Curtain Up, Lights Down: Halloween Theatre Along the Wasatch Front
A man-eating plant, a ghost who won't stay buried, a family that thinks a graveyard is a fine place for a picnic. This Halloween season, some of the best scares (and laughs) on the Wasatch Front are happening on stage.
Haunted houses and corn mazes get most of the attention this time of year, but local theatres have quietly built one of the best Halloween lineups in years. From a professional Broadway-style musical at the University of Utah to a two-actor ghost story in South Salt Lake, there's a show for every level of fright, from "fine for the kids" to "maybe leave the lights on tonight."
Here's where to find the Halloween spirit on stage, with age guidance so you can plan the right night out.
Feed Me: Little Shop of Horrors, Three Ways
Seymour, a meek flower-shop clerk, discovers a strange plant that brings him fame, fortune and the girl of his dreams. The catch: it runs on human blood. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's doo-wop horror-comedy is the unofficial musical of the season, and the Wasatch Front has three productions to choose from.
Pioneer Theatre Company — Salt Lake City. The biggest of the three, a full professional production co-produced with Arizona Theatre Company, opening just in time for Halloween. October 23–November 7 • Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, University of Utah Get tickets →
The Ziegfeld Theater — South Ogden and Park City. Ogden's Ziegfeld stages its version at home, then takes Audrey II up the canyon to Park City's historic Egyptian Theatre for Halloween week. The Park City run is rated PG-13 and recommended for ages 13 and up. South Ogden: October 16–31 • zigarts.com → Park City: October 28–November 1 • Egyptian Theatre, Main Street • Get tickets →
Draper Historic Theatre — Draper. The most intimate of the three, in one of the valley's oldest community theatres. Final weekend. Closes October 24 • Get tickets →
The Scariest Show in Town: The Woman in Black
If you want genuine chills, this is the one. Stephen Mallatratt's adaptation of Susan Hill's ghost story is one of the longest-running plays in London's West End history, and it proves you don't need special effects to frighten an audience — just two actors, a nearly bare stage and your own imagination. A man haunted by a terrible experience in a remote English village hires an actor to help him tell the story, and the line between performance and reality begins to slip.
Parker Theatre brings it back for a third straight year by popular demand.
October 23–November 7 • Parker Theatre, South Salt Lake • Ages 10 and up; no babies or toddlers Get tickets →
Spooky, Kooky and Family-Friendly: The Addams Family
Wednesday Addams has grown up and fallen for a nice boy from a respectable Ohio family — and invited his parents to dinner. All Gomez and Morticia have to do is act normal for one night, which is exactly what the Addamses cannot do. This Broadway musical comedy is the best pick on the list for families with younger kids who want Halloween fun without the nightmares.
Through October 31 • The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater, Pleasant Grove Get tickets →
Horror Meets Jazz Hands: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals
What happens when a small town catches a musical pandemic, and residents can't stop bursting into song? From StarKid Productions, the team behind A Very Potter Musical, this horror-comedy follows one ordinary guy trying to survive the apocalypse before the choreography gets him too. It's a cult favorite with younger theatre fans.
October 29–November 1 • West Valley Performing Arts Center Performances Oct. 29–31 are recommended for ages 8 and up. The Nov. 1 performance is uncensored and recommended for adults only. Get tickets →
For Thriller Fans
Wait Until Dark — West Valley Arts. A blind woman alone in her apartment realizes the men around her are running an elaborate con, so she turns out the lights and makes them play on her terms. Frederick Knott's classic 1966 thriller is edge-of-your-seat stuff. Final weekend. Closes October 24 • West Valley Performing Arts Center • Get tickets →
Ken Ludwig's Moriarty — Hale Centre Theatre. Not a ghost story, but a fog-and-gaslight Sherlock Holmes mystery is right at home this time of year. Holmes and Watson face the criminal mastermind who has haunted the detective's career, in a fast-moving thriller full of disguises and double-crosses. Through November 14 • Jewel Box Stage, Hale Centre Theatre, Sandy • Get tickets →
Quick Guide: Which Show Is Right for You?
Best for young kids: The Addams Family (The Ruth)
Biggest production: Little Shop of Horrors (Pioneer Theatre Company)
Most genuinely scary: The Woman in Black (Parker Theatre)
Best for teens: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals (West Valley Arts)
Best date night: Little Shop of Horrors at Park City's Egyptian Theatre, with dinner on Main Street
Last chance (closing October 24): Wait Until Dark and Draper's Little Shop of Horrors
Looking for more ways to celebrate the season? See our full guide to Utah Halloween Events, and browse every play and musical along the Wasatch Front on our Theatre pages.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI.