Interview: Isabella Fox, Mik Motta, Brendan Hale, Daniel James Roth, Maddy Morgan of ENCHANTE SOIREE CHATEAU at Valleyfair

Tricks and Treats: Halloween for Everyone!

Valleyfair's Tricks and Treats is a gotta-be-there Halloween event packed with fun and family-friendly eeriness. From little goblins to grown-up ghouls, everyone will find ghastly great things to do for Halloween. Plus, we’ve got skeleTONS of delicious seasonal treats, drinks and, of course, candy!

There’s so much to see and do at Tricks and Treats! When you arrive, do you dare explore the Land of Tricks, promising playfully spooky, gross, and weird adventures? Or do you stroll the charming boulevards of the Land of Treats with all the nostalgia of a cozy fall festival?

The Land of Tricks offers two realms with everything slimy, sinister, and strange: Ickyville and Spooky Spires.

The Land of Treats includes two uniquely festive areas: Everfall and Sweet Tooth Acres.

If that’s not fang-tastic enough, our most popular rides are open during the Halloween event to deliver the amazing thrills and chills found only at Valleyfair.

We chat with actors and cast members of Enchante Soiree Chateau  about the experience and Valley Fair Tricks and Treats! 

Enchanted Soiree was directed by Liz Muller and written by C.E. Simon and Liz Mulle

Isabella Fox (Collette)

Mik Motta (Headmistress)

Brendan Hale (Footman)

Daniel James Roth (Al the Alchemist)

Maddy Morgan (Agatha the Witch)

What is your favorite part about Tricks and Treats at Valleyfair?

Isabella: 

My favorite part about Tricks and Treats at Valleyfair is how closely they paid attention to detail in each land. Each land is so distinct and magical in completely different ways. There is something for everyone when it comes to your favorite parts of Halloween. Is your favorite part the sweets or the spookiness of the holiday? Well there is a land for each of those types of people. 

Mik: 

My favorite part about Tricks and Treats is how different each land within the park is. You're going to have a completely different experience with The Sugar Scouts in Sweet Tooth Acre than you're going to have with The Clean-Up crew in Ickyville, which creates such a fun, dynamic atmosphere. 

Brendan: 

I have always been a fan of Halloween since I was little, though I was always REALLY scared of haunted houses or even the Goosebumps movies. My favorite thing about Tricks and Treats is that it has something for everyone. While it is a family friendly event, you still get to experience all the different types of joy of the season whether it's getting candy, showing off the costumes, or the scary stuff. While our experience in the Chateau is not designed to be scary, it still gives guests a bit of the creepy side of things, which I think is really special. 

Daniel: 

I love how accessible the entertainment is. It is so enjoyable walking around the park and meeting the characters, seeing the shows, and exploring the different lands throughout the park. Tricks and Treats is so engaging and interactive, which I personally find so thrilling.

Maddy: 

I enjoy interacting with all of the people that come through the Chateau and seeing their different reactions to each character and room that they enter! 

What do you enjoy about being an actor and playing your character at the Enchante Soiree at the Chateau? 

Isabella: 

My favorite part about playing Collette in the Enchante Soirée at the Chateau is being able to work so closely with the guests that come through. At the Chateau every group gets an intimate performance that is personalized for each guest. It’s truly wonderful to be able to watch each guest become more entranced and enchanted as they come through my room and their excitement as they walk into the next one. 

Mik: 

What I enjoy most about being an actor and playing my character at the Enchante Soiree is that every time you perform it's going to be different. This is especially true in the Chateau as it is interactive theatre, where we have a script but also the opportunity to engage with guests who are interacting with us. 

Brendan: 

Like many in the industry, I have always loved performing since the first chance I had to do so. What I think is so special and useful for performers in an attraction like ours, is the use of different actor muscles throughout the day. We may have a script and a path to follow, but we never know what types of guests we will get with every group that comes through. So, by design, we get to have a completely different show every time based on our audience. We get to interact with all types of people in many different ways while giving them a super cool interactive experience. As for my character specifically, I play the Footman, one of two tour guides, and have the honor of being with each group for most of their time inside the Chateau. It is truly a delight to see the groups as they enter from the line with worry, fear, dread, excitement, or just a big smile and then to see how they change throughout their journey. One of the most notable experiences so far was one child who was a bit scared at the beginning but stayed for the whole experience. When I left the group before their final part of the journey, I heard them say to their dad "I am not scared any more, I LOVE this!". We have such an amazing opportunity to connect with these guests and, for that, I am grateful everyday. 

