Masquerade, spooky people on parade

Young Chang

Halloween present is not like Halloween past.

Ancient Irish legend has it that the souls of the dead roam the land

on Halloween eve. Other tales say people started dressing up in scary

costumes to frighten away evil spirits.

That was then.

Today, contemporary Halloween party-goers like to play make-believe.

More than 500 revelers will pack the Orange County Museum of Art for a

Masquerade Ball for the Arts tonight. The event will benefit the museum,

Opera Pacific, the Orange County Performing Arts Center and South Coast

Repertory. Those who don’t have a mask will be able to make one there.

It’s all about hiding faces behind glitter, feathers and beads, past

participants said.

At Trilogy Playhouse’s “Little Shop of Horrors,” it’s all about being

someone else. The show, which closes Sunday, tells the romantic tale of a

man-eating plant and the people who feed it.

For cast members, who will costume themselves to perform onstage this

weekend rather than for the ball, playing dress-up is fun.

“I’m a chiropractor during the day, normal and straight-laced,” said

Deborah Wood-Schade, a Greek chorus singer in “Little Shop.” “It’s fun to

be somebody else and dress the way you wouldn’t normally dress.”

Her favorite costume is a Judy Garland get-up: a short tuxedo, fishnet

stockings, a top hat and tails. It’s a nice change to take a break from

being yourself, Wood-Schade said.

James Mulligan, who will play Seymour Krelborn in the production, adds

that being in someone else’s skin breaks down inhibitions.

“You’re not confined to being who everybody normally views you as,” he

said. “You can get away with a lot more.”

The actor said this is especially true on stage.

Mulligan said his favorite Halloween-themed movie is the “Rocky Horror

Picture Show.”

Samara Otero, who plays one of the doo-wop girls Ronette in “Little

Shop,” chooses a lesser known movie title as her favorite: “The Entity,”

with Barbara Hershey. Based on a true story about the haunting of a woman

and her household, the film is the scariest Otero has seen.

She also mixes reality and fantasy in her costumes. Last year, Otero

was a dead French maid, with fake blood dribbling down her mouth and

neck.

“I got to be somebody sexy but scary at the same time,” she said.

Jennifer Dauderman, committee chairperson for the Masquerade Ball,

also will create illusions with her skin this year, going as a corpse.

Her husband, Nicholas, will go to the ball as a vampire. She will be his

victim, with pale skin and puncture wounds on her neck.

“He’ll be giving me a love bite,” Jennifer Dauderman said.

Last year the couple went as a 16th century royal couple, with white

wigs, powdered faces and costumes laden with ropes and jewels. They

resembled characters from the movie “Amadeus,” Dauderman said.

Sharie Nitkin, who plays Crystal in “Little Shop,” prefers more

playful, youthful costumes. Last year she made a green dress with white

wings and feigned Tinkerbell. One year she was poison ivy, with glitter

and leaves sprinkled in her hair.

“It’s an excuse to have a little fun,” said Nitkin, who is accustomed

to wearing adult costumes. “And to feel a little bit childish again.”

Martin Hubbard, an honorary chairperson for Opera Pacific with wife

Jill, won’t reveal his costume for tonight. He’s normally not a dress-up

guy, but Halloween is one occasion when he’ll get creative.

“It’s a surprise,” he said. “It’s kind of a mystery thing that we do.”

FYI:

WHAT: “Little Shop of Horrors”

WHEN: 3:30 and 8 p.m. today, 7 p.m. Sunday,

WHERE: Trilogy Playhouse, 2930 Bristol St., Bldg. C-106, Costa Mesa

COST: $17 for the evening show, $15 for matinees

CALL: (714) 957-3347

WHAT: Masquerade Ball

WHEN: 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. today

WHERE: Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport

Beach

COST: $50 to $75

CALL: (714) 556-2122, Ext. 546