Let’s first get this out of the way: I’ve never been a big movie fan, and even less a fan of animated movies. I am, in fact, one of the few people that has never seen “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.” In all fairness to Mr. Burton, I have never seen “Elf” either.
That said, after last night’s performance, I’ve discovered a brilliantly-made movie and cast; yes I am now on the bandwagon!
It is now a “must watch” every year, from Halloween to Christmas.
The movie is based on a poem Tim Burton wrote in his early days as a Disney animator, and would pair Burton’s creative collaboration with Danny Elfman – who defined the movie as the singing voice of our Pumpkin King (Jack Skellington).
Photo provided by Disney
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” at The Hollywood Bowl is led by the LA Philharmonic Orchestra and John Mauceri serves as conductor; his list of accomplishments is an entire book on its own!
With a kick-ass stage set behind him, Elfman took on the full role of the Pumpkin King, performing the vocals and at times becoming a real-life “animated” creature of the afterlife.
With the LA Philharmonic Orchestra beautifully thundering behind him, the entire scene was surreal and filled the senses with euphoric amazement.
This night, Elfman brought life into the eerie fairy tale, conjuring its essence and haunting melodies on the stage of the iconic Hollywood Bowl. With a “Nightmare” overture as the backdrop, the Bowl was captivated by the music with “This is Halloween,” “Jack’s Lament,” and “What’s This.”
With Elfman playing the part so well, (almost as if it was made for him) – the crowd was captivated and sang along to every single word of each song. Considering “Jack’s Obsession,” Skellington had some assistance, of course. Past cast member include Phoebe Bridgers, and Billie Eilish. For this edition, he shared this journey with the original voice cast members, including Greg Proops, and the formidable Ken Page, who masterfully embodied Oogie Boogie.
This year, the lineup saw the addition of guest performers, most notably, Baraca May taking on the role of rag doll, Sally Mae, who by all accounts surpassed expectations and received the most thunderous applause of the evening, matched only by that of Ken Page as Oogie Boogie.
Being the Boingo front-man from his sonic youth, this Pumpkin King knew how to engage with the crowd and tell a short story or two leading into every song. Elfman played the part of a majestic and regal being to perfection.
As for the ladies of the festivities, Elfman was walking among the footsteps of incredible talents like Catherine O’Hara. An important note that cannot be overlooked was O’Hara, the original hopelessly romantic rag doll Sally Mae, reprised her role in the final Hollywood Bowl performance on October 29th!
As you can imagine, “Sally’s Song,” and “Oogie Boogie’s Song,” were perfectly placed.
As mentioned, a thunderous applause was reserved for Ken Page’s exquisitely-detestable antagonist Oogie Boogie. In a Disney movie, the villain is often the linchpin, and Oogie Boogie is a prime example of a top-tier badass. Oogie is a gambler that likes to roll the dice to make his decisions. When the dice don’t produce the result he desires, he’ll cheat to his liking. Despite nearly three decades passing since he voiced this iconic role, Page’s performance is flawless and exudes charisma as he saunters onto the stage, swaying his hips with finesse.
The jazzy tune in which Oogie Boogie taunts his captive, Santa Claus (or Sandy Claws, as they mockingly refer to him, with lines like “He’s ancient! He’s ugly!”), is irresistibly catchy, largely thanks to Page’s resonant and velvety baritone. Page delivers just a single song, yet he shines the brightest in a performance already brimming with highlights.
Another highlight of the night was violinist Sandy Cameron playing sort of a melody of “Nightmare Before Christmas” songs backed by musicians in face paint, playing an accordion, standup bass, and saxophone. Incorporating elements that went beyond merely singing songs from the movie, her performance was as electrifying and compelling as any violin performance you’ll ever witness.
Photo by Randall Michelson/Hewitt Silva Courtesy of Live Nation
Photo by Randall Michelson/Hewitt Silva Courtesy of Live Nation
As the show came to a close, each cast member came out for bows and the audience didn’t disappoint, showing the respect each talent deserves.
The applause was loud and clear for each of them. However, when Baraca May, Ken Page, and of course Elfman made their individual appearances, earplugs may have been a good idea.
One of the moments the crowd loved was the ending. Elfman’s Oingo Boing former member comrade Steve Bartek took to the stage.
The duo engaged with the orchestra and other musicians to serenade the crowd with the Boingo Classic, “Dead Man’s Party.”
Photos by Randall Michelson/Hewitt Silva Courtesy of Live Nation
All in all, it was a wonderful night of family fun, under the stars at the iconic Hollywood!
