the whole "being dead" thing, amiright? Give your gathering a Beetlejuice boost with these desserts featuring the show's iconic black and white color scheme! There is never a bad excuse to unleash the power of the Oreo and you can add some extra undead touches by garnishing each treat with gummy worms, snakes, or milk chocolate tombstones.

Boo-tiful Brews

Wicked Green Elixir

With Wicked: For Good headed to the big screen this November, have a little drink of green elixir and have yourself a little mixer with these wickedly green cocktails paying tribute to everyone's favorite misunderstood mistress of magic, the Wicked Witch of the West, or Elphaba as she's known around these parts. Go the extra mile and garnish your drinks with some homemade witch hat cocktail stirrers! It's really, uh...sharp! Don'tcha think?

Chicago Murderous Mimosas

Give your guests the old razzle dazzle and serve up some Chicago-inspired mimosas, a cocktail popularized in the jazz age! Top each drink with some grenadine for a bloody twist and sip while regaling your cell block sisters with the story of how you finally snapped. Get the whole bloody history of the musical classic with Parts 1 and 2 of our Chicago deep dive!

Cursed Child Cocktails

Head to Hogwarts this Halloween for some magical mixers evoking all your favorite witches and wizards from Broadway and beyond! Check out this assortment of Harry Potter-inspired beverages and or let your guests choose their preferred Hogwarts house with these drinks evoking Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin!

Haunted Hobbies

Make Your Own Mask

As theatre fans don their finest faces for Off-Broadway's immersive Phantom spectacle Masquerade, take some inspiration for your next gathering and round up your pals for a mask-making party! Pick up a pack of blank masks, some dazzling feathers, sequins, and glitter, add a dash of mauve, a flash of puce, and send those paper faces on parade! 

A Petrifying Play Reading

Bring the scares home with an intimate reading of a classic horror play. Though the horror genre is best-known for big screen thrills, it first made its bones on the stage, so there are quite a few centuries of titles to choose from. From Macbeth to Misery, check out our list of some of the best stage scares for inspiration! For the musical theatre kids, check out our latest deep-dive on Broadway's most terrifying tuners (playlist included!)

DIY Rocky Horror Interactive Screening

This year, we're celebrating 50 years of The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Spend Halloween over at the Frankenstein place with your very own interactive screening of the iconic musical classic! Gather your props, learn your prompts, get your cosplay on, and practice your Time Warp as we shiver with antici....pation for the upcoming Broadway return of Rocky!

Killer Karaoke

It wouldn't be a showbiz party without a song or two. So grab some sheet music for your favorite spooky songs (or simply your go-to showtunes) and gather around the piano for a good, old-fashioned singalong. If accompaniment is scarce, you can pick up a relatively inexpensive karaoke set and fire up YouTube to avail yourself of an endless selection of free instrumental tracks to give your party some pizazz!

Last-Minute Looks

Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp - Death Becomes Her

So, tell me, Ernest...why did you wait so long to get your act together for Halloween? While there have been some truly spectacular takes on the undead icons of the cult classic film, if time is of the essence, grab your bestie and do a spin on the Broadway versions of the beloved frenemies. For Madeline, we recommend a head-to-toe leopard lewk along with a blonde wig and a pair of killer heels. For a pre-Viola Helen, gather some wide-rim glasses, a calf-length neutral skirt, a high-necked blouse, some sensible shoes, and try to keep the side-eye to a minimum.

Orpheus - Hadestown

Walk the road to hell this Halloween dressed as the (almost) hero of Hadestown! Gear up with a lightweight henley, grey pleated slacks, brown suspenders, and O's signature bandana neckerchief. Head to the craft store to pick up an artificial red carnation, strap on an acoustic guitar (optional!) and get to work on that song. Climate change waits for no man.

Elder [Your Name Here] - The Book of Mormon

Spread the gospel this Halloween as one of Broadway's Mormon missionaries. A crisp white short sleeved button down shirt, some plain black slacks, a skinny black necktie, black dress shoes, and a DIY 'Elder' nametag is all it takes. Accessorize with your own official copy of Joseph Smith's most amazing book and work on your door-to-door pitch.

The Phantom - The Phantom of the Opera/Masquerade

We would be remiss if we left out Broadway's favorite opera house terrorist. Gather some tuxedo gear, a black cape (bonus points if it's bedazzled), a black fedora, and of course, the iconic mask. For a more economical approach try this official Phantom costume. Just don't go dropping any chandeliers on unsuspecting victims. That's all we ask of you.

Check out more Broadway costume ideas!