REV Theatre Company is bringing its reimagined and interactive cabaret to the historic Christ Church Burial Ground for a one-night-only show just in time for the Halloween season.
On Oct. 24, audiences can experience thrills and chills surrounded by candlelit tombstones and obelisks. Bring your chairs and blankets, sip a free cocktail, and enjoy a unique seasonal show where ghouls sing the songs that you already know and love.
REV Theatre Company Artistic Director Rosemary Hay recently sat down with Metro to talk more about what to expect on this spooky night out.
The vibe is definitively Victorian Gothic. The costuming follows suit. It's extravagantly funereal and creates a synchronistic spooky vibe with the historic, iconic Christ Church Burial Ground. Audience members are encouraged to come in costume because we will be awarding a prize for best costume at the end of the evening.
Gothic glamour ghouls appear in the misty boneyard amidst candlelit tombstones and obelisks on their way from this world to the next, singing Blue Oyster Cult, Radiohead, Kate Bush, Johnny Cash, Roberta Flack, Cher, Gloria Gaynor, Amy Winehouse, Bessie Smith and many more. It's immersive and interactive — sing-along being an element! There will be thrills and chills and so many treats, and some tricks, too. It's 80 minutes of intermissionless, non-stop music, all musically remixed in unique arrangements especially created for this cabaret.
The Graveyard Cabaret began in Laurel Hill Cemetery in 2012 and very quickly became an audience and critics' favorite. From there, it actually became a Fringe favorite and developed a significant 'cult' following. We've been periodically "bringing it back from the dead" ever since, each time reimagining it with brand new music, just as we have done this year. We began our site-specific cemetery production work here in two Philly cemeteries — Laurel Hill and Gloria Dei — where we first presented a Frack McGuinness play about Northern Ireland actually set in a cemetery. REV has a longstanding commitment and tradition of also producing original musical pieces, specifically cabarets.
This performance on Oct. 24 is a reroute of our Christ Church Burial Ground 2026 Philly Fringe endeavour. We were able to get in two out of our three scheduled performances, but Mother Nature had other plans for us with the third performance. It was sold out, so we are hoping to bring in people who had booked for that original performance. Not only was that performance rained out, but there was even more rain on our scheduled rain date. So, you see, we really are "back from the dead.”
We're calling them "Gothicocktails" to go along with the overall vibe. Among others, there's a Bought the Farm (whiskey and apple cider), a Way of All Flesh (vodka and cranberry), a Pine Overcoat (pineapple juice and rum), and a Kick The Bucket (vodka and peach mango).
Because, really, what's spookier than a haunted cemetery — with resident ghosts providing a lot of "sightings" — for Halloween? It's also a unique and very theatrical event for folks who want something unusual to do close to Halloween.
Tickets for REV’s Graveyard Cabaret are $30 and include a complimentary cocktail. They can be purchased through TicketLeap and are suitable for ages 18+.
Audiences should bring blankets and beach chairs as the Burial Ground does not provide seating.
The Burial Ground entrance is on Arch Street between 4th & 5th Streets in Old City and is wheelchair accessible.
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