Specter Showcase: A Whole Mess of Folks

Happy All Hallows' Eve Eve, friends! Does this put you in the same festive mood as it does us? Speaking of feeling festive...if you ever find yourself looking for a place to party with a whole passel of ghosts, you might want to head toward the Big Apple. 

Known as: A Whole Mess of Folks 

Haunts: the Palace Theatre in NewYork, New York

Sad you never got to see Judy Garland in the theatre? Well, you may still have a chance. Many have claimed to see Ms. Garland hanging out near the Palace’s orchestra pit – perhaps warming up for her next show. And she’s not the only one with a fondness for this theatre. Acrobat Louis Bossalina likes to use the space to try to recreate his infamous high-wire act of 1935 – always hoping for a less fatal ending. A cellist clad all in white roams the theatre. Maybe she plays for the children’s specters who have also found their way to this stage – a little boy who brought his trucks with him to the afterlife and a young girl who likes to observe the goings on from the balcony.

That’s it for this year’s week of Halloween hauntings! We hope you enjoyed the chills and thrills. And remember, these are just a small selection of theatre ghost stories – so the next time that you’re taking in a show, maybe say a quiet “Thanks for having me.” It’s only polite. You are, after all, in their home.

Specter Showcase: Yuri and The Wailing Woman

Sometimes with ghosts, as with life, you have to take the good with the bad. If that doesn't work for you, you should probably avoid this theatre. 

Known as: Yuri and The Wailing Woman 

Haunts: St. James Theatre inWellington, New Zealand

This sounds like the name of a new band, but these two aren’t actually pals. They just apparently shared a post-life realtor. Yuri is from the Casper-school of apparitions. He’s a friendly fellow, who unfortunately fell to his death onstage while dancing. Nowadays he’s known for causing strange electrical occurrences. Some also credit Yuri with saving the life of one of the projectionists – on two different occasions. The Wailing Woman, on the other hand, is not quite as exuberant. After being booed off the stage, she decided to explore…less corporeal options. Now she goes after some of the other actresses who grace the St. James stage. Her weapons of choice? Falls, sprains and brutal head colds.

Specter Showcase: Victims of a Theatre Fire

If you ever feel the urge to call something unsinkable, unbreakable, indestructible, or anything of the like - resist. It never ends well.   

Known As: Victims of a Theatre Fire 

Haunts: Ford Center for thePerforming Arts Oriental Theater in Chicago, Illinois

The Titanic of theatres, this venue – then called Chicago’s Iroquois Theatre – was deemed “absolutely fireproof.” A month later, this confidence took a hit when the deadliest theatre fire in American history raged through its hallways. Over 600 people perished. When the new theatre was built on the same site, the spirits apparently felt that a theatre is a theatre and decided to stay on. They are most frequently seen in the alley behind the building where bodies were stacked in wake of the disaster.

Specter Showcase: Inhabitants of Ancient Graveyard

We're back with our next group of apparitions. They're a little bit angsty, but they have good reason...

Known as: Inhabitants of Ancient Graveyard
Haunts: Huguan Huiguan Opera House in Beijing, China

You see this lovely paved area out front here?
Don't throw stones there if you know what's good for you.

You know what’s never a fantastic idea? To build anything on top of an old graveyard. Many visiting this theatre have heard the wails and screams of the underground occupants. Also if you find yourself wanting to throw a stone in the courtyard, you willed be yelled at. And you haven’t been scolded, until you’ve been scolded by a disembodied voice.

Specter Showcase: The Man in Grey

Hello friends! It is Halloween week and it is time for some ghosting around. And who better to help us get started than this fine fellow?

Known As: The Man in Grey

Haunts: Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, England

In terms of eternal roaming places...you could do worse.

A gentleman believed to be hailing from the 18^th-century (largely because of his insistence on wearing a tricorner hat, though that may just be a fashion choice. Check out that hat over there, who wouldn't want to sport such a fetching item?). Regardless, he likes to watch the shows from the upper box and has been noticed by numerous actors, audience members, and stage hands over the years. He’s considered to be good luck.