Brooklyn HalloweenThe Best Halloween show in Brooklyn

Production for this year’s show has officially begun! This year we are building a much needed stage so everyone can see.  We have to build it in sections so we can store it and re-use it year after year. So….that is where we have started. We spent yesterday planning and framing out the base of the stage. It’s going to be round 19 feet long, 12feet deep and between 24″- 32″ high. Should be good. Anyway…..HERE WE GO!!!

Robert

So. It is already July and we have a show planned for this year. Now…it’s time to get to work on it. The storyline, then the set and props to be built. Not to mention who is playing what and searching for another actor. This year we will be using all wireless mics so the sound system needs to be taken care of too. The paperwork for shutting down the block to traffic, donations for the show and especially for candy. The camera persons. Etc, etc.

Yes, while others are thinking of picnics, fireworks, the beach and other summer things I am thinking of monsters, and the like. Eh….who am I fooling. Not a day goes by that I don;t think of monsters! Right now I am in the midst (when I can find the time) of building a very large diorama containing 50 classic monster characters. It is 8 feet long and almost 3 feet deep. Wish it would be ready to display this year, but it won’t even be close to finished. This is a LONG term project. All of the characters are highly detailed garage kits (models) that have to be assembled and painted to painstaking detail. The diorama itself………… laboratory, groundcover, tombs, dungeons, machines, buildings, lights etc are mostly scatchbuilt. Planning the thing out so it looks good and pleasing to the eye. Then having it sort of make sense in a crazy kind of way takes a lot of thought. Here are some videos of the progress from a couple of months ago. They are crude (just me holding a Flip camera) but it gives an idea of the concept I hope!

Robert

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At long last. here is the video from last year’s show.  If you were there you can relive the experience. If you weren’t then thrill to the spectacle, and sheer terror of   GIANT MONSTER: ALL OUT ATTACK SHOWDOWN!

Crushed cardboard, bent foam core, burst balloons, costume fragments, black dust, wires, lights, monsters, paint, confetti and all sorts of other mess are being thrown out. Lots of cleaning up to do. What a crowd we had! They either watched the show, took pics of the monsters or listened to the band. What will we ever do to top it? That’s a good question. Until the video is done here are a few cool pics of some of the stars of the show.

Best,

Robert

King Kong!

1962 Godzilla

We did it! Smaller budget, rain, less time………..we still got it done. A great Halloween show. I don’t know how, but every year, no matter how crummy the weather may be during the week, we get good conditions for the Halloween show. The big rain held off until we literally closed the curtain on the last show. It began pouring and we just made it! Amazing!Thank goodness we decided to hold the show under a roof this year. The garage made an impressive stage.

First off I (we) have to thank everyone that helped, and pitched in.  Everyone who donated money and candy. Raymond at Thai 101 for donating the food. The candy helpers, crowd controllers, and “costume contest” people. Danny (my next door neighbor) for the use of his place. The Clinton Hill Society, and Roslyn Huebner for organizing the Halloween walk, the parents and kids who came out to support us, and of course the cast and crew. More details and photos to come. I posted a couple of quick photos for now.

Robert

This years show was somehow more fantastic then the last. Thanks to everyone who made it happen. Below are some photos from the big day. Check back in the weeks to come for more great photos, and the upcoming video from the show.

[View with PicLens]

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Well this is it.  Halloween day.  The undead are already rising from their tombs.  Dracula is sleeping restlessly waiting for the sun to drop.  I saw a werewolf over at Trader Vic’s and his hair was perfect. And most important of all, in a few hours, deep in the heart of Clinton Hill Brooklyn, three monsters, King Ghidorah, Godzilla and our hometown hero King Kong will duke it out.

Be sure to be here when it happens.  First show starts at 6:45.  See you there!

Held final rehearsals last night. Everything is coming together, although there are a ton of last minute things/fixes to do. Do you have a costume together? Are you ready to go? I think I will sleep deeply after tomorrow evening. Everyone else is excited and chomping at the bit to put on an entertaining show.  Keep checking back here s tomorrow will be one more post before the madness begins. Then a post show post on Sunday. Or….if I am up to it a late night post on Halloween! Maybe some pics too. In the meantime here is our listing n the New York Times.

If you stop by for the show please stop by here and let us know what you thought. It would be great to hear from you all out there. So much work goes into the show that  we become sort of isolated. Let us hear from you.

On that note ………..HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

Best,

Robert

Oh the rain, the rain. We are becoming very glad that we decided to move this years show to a “garage” stage. The set will be covered, and the show goes on. However, the press never stops and we are featured in a blog post on the New York Times website.

Last night was a very successful rehearsal. Things are really flowing now.  We are all getting excited.  Lots of monster fighting, music and sound effects. Ghidorah attacks, Kong intervenes, Godzilla arrives to help, and lots more.

Dressing for rehearsal

If the weather is agreeable there will be 6 theater style seats directly in the front.  Front row seats, yes they are from a real, and defunct, movie theater. Before each and every show there will also be a costume contest. The crowd will be the judge, and the winners get a DVD of an old B monster movie.

And as always we live by one rule only. No costume, no candy! You must have put some kind of effort into a costume if you want any candy at our Halloween show. It is after all Trick or Treat.