Pictured Phantom and Corpus Delicti.
You don't see many theaters hanging out the bunting for the Fourth of July or performing pageants about union organizing for Labor Day. Let's face it; George Washington and Sam Gompers just aren't interesting. No, the vast majority of theaters save their celebrations for Christmas. Each December, the special-interest holiday shows falls faster than a winter blizzard, and that's not news to anyone.
However, the SECOND most popular theater holiday may surprise you: it's Halloween. Each year, the number of creepy, crawly plays and musicals that appear in October grows and grows. And there's no mystery why: just as Christmas does, Halloween has a remarkable fantasy tradition in which the spiritual and temporal realms touch each other, and the door to the supernatural opens wide. Here, then, are some of the Halloween shows available for your perverse pleasure.
Corpus Delicti: Just Desserts, Local Infinities Visual Theatre at the University of Illinois Medical Center, Oct. 21-31. You can watch an actual dissection in a real surgical theater in a work of performance art inspired by the Dutch Master painting, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp. Only the life-size cadaver is made of ballistic gelatin plus assorted fruits and vegetables. Think of it as Gray's Anatomy with salad dressing. Details: ( 312 ) 528-0077.
Macaberet, Porchlight Music Theatre at Theatre Building Chicago, through Oct. 31. This original musical review features macabre comedy and songs skewed towards the morbid with murderous spouses, horror films, evil cows, supermodels, the Andrew Sisters and OJ Simpson among the targets of the ghoul-drag performers. Runs Saturdays late, Sundays early with two special shows on Monday, Oct. 31.
Phantom of the Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Center, Oct. 21 only. Here's your chance to see the great, epic silent film version of Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney, accompanied by its original orchestral score played by the CSO! It's part of the CSO Friday Night at the Movies series; ( 312 ) 294-3000; $25-$80. Symphony Center also presents Hallowed Haunts, a family concert featuring the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. The Orchestra will be joined by the Magic Circle Mime Company to present spooky pop classics by Bach ( huh? ) , Kodaly, Dukas ( The Sorcerer's Apprentice ) and—of course—Mussorgsky ( Night on Bald Mountain ) ; $13-$46. Costumes are encouraged.
Simone: A Parisian Cabaret at Cyrano's Bistro, Oct. 29. Cabaret artists Suzanne Petri and Elizabeth Doyle take the swank little bar and cafe to the dark side for one night only. Costumes are encouraged, and $34.95 includes the show, a two-course light dinner ( from award-winning chef/owner Didier Duran ) and costume prizes. Limited seating; ( 312 ) 467-0546.
Theatre of the Damned and Other Horrors, Freshwater Theater Company at National Pastime Theatre, through Oct. 29. An evening of horror plays and films, Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m.; ( 773 ) 387-7063; $15.
The Twilight Gallery, Hell in a Handbag Productions at Theatre Building Chicago, through Oct. 29. Those folks who brought you Scarrie and Poseidon—The Musical take six episodes from The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery and twist them their own special way. You know, a bit of parody and a bit of drag. 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays only.
War of the Worlds: the Radio Play, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Arlington Heights, through Oct. 28. A staged re-enactment of the infamous 1938 sci-fi Halloween radio broadcast by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre that led to panic in the streets. So realistic was their adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel that people tuning in late thought a Mars attack really was happening. Scattered dates/times.
Where the Wild Things Are, Quest Theatre Ensemble about the Haunted 'El,' Oct. 20-29. Now this one's really unique: an original adaptation of the popular Maurice Sendak story, a people and puppets spectacular, presented on board specially decorated CTA trains on the elevated tracks! It's free, but first-come first-served tickets are limited to four per family, available day-of-show only at the Chicago Cultural Center, where you'll also receive boarding info.
