With Arts & Entertainment Editor Kathy L. Collins
Back by popular demand, the Tampa Theatre is presenting the 4th Annual A Nightmare On Franklin Street beginning on Friday, October 21. There will be Balcony to Backstage Ghost Tours, spooky, scary and even fun movies throughout a 10-day period.
All tours are $10 for adults, $8 for children ages two to 12 and free for Tampa Theatre Members. Tickets for the classic films are $10 for general admission and $8 for Tampa Theatre Members.
The fun begins on Friday, October 21 with a Ghost Tour at 2 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. come see the 1984 classic A Nightmare On Elm Street and then stay on for a 10 p.m. showing of Friday The 13th.
On Saturday, October 22, there is a Balcony to Backstage Ghost Tour at 11:30 a.m., and the movies begin at 2 p.m. with The Innocents. At 4:45 p.m. you can see Tim Burton’s classic, Beetlejuice. At 7:30 p.m. you can see The Conjuring with special guest, Andrea Perron, the eldest daughter of family whose real-life haunting experience inspired the movie.
On Sunday, October 23, start the day off with the family favorite, Hocus Pocus at 2 p.m. At 4:30 p.m. see how Alfred Hitchcock reinvented how to scare people with his iconic Psycho. At 7 p.m., stay and see Scream. Finish off the day with a viewing of Halloween at 10 p.m.
Monday, October 24 starts with The Witch at 7:30 p.m. and It Follows will be seen at 10 p.m.
On Tuesday, October 25, come to a Balcony to Backstage Ghost Tour at 2 p.m. and then see Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors at 7:30 p.m. and Poltergeist at 10 p.m.
Wednesday, October 26 will feature local author and storyteller, Deborah Frethem at 7:30 p.m. Frethem with tell ghost stories and supernatural tales from about the Tampa Bay area. She will sign her books that evening with sales benefitting the Tampa Theatre’s ongoing preservation and restoration efforts.
At 10 p.m. you can see Gregory Peck in the 1976 classic, The Omen.
On Friday, October 28, come to a Balcony to Backstage Ghost Tour at 2 p.m. and then come and see Shock Treatment at 7:30 p.m.
At 11 p.m. the Tampa Theatre will present the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. There will be a local shadow cast providing a live pre-show and audience participation throughout the film. Tickets for The Rocky Horror Picture Show are $15 for general admission and $13 for Tampa Theatre members.
On Saturday, October 29 start off with a Balcony to Backstage Ghost Tour at 11:30 a.m. and then see the 1984 rare action comedy, Ghostbusters. At 6 p.m. The Haunting will be shown.
At 9 p.m. the Tampa Theatre will present Late-Night Lights-Off Paranormal Investigation. As everyone knows, the Tampa Theatre has had strange experiences and other supernatural happenings. The four-hour experience includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, complimentary popcorn and soft drinks, as well as expert guides from the paranormal community and demonstrations of professional paranormal investigative equipment. According to Jill Witecki with the Tampa Theatre, “It will be a once in a lifetime experience guaranteed to make you see Tampa’s grand movie palace in a different light.” Tickets to this special event are $60 for general admission and $50 for Tampa Theatre Members.
On Sunday, October 30 bring the family to The Nightmare Before Christmas at 2:30 p.m. Beginning at 5 p.m. you can see a trio of Stephen King thrillers: Carrie, Misery (7:30 p.m.) and Creepshow at 10 p.m.
Of course, Monday, October 31 is Halloween, so start the day off with Hotel Transylvania at 10 a.m. Then, at 2 p.m. there is a Balcony to Backstage Ghost Tour and then end it all with I Drink Your Blood at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets to A Nightmare On Franklin Street are available at the Tampa Theatre’s Box Office located at 711 N. Franklin St. in downtown Tampa or online at www.tampatheatre.org (service fees apply).
