HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS : It’s Trick or Theater Time in Cypress : As they have in years past, Peter and Penny Parker stage elaborate ‘Phantom of the Opera’ in quiet cul-de-sac.

Holmby Court was transformed into the Paris Opera House on Saturday as hundreds of pint-sized ghosts and goblins took a break from trick-or-treating to enjoy “The Phantom of the Opera” in what has become an annual Halloween tradition on this normally quiet cul-de-sac.

And Peter and Penny Parker blame it all on Count Dracula.

It started five years ago, when the couple decided to do something special for Halloween. They got a friend to dress up like the nocturnal marauder and pop out of a homemade coffin to entertain children trick-or-treating in their neighborhood.

Dracula was a spectacular hit with the neighborhood and the couple has tried to outdo themselves every year since, latching onto the “Phantom” theme after seeing the dramatic opera staged in Los Angeles about four years ago.

“I remember watching it and saying to myself ‘Yes! This is it!’ ” said Peter Parker, 45, a real-estate appraiser with a part-time passion for theater and sound equipment. “I started dreaming about it right away.”

Saturday’s event was an elaborate production that took 14 people to turn an ordinary garage into the darkest recesses of the Parisian stage where the Phantom is forced to reveal his hideously deformed face to the woman he loves. Peter Parker estimated that the show costs about $4,000 to put on--and says it’s worth every penny.

“I guess maybe I do this because I’m a big kid,” said Peter Parker, who has three children, aged 2 to 11. “I can’t imagine stopping, even when the kids get big. I never had anything like this when I was a kid.”

The show included rented and borrowed sound and lighting equipment and numerous special effects--from candles and a severed head that seemingly floated above the stage, to revolving wall panels, shooting fire, smoke and a double-mirror through which the phantom both could escape and watch his beloved.

Children sitting at the foot of the stage jumped and shrieked. After it was over, they begged to watch it again.

“Eeeew! Did you see that guy’s head?” asked Amber Collins, 8, of Anaheim, who was dressed up as a witch, complete with black fingernails and a tiny broom. “I want to see it again.”

The Parkers obviously don’t believe in celebrating halfway. While the outside of their home featured lighted jack-o’-lanterns and the stage, the inside of their home was also decorated in an orange and black motif, down to the jellybeans on the buffet table.

Peter Parker is also proud to say that their home won an award last year for best holiday decorations. There is another new addition this year. The Parkers asked people who planned to attend to bring non-perishable food items to donate to their local church.

“Peter is an absolute dreamer and a kid at heart,” said Chris Morton, a Huntington Beach real-estate appraiser who played the part of the Phantom. Morton sat patiently for more than two hours while a professional makeup artist tried to make his face look like it had been dipped in acid.

“It takes us at least two months to get ready for this night, and I guarantee you he gets up on Nov. 1 and starts scheming for the next year,” Morton said.

Last year, more than 1,500 children and adults attended the show. This year, Cypress police blocked off the street to traffic.

Vicki May of Anaheim, whose daughter, Staci, 4, was dressed as a slice of pizza, said she was grateful the Parkers go through so much each year to put on their show, because it is a safe, friendly alternative to wandering through strange neighborhoods. May has come to all but one of the Parkers’ shows.

“With the way things are today, Halloween becomes a really scary time, and I’m not joking,” said May, who explained that she teaches her daughter several Halloween precautions, such as not to eat candy before it is inspected by a parent.

“This is really the only safe way to go. I let her trick-or-treat in this neighborhood because we know the people,” May added.

The Parkers and friends would stage the opera at least six or seven times before calling it a night. And if his friends are right, the first thought on Peter Parker’s mind when he wakes up today will be, “How do we top this next year?”