Today we are counting down the absolute scariest musicals of all time in honor of Halloween 2014.
Invitation To The Ball
What makes something scary and what makes something good are two vastly different things, yet it is illuminating to note that not only is the most successful musical in Broadway history a tale of terror, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, but also that the biggest hit of the new century portrays a fantastical world populated by wizards, dragons and witches, as well - WICKED. Furthermore, many musical theatre aficionados would likely cite perhaps the finest musical ever written, or at least the greatest musical of the last 50 years, to be the bloodiest of them all - SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. To add to all of that, the most popular and enduring cult movie musical of all time is indisputably midnight movie mainstay THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. Yet, on the other side of the equation, two of the biggest flops in Broadway history boasted themselves as being horror shows and turned out to be precisely that, just not quite as initially intentioned - CARRIE and DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES. Furthermore, some of the most controversial musicals of the last 15 years have focused on phantasmagorical themes, as well - namely, JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA and the recent sequel to THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LOVE NEVER DIES.
Additionally, the increasingly popular camp horror musical genre has boasted a few considerable successes among its ranks, ranging from the weird and wacky BAT BOY to creator Larry O'Keefe's most recent theatrical endeavor, HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL, as well as the successful Hannibal Lector-centric parody piece SILENCE! THE MUSICAL and zombie movie homage EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL. In addition to O'Keefe, John Dempsey and Dana Rowe have also contributed two significant entries to the canon of musicals featuring magical or perceivably horror elements, namely ZOMBIE PROM and THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK. Plus, on the topic of witches, besides WICKED and the ladies of Eastwick, who could forget the nefarious major villain in INTO THE WOODS, soon to be essayed onscreen by none other than legendary leading lady Meryl Streep in the feature film adaptation coming this Christmas? The sub-genre of horror musicals is an intriguing one, indeed, so let's take a look at 13 fantasy and horror musicals that are sure to rip right to the heart of what makes a good musical - and maybe shed a little light on what makes a bad one, too. It's all in the eye of the beholder, after all, anyway - unless you are actually physically holding the eyeball in question in your hand, that is.
#13 - THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
Richard O'Brien's pop-flecked, gender-bending paean to B-movies and sci-fi schlock is peppered with outrageous antics ranging from Transylvanian aliens to a beefcake Frankenstein to cannibalism itself, yet the persuasive power of O'Brien's infectiously enjoyable score with a hearty helping of David Bowie and Phil Spector accents makes it a must-have for the Halloween season, now and forever. So, let's do the time warp again - and again.
#12 - LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORSAlan Menken and Howard Ashman's adorable Off-Broadway hit about a MAN-EATING plant and the nebbish of a floral shop clerk who tends to its wants, desires and whims while pining for comely floral arranger Audrey tugs at our heartstrings while depicting murderous flora and fauna munching on men and women, all set to a catchy 1950s beat. Plus, thanks to the movie adaptation, we get "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space", too. Who couldn't love a song with a title that bizarre?! Feed into it.
#11 - JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA
With more f-bombs and trashy mise en scene than an actual episode of the long-running semi-exploitative chat fest, JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA is also a work of genius. Yes, it is - look no further than its boatload of awards for further proof of that. The SECOND ACT, set in Hell with Springer acting as mediator and interlocutor between Jesus Christ, The Virgin Mary, Adam, Eve, God and the Devil himself makes this musical not only risqué, edgy and thought-provoking, but outright brilliant. Not feeling it? Well, "Talk to the ass!"
#10 - BAT BOY
Larry O'Keefe has an unmistakable ear for melody, as fans of LEGALLY BLONDE and HEATHERS can surely attest, but it was with his first major New York musical that he really made a major mark - and, listening to the score of BAT BOY more than a decade after it first premiered, it is clear to hear why. Rock, gospel, pop, rap, vaudeville, character songs and much more, this is a rich, varied and easy to love score - and one hell of a weird show. Plus, rumors suggest it could be coming back from the dead.
