Entertainment Weekly
”˜Hocus Pocus’ stage show will haunt Disney World this Halloween
BY MARC SNETIKER Ӣ @MARCSNETIKER
Posted May 27 2015 – 2:52 PM EDT
Get ready to boo-o-o-ooook a flight to Orlando.
Winifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson–the trio of witches played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, respectively, in Disney’s 1993 film Hocus Pocus–are coming to the stage in a Disney World Halloween show this fall.
Be warned before you spread the news: This is not the cut-and-dry stage adaption of Hocus Pocus that you’re hoping for–one that would try out in La Jolla and head to Broadway and charm ticket-buyers with a well-timed Good Morning America performance. Rather, the women from the greatest Halloween film of all time are simply the newest members of the roguish Disney villain lineup that causes trouble at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom.
The Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular (running Sept. 15 through Nov. 1) finds the Sanderson sisters gathering for a night of mischief in order to throw “the best, evil Halloween party this side of the graveyard” with the help of Disney villains like Jafar, Maleficent, Oogie Boogie, Hades, Captain Hook, and the woman who skins puppies for fashion. The inclusion of the witches is enough to boost what’s basically traditional Disney park Halloween fare into exciting new territory.
Hocus Pocus found its way into the news cycle not so long ago when a rumor was quashed that Tina Fey would be writing a sequel–in truth, she’s writing a witch movie but not a follow-up to the 1993 comedy. But in the wake of the news, the stars of Hocus Pocus–Midler, Najimy, and Parker–all voiced their public support for reuniting (and in fact, Midler frequently cites the film as one of her favorite credits and even performs her cover of “I Put a Spell On You” on her current Divine Intervention tour).
Could this be the first step in Disney gauging actual quantifiable support for a return of the Sandersons?
