Let's Get Spooky

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! No, I'm not talking about Christmas. If I had it my way, Halloween would be our nation's number one holiday, and the Miss Saigon again) those who are about to be undead salute you! It's Alive! They thought the beast long dead. It had clawed its way into the city, its slobbering maw devouring all who stood in its path, its talons sinking deep into the earth, rending and destroying. The beast was reviled and fought against bravely, but all who stood against it were defeated. In the end, the beast succumbed to its own ceaseless hunger, devouring itself from the inside out until it crumbled at our feet, a wizened husk presiding silently over the earth it had razed. But now, there is a stirring. The corpse is beginning to move! I am speaking, of course, of Block E. This ill-fated attempt to bring retail back to downtown Minneapolis has been bleeding tenants for most of its operation and is now largely empty; but if you've traveled down Hennepin Avenue lately, you may have noticed some curious words on the now-defunct movie theater's marquee. Instead of blockbuster titles, it now displays lines of poetry. The Hennepin Cultural District is attempting to breathe life back into the building by installing as much art into the empty storefronts as possible. For now, the focus is on visual arts, but if you're an enterprising theater artist who would like to take over an abandoned space in downtown without getting arrested, they may just take your call. Blood and Flops Speaking of coming back from the dead, the musical adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie is crawling its way into Minneapolis. The original Broadway run of this show was one of the most infamous flops of all time, closing after only five performances and losing over $8 million. In fact, the phrase "Not since Carrie" became a shorthand for describing a spectacular fail on Broadway. However, the original authors of the musical staged an unheard-of coup last year by updating and revising the show, which enjoyed a surprisingly successful off-Broadway revival. Minneapolis Musical Theatre is tackling the show here in the Twin Cities. Those of you looking for a little schadenfreude may be disappointed, though. MMT made a name for itself by doing highly campy musicals like Reefer Madness, Bat Boy and Evil Dead , but this time around, they're trying to play it straight. Horrific Theater Terrible things will be stirring at the Southern Theater again this year. The Twin Cities Horror Festival has pulled itself back into the land of the living with another slate of Halloween fare. Last year's festival spawned the horror-themed dance show Bump in the Night and the folk operetta The Legend of White Woman Creek, which went on to become hits at this year's Fringe festival, and also featured one of the most truly unnerving productions I have ever seen, Four Humors' Harold. All of the minds behind those shows will be returning, along with other Fringe favorites like Ferrari McSpeedy and Comedy Suitcase. A Haunting in Minneapolis There's nothing I enjoy more than a really good haunted house (or a really bad one). This may be because I lived in small town that had an insanely good one (despite what their rudimentary website might make you think). So, I'm extremely pleased that the Twin Cities region is home to so many people dedicated to turning their homes, businesses and parks into gore-splattered hellscapes every October. This year, you have plenty of choices. You could always head to a big, slick operation like Valley Fair or Screamtown. Or you could head to a crustier, more DIY extravaganza like the Nightmare Hallow for a chance to live out the average internet denizen's ultimate fantasy: the chance to hunt down zombies with a paintgun. And then there is the mother of all tripped-out haunted house experiences: the Soap Factory's Haunted Basement. Every year, this group of visual artists and performers turns the dark confines of the gallery's basement into an intense psychological horror show that cannot be really described in words. How many other haunted houses require you to be at least 18 and issue you a safe word? Be warned, though: during one of the preview performances, at least five people already had to use the safe word. I would recommend taking a paintgun with you.