#9 - THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK
With perhaps the most undervalued and criminally underrated score on a list overflowing with exceptional song stacks, Dana Rowe and John Dempsey's THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK is one of the most impressive musicals of the last 20 years to somehow never make it to the Great White Way. Why?! Although it has been rewritten significantly since its West End bow, songs like "Make Him Mine", "I Love A Little Town", "Dirty Laundry" and "Dance With The Devil" are musical manna. Make it yours.
#8 - REEFER MADNESS
In much the same vein as BAT BOY and ROCKY HORROR, camp musical REEFER MADNESS as experienced in its lovingly and inventively crafted Showtime film adaptation is difficult not to love. Sporting a confidant and amazing cast (including a S&M-clad Kristen Bell), assured direction and a persuasively compelling depiction of the dynamic and appealing score, REEFER MADNESS is a gem. An emerald, as it were.
#7 - INTO THE WOODS
Although the first act of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's fairy tale-themed musical is much like its Brothers Grimm predecessors, the second act turns seriously sinister - and the effect on the audience is severe; and outright intentional. Furthermore, particularly as seen in the 2002 revival, the malevolent nature of the Witch is spine-tinglingly scary, particularly when she holds a newborn baby for ransom. Now, go to the wood!
#6 - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Based on Gaston Leroux's seminal story of a disfigured musical genius and the opera soprano for whom he pines, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA possesses not only one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's finest and most recognizable scores, but also features some of the most visually arresting and unique staging ever created by master theatre director Hal Prince. The music of the night has rung out for nearly 30 years for very good reason, and, as PHANTOM 25 proved, it seems destined to continue.
#5 - LOVE NEVER DIESAndrew Lloyd Webber's follow-up to the biggest entertainment hit of all time (including TV and movies) was destined to be compared to its musical forebear, yet LOVE NEVER DIES is its own thing. While PHANTOM had its fair share of Parisian scares, LOVE NEVER DIES moves the action to Coney Island in order to shine a light on some of the side show freaks and strange experiments conducted by the mysterious figure known only as Mr. Y. Give yourself over to the beauty underneath to find out more.
#4 - CARRIE
Musicalizing Stephen King's iconic tale of a put-upon high school outcast who exacts bloody prom night revenge on her tormentors was a dicey proposition back in the early 1980s when Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford began work on the musical CARRIE, but time has been incredibly kind to the instantly likable and at times exhilarating score for the show. Without a doubt, "And Eve Was Weak" is as emotionally and dramatically powerful as theatre duets get - and pretty bloody fantastic, too.
#3 - WICKEDStephen Schwartz showed an affinity for giving voice to the outcasts with his work with Alan Menken on THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, but perhaps no musical sings for the underdog quite as memorably and persuasively as WICKED does. While the Oz-ian inspiration may get audiences interested, it is the sweeping score and touching story at the core that keep them coming back time and time again. Although the title may be WICKED, the show seems destined to be on Broadway for good.
#2 - DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES
Iconic rock mastermind Jim Steinman created one of the most epic and extreme musical scores ever heard on Broadway or anywhere else with this indescribable, entrancing and fearlessly idiosyncratic musical based on the Roman Polanski comedic horror classic THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS, veering from elegiac pop to Wagnerian opera to heavy metal to club-thumping techno to "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" itself (after all, he wrote it). Turn around, bright eyes (and Michael Crawford fans).
#1 - SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
The greatest musical of the last 50 years, no contest. Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler make literal, actual magic out of thin air from the second the organ prelude begins and the factory whistle shrieks through to Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett rising from the grave for one final "Ballad Of Sweeney Todd". This is as good as musicals get - and as equal-parts moving, scary, bloody, tragic and true to life, too.
So, what is your absolute favorite horror-themed musical? Furthermore, what thrilling or chilling musical will you be revisiting this Halloween? With a list this varied and rich, any selection is sure to incite some fright - and some fun, too.
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