Halloween is creeping around the corner, and with it is the traditional orchestra Spooktacular. This year, the Spooktacular takes place Saturday, October 28, starting 7:00 pm at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center. The orchestra will be dressing up in costumes and the audience is encouraged to dress up as well for trick-or-treating in the lobby after the concert. When asked about her costume for this year, Dr. Haney replied that she wasn’t sure yet. “In the past I’ve been a pencil, a crayon, and a nurse, but I’m planning on being something scarier this year.”

The tradition of the Spooktacular started fifteen years ago. It was a light-hearted Halloween themed concert with a costume dress code for orchestra members. However, the Spooktacular has evolved a bit since then.

The entire orchestra is now aiming for a darker angle. While some of the traditional songs will remain a part of the repertoire, such as Phantom of the Opera and the Addams Family Theme, the orchestra is bringing out some new, spookier songs this year. Examples include Zombie Intruders by Kirk Vogel and The Ghost of John, a traditional piece arranged by Susan C. Brown. When asked about her opinion on the pieces this year, Neha Shetty (‘19) remarked that while they were not what she expected, she believes the orchestra will still do a good job of performing them. The orchestra will also be playing softer pieces, such as Memory of Autumn and Lonesome Valley. Classical pieces will be included as well, examples being Hebrides Overture by Felix Mendelssohn and Waltz No. 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich. Finally, for Harry Potter fans, the orchestra plans to play a couple selections from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

In addition to new pieces, the orchestra has decided to incorporate some new stage effects and professional performances. Stas Venglevski, a world renowned accordion player, will accompany the orchestra on some of their pieces and perform a few of his own. The orchestra will also be inviting a guest ballerina to perform during one of the pieces. Also in the program is “House of Untold Horrors”, a narrated spooky story with sound effects from the orchestra. While the story will contain some scary elements, it is promised to be kid-friendly. As Dr. Haney mentioned, “[The orchestra is] going for scary this year, but a kid-friendly, funny scary.”

The orchestra will also have a couple of additions in the lobby. One is a haunted house. The haunted house will be set-up in the back of the lobby area, near the fireplace. Neha Shetty (‘19) and Anna Field (‘19) are acting as witches and will also be greeting audience members at the theater doors. When asked about her thoughts on being a witch, Shetty replied, “I think it’s quite cool because we get to sit there and scare people.” When asked on her thoughts concerning the Spooktacular itself, Shetty commented, “In freshmen year, it was my first year so I didn’t really know what to expect. In my sophomore year, the concert was pretty much the same as the year before, so I was really just playing for the sake of playing. This year … we have newer and scarier music, more engaging stage effects, and a scary story.”
Overall, this year’s Spooktacular promises to live up to its name. As Shetty said, “Come to the Spooktacular! It’s going to be a fun time.”