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The Ghoulmaster’s Haunted Playhouse

Reviewed by Pauline Adamek

Hudson Theatre Mainstage

Through Oct. 31

RECOMMENDED

Brimming with imagination, humor and macabre themes, The Ghoulmaster’s Haunted Playhouse is a high-concept and highly inventive cabaret production expressly created for the Halloween season.

The multi-media show introduces us to a mysterious central character, The Ghoulmaster (cult favorite and fashion-plate Pete Carter), who inhabits a spooky mansion along with a quartet of wise-cracking ghosts and a posse of acrobatic and sexy babes. Woven throughout the two-act evening of jokey banter, storytelling and (mostly mimed) song and dance numbers is an original storyline that explains The Ghoulmaster’s unique responsibility for the magic of Halloween. It transpires that he has run out of the magic potion ‘”Invectus’” – an important family heirloom – and is awaiting the recipe via mail from Transylvania.

This eerily entertaining show has been built around the persona of The Ghoulmaster, a character that Carter created and developed during his six-season residency at Six Flags Great Adventure’s Fright Fest in Jackson, New Jersey. Elaborately costumed and highly made up (make up designed by Laney Chantal White), Carter as The Ghoulmaster resembles a youthful Marilyn Manson or “lost boy” Edward Scissorhands, with the addition of the lingual dexterity of Gene Simmons (the KISS rocker’s infamously elongated tongue).

For many years Carter performed closely with Michael Jackson, whose influence is evident in Carter’s striking and distinctive moves, as well as in his beautifully executed choreography for the ensemble: Each are triple-threat actors, dancers and singers or acrobats. Carter impresses with many fleet-footed glides and snappy, precise gestures (think MJ’s Moonwalk, except sideways).

The show has an appealing blend of high-tech elements (animated projections, special lighting effects, mini-movies) and dinky low-tech features such as hand puppets, some lightweight, fake-looking scenery and even a cardboard-and-aluminum-foil rocket ship. There’s also a (mercifully brief) moment of grand guignol self-mutilation that is targeted to shock.

Despite its macabre resolve, the show has plenty of charm thanks to its droll humor. It’s also as a non-stop fashion showcase. Beginning with his first, dramatic entrance in a stunning Goth-and fetish-wear-inspired fashion creation, The Ghoulmaster uses the show’s frequent entre’acts of projections or acrobatic displays to disappear backstage in order to slip into yet another elaborately embroidered costume festooned with lace, leather, feathers and jewels, and teamed with sky-high, lace up boots and top hat.

The score is by Santino Noir, Teddy Blackmore, Brett Line, PJ9K and Mike Dovaire. Of note are the lyrics to the original songs that explicitly champion individual artistic expression in the face of bullying and oppression.

The supporting cast impress with their well thought-out characterizations. Sam Centrella channels Jim Carrey’s The Mask character for his hard-boiled gangster Johnny Jaywalker; Sarah Louise plays a 30s flapper floozy Lula Larsenic; Joanne Pollitt Evans is amusing as the mass murderous British nanny Sherry Goblins, and Devin Freeman mashes Prince with a campy rendition of Little Richard for his diva-esque Lucius E. Jackson. Luca Nicora is fantastic as the doddering and clumsy ancient manservant Grimwall, while co-producer Charles Convery (and scenic designer) is great as the increasingly unhinged Mailman.

On opening night, devoted fans showed up in costume, enthusiastically cheering their hero. All Playhouse guests are encouraged “to dress to depress.”

Correction: An earlier version of this review miscredited a different actor in the role of Grimwall.

The Hudson Theatre Mainstage, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlyd.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; through Oct. 31. Two hours, including intermission. (323) 980-7724, www.plays411/ghoulmaster