As fall settles over Philadelphia, the city’s arts scene is embracing the season with a distinctly spooky twist.
The Walnut Street Theatre is kicking off its 218th season with 'The Addams Family: The Musical.' This version of the popular story will bring everyone’s favorite “creepy, kooky clan to the stage for a gloriously offbeat comedy about love, family, secrets and meeting your daughter’s 'normal' boyfriend".
Previews begin Sept. 22 and performances will run Sept. 30 through Nov. 1.
Halloween is also a great time to nab tickets: Walnut Street’s Hallo-Week will feature special performances and deals from Oct. 28 to 31, including $28 mezzanine seats, a free youth option with a full-price adult ticket, date-night packages and an Addams After Dark Halloween performance with $10 drink specials. All tickets (various pricing) are available online.
825 Walnut St., walnutstreettheatre.org
Earlier this year, the Philadelphia Magic Gardens opened ‘Viviendo a Través de la Muerte (Living Through Death)’ in their indoor gallery space. Open now through Nov. 8, the new exhibition by Mexican multidisciplinary artist Ivette Chaires features sculptures inspired by Día de los Muertos. The showcase highlights Chaires’ use of cartonería, a traditional Mexican papier-mâché technique used to create expressive forms.
Alongside its gallery exhibitions, the space will also continue to offer immersive programs for Philadelphians and visitors, like Twilight in the Gardens. Held on the fourth Friday of each month through October, the Twilight events invite locals to experience the colorful venue after hours through live music, art activities and picnicking among Zagar’s vibrant mosaics.
1020 South St., phillymagicgardens.org
For two nights only, the historic USS Olympia will become the setting for ‘The Secret of the Olympia’ with Frank Horror, an “immersive descent into mystery, madness and cosmic terror.” Set for Oct. 10 and 11, guests can step aboard the oldest warship in the country and become investigators tasked with solving the disappearance of an entire naval crew from 1922.
Visitors will be able to navigate through the vessel and take on roles (like detective, journalist or even an occult scholar) to find clues and solve the mystery.
Created and directed by local horror veteran Frank Horror, the experience blends interactive theater, escape rooms, live role-playing, haunted attractions and murder-mystery elements into an investigation where “no two experiences are exactly alike.” The event is strictly limited to guests 18 and older. Tickets (via Bucketlisters) start around $70; a VIP option is also available with extra perks.
211 S. Columbus Blvd, bucketlisters.com
Schreiben the Conjurer and Envoute Entertainment will present a strictly limited engagement of ‘Kaidan: Tales of Moonlight and Rain’, following a successful run at Plays and Players during last Fringe season. As the company notes, this weekend’s set of performances moves beyond the traditional theater setting and into the historic Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center in Fairmount Park — a setting fit for a show based in Japanese ghost stories and eerie illusions.
Schreiben the Conjurer will lead the performance as narrator and medium. The show will take place on Sept. 18 and 19, with intimate performances scheduled at 7 and 9 p.m. each evening. Capacity is strictly limited, with reservations required. Proceeds from ticket sales (starting at $68 via Bucketlisters) will support Shofuso’s ongoing upkeep, programs and renovations.
Lansdowne and Horticultural Drives, japanphilly.org/shofuso
Adventure Aquarium’s Fintastic Pumpkin Glow returns this weekend. Running Sept. 18 through Nov. 1, the series will once again showcase glowing pumpkins “of all shapes, sizes and species” floating alongside sharks, rays and other aquatic animals. This year also brings a massive candy corn installation in the Rotunda, a colorful pumpkin-themed light wall for photos, a new ‘Sea-sons of Change: Fall Migration’ program, and an immersive diver’s-eye video view of the underwater pumpkin displays.
Locals can also look forward to the return of the Aquarium’s Paint-A-Pumpkin activities and live underwater pumpkin carving, plus the “Bones or No Bones” animal skeleton show, a Meet the Divers event and festive fall décor throughout the space. Seasonal treats will also be served up on site.
For little ones ages 2–5, families can also take advantage of the Pre-K Kid’s Adventure Pass, offering free, unlimited Aquarium admission for a year. Tickets (starting around $32) are available online.
1 Riverside Drive, Camden, New Jersey, adventureaquarium.com
This fall, the Sanderson Sisters are trading Salem for suburban Philadelphia. Without a Cue Productions and Pops McCann Whiskey are teaming up for the area’s first-ever Hocus Pocus Speakeasy. The seasonal theatrical pop-up will feature eight weeks of “mayhem, mixology and mischief”, with shows set to run in Montgomery County now through Nov. 8 in a space that the release notes is “already rumored to be haunted by the ghost of teen spirits.”
Beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays, these immersive performances will combine entertainment, games, singalongs and opportunities for plenty of audience participation. Guests will also have access to elaborate decorations, photo opportunities, and a bar serving a selection of witchy-themed “potions.” The shows are for adults only (21+) and anyone is welcome to dress up in theme for the occasion.
Performance-only tickets (via Eventbrite) are $35 plus tax and box office fees, while a table for eight is available for $240 (plus tax and fees). Guests looking to take their night to the next level can also opt for VIP admission at $75, which includes the performance, early entry, a toast with the witches, a bonus musical number, a photo with the cast, premium seating, a souvenir glass and a flight of three themed cocktails or mocktails.
230 Montgomery Mall, North Wales, withoutacue.com
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