Mature Haunts

With ghoulish plays, parties and movie screenings galore, Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore. Here’s a roundup of some spook-tacular spots to scare yourself silly:

On Friday, the 1925 silent film “Phantom of the Opera” takes up residence at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo. This classic from Gaston Laroux’s novel stars Lon Chaney. With live organ accompaniment. At 8:15 p.m. Also Saturday at 2:30 and 8:15 p.m., Sunday at 2:30 p.m., and Halloween night at 8:15 p.m. All seat reserved. Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo, (310) 322-2592.

When better to see the camp musical spoof favorite “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”? On Saturday, Voyeuristic Intention presents its live-action performance with the film at the Rialto Theater in South Pasadena. The evening will include prizes and passes for the best costumes. Free trick-or-treat goodies to the first 100 people in line. Tickets are $7.50, and the box office will open at 10:30 p.m. the night of the show. Doors open at 11 p.m. The Rialto Theater, 1023 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena, (626) 799-9567 or (626) 799-1824.

Also on Saturday, the Orpheum Theatre’s Spook-a-thon will screen a new 35-millimeter print of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with an alternate ending. Saturday’s Spook-a-thon lineup at the gothic movie house gem also includes the rarely seen silent film “The Unknown” (1927), with live organ accompaniment. Lon Chaney portrays an armless contortionist who falls in love with a frigid circus girl (Joan Crawford). The movie marathon continues with “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” (1962) and “Night of the Hunter” (1955) and a Joan Crawford/Bette Davis look-alike contest.

The Orpheum’s fright fest doesn’t stop on Halloween. The theater has Nov. 1 screenings of Walt Disney’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1949), “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” (1971) with Vincent Price, a new print of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960) and Russ Meyers’ cult classic “Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!” (1966). Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, (213) 239-0949 for information, (818) 789-8499 for tickets. Both Spook-a-thons begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 or $8.50 for those in costume, senior citizens and students with ID.

On Oct. 29 and 30, you can catch “Two by David Lynch” at 7:30 p.m. at the New Beverly Cinema. “The Elephant Man” (1980) tells the story of John Merrick, a disfigured man who is shown compassion by an eminent British doctor. Also on the bill is Lynch’s “Eraserhead” (1978) with John Nance as a zombie-like misfit who, with his wife, must cope with his half-human offspring. On Halloween night and Nov. 1, the New Beverly will screen a double feature of “The Haunting” (1963) with Julie Harris and “House of Dark Shadows” (1970). Through Saturday. New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd., (213) 938-4038.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art Film Department is presenting the “Great Halloween Trailer Show” on Halloween night with more than two hours of original trailers from the 1930s to 1950s, including dye-transfer Technicolor trailers for “War of the Worlds,” “The Black Cat” and “House of Frankenstein.” 7:30 p.m. Bing Theater, LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 857-6010. Tickets: $6, general; $4, AFI members and students with ID.

If celluloid monsters aren’t scary enough, take a walk on the real dark side at the Second Annual All Hallow’s Eve Revel beginning Friday at the Hollywood American Legion Hall. In addition to magicians, mediums, soothsayers, a coven of witches and vampire experts (we’re talking the real thing here, not just actors in costume), there will be a seance with Leo Kostka and Mark Edward, resident mediums of Hollywood’s Magic Castle.

Opening night festivities will include a salute to classic movie monsters with Sara Karloff, daughter of Boris Karloff; Bela Lugosi Jr., son of Bela Lugosi; and Ron Chaney, grandson of Lon Chaney. Halloween night highlights include a book signing by author Ray Bradbury and a drawing for a trip to Transylvania. All Hallow’s Eve Revel, Friday, Saturday and Oct. 30 and 31, 7 p.m. to midnight, Hollywood American Legion, 2035 Highland Ave., (310) 390-3810 for tickets, $16.95.

For more lighthearted revelry, the Comedy Store is hosting “Friday the 31st Part One: The Halloween Ball Edition,” on Halloween night, 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Rooms of the club will be transformed into a haunted maze, each with a different kind of music to dance to, from hip-hop to house to disco. Scheduled to haunt this 21-and-over event are Pauly Shore, Judd Nelson, Tiffany Amber Thiessen, Andy Dick, Andrew Dice Clay, David Faustino, Stacy Sanchez, Angie Everhardt and Martin Landau. Tickets are $25. Comedy Store, 8433 Sunset Blvd., (213) 656-6225.

Culver City’s Cajun haunt, Fais Do-Do, is having a benefit Halloween bash tonight at 7:30. There will be spicy food, saucy drink and entertainment in the ballroom from Catahoula, Cousin Lovers and members of the Wild Colonials. Also foot readers (yes, foot), psychics, raffles and bachelor/bachelorette auctions. Proceeds to benefit Silverhands Productions Theater Group. Tickets $25. Call (310) 854-2006. Fais Do-Do, 5257 W. Adams Blvd., (213) 954-8080.

