Pratfalls and Other Serious Business
with Megan Loughran
Many people don’t know that New York City’s Broadway theatres participate in a long-standing tradition of stage door trick-or-treating.
Come October 31st, anyone can don a Halloween costume and knock on any Broadway stage door, at which point the trick-or-treater will be given a fun-size candy and a quick audition. Here’s what to expect this year:
The treat: Green apple licorice
What to prepare: “Your best 16 bars, with a contrasting selection — if asked.”
The treat: Marshmallow ghosts
To prepare: “Seeking replacements for ensemble singers with ballet skills. Self-choreograph a 30-second ghost dance. Please make sure we can see your feet, even though this is not traditional for ghosts.”
The treat: Edible red sequins
To prepare: “16 bars of ‘Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun’ or another Cindy Lauper song with a Halloween pun wedged in.”
**Not participating, British people do not have Halloween.**
The treat: Paydays
Looking to see: “16 bars of ‘The Circle of Life’ as sung to a small pumpkin you have carved into Simba.”
The treat: Tony-award shaped popcorn balls
To prepare: “A self-written monologue of 60 seconds or less about the unusual experience of growing up in a funeral home and/or being in a show with so many women on the creative team.”
The treat: Bars of actual gold
To prepare: “Please sing the entire score from start to finish, for we know you can.”
Please note: none of this is real. (I was told I had to add this to prevent people from bringing Simba pumpkins to the Minskoff, or thinking they could digest sequins.)