Daniel:

I get to have fun interacting with guests all day, making people laugh or have a good memory as they come through the Chateau. And because our show is interactive, no two performances are the same, so I'm constantly having fun interacting with kids and families in new ways. Because there is no "fourth wall", it's so refreshing to be able to actually talk to the people enjoying our show and adjust our performance in real time to fit the experience of the people around us.

Maddy:

I play ‘Agatha’ the enchanting witch who sings a ghostly song to get you to stay in the chateau and never leave! My favorite part is dancing around and popping bubbles with the little ones that come through. It is so rewarding to see the joy and surprise on their faces.

What do you hope attendees take away from the Enchante Soiree at the Chateau experience?

Isabella: 

I hope people are able to experience a sense of wonder as they come through the Chateau. Halloween is all about pretending and being able to play as a child or an adult. The Enchante Soirée gives people the opportunity to be placed in that world of whimsy. 

Mik: 

I hope all attendants regardless of age walk away with a little more belief in magic than they did before, regardless of age. I want adults to rediscover the fun and magic we all felt as kids, and I want the kids to be in awe of the magic we are creating.  

Brendan: 

Everyone that comes through so far never really knows what to expect. Some people think it is a traditional haunted house while others just think it sounds like something fun to do. Once inside, we get to build an entire world for these guests and follow a super cool story. I would hope that attendees, whether they knew what they were getting into or not, walk away with a smile on their face. While that sounds simple,  immersive theatre is such a cool concept and has so few limitations so the guests of Valleyfair are truly getting a unique experience! 

Daniel:

I hope that people really get to feel immersed in the house, and feel like they are PART of the experience, not just watching. It's the best feeling when we interact with a guest who engages with us and interacts back (in a respectful manner, of course).

Maddy:

I hope all who enter the Chateau leave feeling like they were just transported to another world or dimension. The script and songs all encapsulate such magic and wonder almost as if you were traveling through Hogwarts!

What is your favorite part about Halloween? 

Isabella: 

My favorite part of Halloween are the activities and events that lead up to the holiday itself. I love watching spooky movies, going to pick out a pumpkin, picking out and planning costume ideas. All these things put you in such a festive mood that when Halloween night approaches you are able to be the spookiest version of yourself. Halloween to me isn’t just one day it’s a whole season and it happens to be my favorite season of the year. 

Mik: 

I wasn't allowed to celebrate Halloween as a child, so the whole holiday feels pretty magical to me. My favorite part would have to be the fun excuse to get in costume and coordinate with your friends and see what everyone else is wearing as well. 

Brendan: 

Now, as for Halloween in general, I LOVE all the scary stuff. I finally got over my fears of all things scary in highschool and became really interested in horror movies and haunted houses. So much so, I had started making a collection of Halloweeen decor and would decorate our house every year. Sometimes I would even dress up in a scary costume and do my makeup to hand out candy and startle the tick or treaters. I think there is such a unique beauty to all things Halloween and that's what makes it so interesting to me. Valleyfair has done such a great job of capturing all aspects of the season that I think guests can really find something to enjoy when they visit for Tricks and Treats this year. Come visit us at the Chateau!

Daniel:

I have a huge sweet tooth, so I always love candy. I'm also always excited to see what creative costume ideas people come up with. I especially love seeing a good homemade costume.

Maddy:

Ever since I was little the best part for me has been picking out my costume and pretending to be a different person for the night. A typical theatre kid answer right?!

Thank you Isabella, Mik, Brendan, Daniel, and Maddy for your time!

For additional information and to purchase tickets for "Tricks and Treats" and the "Enchante Soiree" at Chateau , kindly click the ticket link button provided below.

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