Take a nighttime drive to Griffith Park Observatory for Laserium’s latest visual feast, a tribute to the scary season called “Fright Lights.” The laser show combines mind-blowing visuals with hair-raising tunes, including songs by Oingo Boingo, Echo & the Bunnymen, Metallica and the Squirrel Nut Zippers, paired with classics like Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash” and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You.” Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:45 p.m. through October. Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park, (818) 901-9405 for information or (213) 480-3232 for advanced tickets, $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and children under 12. Children under 5 are not permitted.

If you’re really seeking out the bizarre, you can spend Halloween with the Munchkins in Culver City. Six original Munchkins from “The Wizard of Oz” are hosting “A Munchkin Rendezvous at the Culver Hotel,” where the actors lived during the filming of the classic 1939 movie. View original props and costumes from the movie Oct. 30 from 8 to 10 p.m., with tickets at $10. On Halloween night, the hotel will host a party with the Munchkins that includes music, food, a costume contest, prizes and a cash bar. Admission $25. Call for reservations. Culver Hotel, 9400 Culver Blvd., (314) 799-1724.

The live version of “Phantom of the Opera,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical spectacular, is a perfect Halloween romantic chiller, playing Tuesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m., with matinees Saturdays and Sundays, 2 p.m. through Jan. 31 at the Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., $17 to $67 (Dec. 22 through Jan. 4, $17 to $72.) (213) 365-3555.

Knightsbridge Theatre is presenting “Death Takes a Holiday,” Alberto Casella’s romantic fantasy that became a 1930s film classic, about what happens when the Grim Reaper takes a break and looks for love. The Halloween night show invites audience participation in a costume contest, and those who attend in costume get an admission discount. The show runs Friday nights at 8 through Nov. 30 in the Braley Building, 35 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. $15. (626) 440-0821.

Underground Freeway Theatre Co. is putting on “The Poe Show,” a radio theater presentation, circa 1939, adapted from works by the master of horror, Edgar Allan Poe, this Sunday at 5 p.m. and twice on Halloween night, at 8 and 10 p.m., at Wooden-O, 2207 Federal Ave., West Los Angeles, $10. (310) 398-9420.

Liz Torres and Paul Rodriguez head the cast in “Haunted Hacienda,” Wells Fargo Radio Theater’s production of Luisa Leschin’s fantasy adventure about the first “Day of the Dead” in Mexico. Special guest Lalo Guerrero, “the Father of Chicano Music,” performs before the show. Saturday only, 4 and 7 p.m. (curtain, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.). At Autry Museum, 4700 Western Heritage Way, $15. (213) 667-2000, Ext. 317.

California Artists Radio Theatre kicks off its monthly “Mysteries in the Air” series with three classics: “The Bloody, Bloody Banks of Fall River,” “Your Loving Son, Nero” and “The Crime of Bathsheba Spooner,” starring Beverly Garland, David Warner, William Windom, Roger Perry, Jo Anne Worley and radio theater veterans. Wednesday only, 7:30 p.m. at Beverly Garland Hotel Theatre, 4222 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood, $15 to $20. (213) 683-3422.

On Halloween night, Actors’ Gang will premiere “Bat Boy: The Musical,” horror-comedy about Bat Boy, the half-bat, half-human little boy of supermarket tabloid fame. Opening Oct. 31 at 8 p.m., the show will run Thursdays through Sundays, 8 p.m., through Dec. 7 at Actors’ Gang El Centro Space, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, $12. (213) 660-8587.

Milt Larsen’s “It’s Magic!,” an all-star stage spectacular featuring top Magic Castle magicians and other international headliners, serves up sleight-of-hand, comedy, juggling and illusion at Pepperdine’s Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Sunday at 3 p.m. $25. (310) 456-4522 and at the Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Ave., Glendale, Nov. 6 and 7, 8 p.m.; Nov. 8, 2 and 8 p.m.; and Nov. 9, 2 and 6:30 p.m. $19.50 to $23.50 (ages 12 and under, $15) (818) 243-2611, (800) 233-3123.

Last, but not least, who else could be cut in half by a laser and walk through the blades of a giant fan unscathed but magic meister David Copperfield? He’ll perform his Broadway spectacular, “Dreams and Nightmares,” Oct. 31 at 6 and 9 p.m. at the Probst Center at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., $45; and on Nov. 4 at 9 p.m. and Nov. 5 at 6 and 9 p.m., at the Pasadena Civic, 300 E. Green St., $27.50 to $42.50. (805) 583-8700 or (213) 480-3232.

* GIVING YOU THE CREEPS: Less intimidating haunts for children: Page 37. More Halloween listings: Page 33.