What's This! The Nightmare Before Christmas Concerts Will Feature Billie Eilish, Weird Al, And Danny Elfman
What's this? What's this?! A concert's happening somewhere. What's this? "The Nightmare Before Christmas" songs are in the air.
If you're a fan of the animated movie and heard the voice of Danny Elfman, in character as Jack Skellington, singing that in your head, you'll be pleased to know that Elfman will indeed be performing at a "live-to-film concert experience" of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" on October 29, 2021, and another one on Halloween at the Banc Of California Stadium in Los Angeles. Elfman won't be alone on stage, however, because none other than Billie Eilish and "Weird Al" Yankovic will be joining him, along with Ken Page, the original voice of the burlap-sacked baddie, Oogie Boogie (who was quite the subject of debate among the film's creative team).
The AV Club reports that Eilish will be singing "Sally's Song," which the inimitable Catherine O'Hara ("Schitt's Creek") first performed in stop-motion in "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Weird Al will sing the part of Lock, the leader of Oogie Boogie's pint-sized minions.
"The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a holiday tradition for many movie-lovers, and these concerts have been a musical tradition as well, with an orchestra backing the singers each time. This will be the first such show since 2018, given how the pandemic affected plans for the 2020 event. Amy Lee, the lead singer of Evanescence, previously covered "Sally's Song" for the 2008 compilation "Nightmare Revisited," which also featured Korn's rendition of "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" and The Polyphonic Spree's "Town Meeting Song."
Nightmare Revisited
"Nightmare Revisited" came out in 2008 when "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was celebrating its 15th anniversary. Back in 2018, we revisited Henry Selick and Tim Burton's perennial holiday classic for its 25th anniversary.
As noted there, "All throughout the Halloween and Christmas season, the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland is given a special holiday overlay, re-theming the ride to 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.' " For theme park goers, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a holiday tradition, too. It functions as both a Halloween and Christmas movie.
As someone who has been known to consume a mighty fine Jack Skellington sandwich on at least one Christmas occasion, I already have the song "What's This?" from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" stuck in my head. If you have the same earworm wiggling around in yours, we can only hope that we'll get a refreshed album of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" covers (without the likes of Manson) for the film's 30th anniversary.
Tickets for the live show in L.A. on October 29, 2021, are already sold out, but Ticketmaster says, "Check back soon." The good news (via Elfman's official website) is that tickets for the Halloween night event appear to still be available.
If a trip to L.A. isn't feasible for you, then with any luck, some videos of the show will make their way online in time for Halloween, so we can all live vicariously through them and get in the holiday spirit of "The Nightmare Before Christmas."