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Don’t Like Horror Movies? Here Are Some Halloween-y Musicals To Watch In October

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Casper Libero chapter.

Halloween is the perfect time for horror fans to marathon all the scariest movies in theaters, but if you’re not a fan of this type of film, here are some musicals to watch in October and have no trouble sleeping at night.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The animation produced by Tim Burton tells the story of Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween, who is tired of the routine of Halloween Town, the house of all the figures characteristic of Halloween. During a walk in the middle of the night, he accidentally arrives in Christmas Town and falls in love with the place. Jack then decides to hatch a plan to take over Santa’s place. 
The feature film is in stop motion style, just like the Halloween classic Coraline, but much less scary. The movie is also a musical and its soundtrack was created by Danny Elfman, who was responsible for the soundtrack of other great Tim Burton films such as Alice in Wonderland and Corpse Bride.

Beetlejuice

The film starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, which got a sequel this year, also has a musical version for the theater stage. 

The play, based on the film Beetlejuice, premiered on October 14, 2018, at the National Theatre in Washington, and from 2019 to 2020 it was presented on Broadway stages. As well as having its songs written by Eddie Perfect, the musical has already been nominated for Tony Awards.

CORPSE BRIDE

Another Tim Burton movie loved by Halloween fans to watch at this time of year is Corpse Bride. 

Also in stop motion style, the feature film tells the story of Victor, who is anxious about his arranged marriage and ends up meeting another girl, Emily, an undead bride who has been murdered. Thinking that Victor has just proposed to her, Emily takes him to the world of the dead, but the two must return as quickly as possible to prevent Victor’s betrothed, Victoria, from marrying another man. 

Corpse Bride, like The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a musical and, as mentioned before, both have soundtracks by Danny Elfman. 

INTO THE WOODS

The movie produced by Walt Disney tells the story of a baker who wants to have a child with his wife, but, because of a curse placed on her father, they are unable to fulfill this dream. To end the curse, the couple needs to find a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, a lock of hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. During this search, the baker and his wife meet other characters who are also looking for a happy ending. 

As well as bringing together big Hollywood names such as Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp, the film also has a slightly darker aesthetic and story than the Disney princess cartoons, but less terrifying than the original versions of the fairy tales.

CONCLUSION

Although musical films aren’t the first thing we think of when we talk about Halloween, these films manage to bring together the world of scares, without being terrifying, and music. That’s why we hope you’ve enjoyed our recommendations and will enjoy the Halloween season!

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The article above was edited by Marina di Bernardo Babichak.

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Isabela Ortiz

Casper Libero '27

Estudante de jornalismo na Cásper Líbero, apaixonada por Fórmula 1 e vôlei. Desde pequena adoro discutir sobre filmes e série, além de ter aulas de danças quando pequena o que me fez desenvolver um grande amor pela atividade e por música.