Halloween forays in Charleston can be as erudite or culturally entertaining as they are eerie.
As you book, be sure to also behold the creative displays in neighborhoods, such as the peninsula, Riverland Terrace and Sweetleaf Lane in Johns Island, for residential displays that are sure to impress – and maybe distress. Then go boldly to check out edgy theater, world-class music, top-notch ballet and cinematic spins.
Spooky tunes
Oct. 23, 7 p.m.: At Halloween Hijinx is vintage hot jazz, macabre melodies and mind-bending illusions with the V-Tones, Charleston’s only ukulele jug band, and the Palmetto Choral Collective’s Peace Choir (adult choir). A wicked setlist of creepy jazz classics like Witchcraft, Mack the Knife and I Put a Spell On You. Fox Music House, 4248 Dorchester Rd., North Charleston, More: PalmettoChoralCollective.org
Oct 25, 6 p.m.: Ghostbusters in Concert brings on the beloved 1984 classic film to a live orchestral performance of Academy Award-winning composer Elmer Bernstein’s spine-tingling score, fully synced to the movie presented on a large HD cinema screen. Charleston Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun St. More: gaillardcenter.org
Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m. Charleston Symphony presents The Witching Hour, an evening of gothic elegance, haunting film scores and Broadway thrills conducted by Yuriy Bekker and featuring vocalists Morgan James and Hugh Panaro in a spine-tingling evening of symphonic grandeur. Charleston Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun St. More: charlestonsymphony.org
Bone-chilling ballet
Oct 24 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 25 at 3 p.m.: Palmetto City Ballet presents a perennially popular dance of doom, transforming Bram Stoker’s legendary tale into a sweeping, visceral experience. College of Charleston Sottile Theatre, 44 George St., More: palmettocityballet.org
Oct. 29 and 30, 7:30 p.m.: South Carolina Ballet returns to Charleston with its longstanding production of Dracula: Ballet with a Bite, promising a suspenseful, seductive evening of gothic spectacle. Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St. More: charlestonmusichall.com
Dark theater
Oct. 23 at 8 p.m; Oct. 24 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Oct. 25, at 3 p.m.: ALONE … Tales from Edgar Allan Poe. Daniel Hall Kuhn’s acclaimed multimedia solo production returns to the Lowcountry with a theatrical journey through Poe’s poetry and fiction. Kuhn portrays Poe’s narrators and characters—not Poe himself, in the 55-minute program featuring “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” “Alone” and more. Old Trolley Theatre, 102 Old Trolley Rd. Summerville. More: alonetalesfromedgarallanpoe.ticketspice.com
Through Oct. 31, various times: The Footlight Players presents Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors, a “Bram-new” comedy you can really sink your teeth into. Filled with clever wordplay and anything-goes pop culture references, it’s a 90-minute, gender-bending, quick-changing, laugh-out-loud reimagining of the gothic classic, perfect for audiences of all blood types. Queen Street Playhouse, 20 Queen St. More: footlightplayers.net
Movie mayhem
Oct 25, 6 p.m., with doors open at 5:30 p.m. American Gardens Movies in the Park presents Hocus Pocus. Bring a blanket, grab your people and enjoy a free outdoor movie night under the stars at American Gardens. Local vendors and family activities kick things off at 5:30 p.m.. American Gardens, 174 King St. More: americangardenschs.com
Oct. 23 and 24, 10 p.m.: The Rocky Horror Picture Show features the Absent Friends live shadow cast for the full Rocky experience, with games, virgin sacrifices, prizes, thrills, chills and more. Terrace Theater, 1956D Maybank Highway. More: facebook.com/CharlestonsAbsentFriends or terracetheater.com
Oct. 25, 7 p.m.: Charleston Music Hall teams with College of Charleston Center Stage for its own lively live shadow cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with the theme this year of burlesque. Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St. More: charlestonmusichall.com
Ghostly guides
There’s no better way to converge Charleston’s rich and fascinating history with its bygone personalities who are known to linger around. Here are some standouts.
Buxton Books Ghosts of Charleston tour is the longstanding, artfully narrated spirit guide, founded by Julian Buxton and operated out of Buxton Books. His rigorously researched book, The Ghosts of Charleston, is available at the store. 160 King St. More: buxtonbooks.com
Explore Charleston Harbor with Charleston Tours’ ghost tour of tales of lost fortunes, pirate ship and tragic deaths while riding Charleston’s dark waves. Charleston Maritime Center, 10 Wharfside St. More: sandlappertours.com
The Edgar Allan Poe tour by Old Charleston Walking Tours is a must for fans of Poe, whose brief time in Charleston became connected to some of his most enduring stories. Tours every day at 3 p.m. Starts from Washington Square Park behind City Hall, 80 Broad St. More: oldcharlestontours.com
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