By Marilyn Lester***The Halloween cabaret party hosted by The Green Room 42, Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun, couldn’t help but bring to mind the opening lines of “The Addams Family” TV show of the 1960s: “They’re creepy and they’re kooky, Mysterious and spooky…” This
festive celebration of Halloween was indeed “spooktacular,” with a mega-cast of youthful singers (see image below) eager to perform their best. So, while others might be enjoying the gore and the darker side of the day in say, Blood Manor, the atmosphere in the GR42 was decidedly in the manor of innocent and joyous fun.
Presented by Moore Productions (“cabarets with unique concepts”), and with Franklyn Stark as music director, the cast embraced the spirit of the holiday with bags full of tuneful treats. Quickly paced, the costumed sin
gers each took the stage in succession, offering an array of spooky and fun songs, and some a little scary too. Among the dozen-plus tunes were nicely-curated gems such as the perfect opener in “This Is Halloween” (Danny Elfman) from the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas, followed by Rockwell’s oh-so-creepy 1983 “Somebody’s Watching Me.” On the purely fun side, Ray Parker’s 1984 title theme from Ghostbusters was total fun, inviting audience participation.
In 1965, singer-songwriter Nina Simone released a studio album, I Put a Spell on You. Listen to her version of the title song for chills that run up and down the spine; the tune was a perfect choice for this Halloween ghouls night out. Likewise, could any spooktacular be complete without Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” (Rod Temperton)? 
For those clued into Little Shop of Horrors, the impassioned and innocent rendition of “Grow for Me” (Alan Menken, Howard Ashman) evoked a macabre knowing. And for that party feel, the troupe gleefully sang the hilarious “Monster Mash” (Bobby “Boris” Pickett), which was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five days just before Halloween 1962.
By the end of Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun, what had been created was a clever Halloween song cycle. Not only was there musical magic but the show was a great opportunity for young talent to try out their skills in a creative, supportive way—and have fun doing it.
