The Power of the Music of the Night: The Spookiest, Eeriest, and Most Hair-Raising Songs from Broadway

Halloween is upon us, and many have started to craft their seasonal playlists. For those readers who have a penchant for the theatrical and frightening, look no further than this list of suggestions. From the blood-curdling screams of Audrey as she is devoured, to the Phantom’s soft but seductive tones, these are sure to set your hair on edge.

“Music of the Night” from “The Phantom of the Opera”

Whether because of the Phantom’s obsession with Christine’s voice or his own soft and mournful singing, there is no better show to see for a haunting experience than Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.” In “The Music of the Night,” the titular character’s eeriness reaches its climax. Clutching Christine to his side and caressing her in her hypnotic state, the Phantom reveals his plan to keep her away from the rest of humanity and all to himself. Throughout the song, the Phantom’s hushed but restrained lust for Christine is unmistakable — making the song incredibly frightening, but beautiful.

“As if We Never Said Goodbye” from “Sunset Boulevard”

Another quintessential song by Webber, “Sunset Boulevard” centers on Norma Desmond, an actress of the silent film period whose star power and youth have faded, causing her to fall into an isolated delusion. Near the middle of Act 2, Norma recounts fond memories of being on film sets in her younger days. The music is spooky in itself, beginning very quietly as Norma glides wide-eyed through the film studio. It is Norma’s unwillingness to leave the past, however, that makes this an eerie number, revealing the extent of fading stardom’s toll.

“The Point of No Return” from “Phantom of the Opera”

Another number from “Phantom of the Opera,” “The Point of No Return” comes just as the Phantom kidnaps Christine for the second time. The song is meant to be a duet from the Phantom’s self-composed opera “Don Juan Triumphant,” during which he forces the directors of the Paris Opera to let him perform with Christine. While the lyrics of the song may seem innocuous, Christine and the Phantom are “past the point of no return” in quite a literal sense as well, making this dance with the devil terrifying. This song is not simply the setting for Christine’s abduction in the Phantom’s opera, but the moment when she sells her soul to the Phantom in real life.

“Confrontation” from “Jekyll & Hyde”

Based on the “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson, “Jekyll & Hyde” chronicles the experiments of Dr. Henry Jekyll in his quest to rid the evil from human nature. After Jekyll decides that experimenting on himself is his only option, his personality fractures, creating a monstrous second man within him: Edward Hyde. “Confrontation” appears late in the musical, after Mr. Hyde goes on a murderous rampage. In a horrifying display, Jekyll fights with himself, attempting to destroy his evil counterpart. As Jekyll wrestles with Hyde, the song leaves the outcome of this battle unclear: Who will win, Jekyll or Hyde?

“El Tango de Roxanne” from “Moulin Rouge!”

Like “Sunset Boulevard,” the plot of the jukebox musical “Moulin Rouge!” is not explicitly scary. Based on Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film of the same name, “Moulin Rouge!” tells the love story between Christian, an aspiring writer, and the courtesan Satine. Despite Christian and Satine’s genuine love, the Duke of Monroth develops an obsession with Satine that endangers their romance and makes Christian intensely jealous. “El Tango de Roxanne” follows. Throughout the number, which is adapted from a song by “The Police” and set to a tango beat, Christian’s heartbroken strain is underlayed with intense, pleading lyrics towards a woman named Roxanne. In the film, the song appears during a scene that showcases the psychological toll of jealousy as well as the Duke’s brutality, making “El Tango de Roxanne” likely to send shivers down even the bravest listener’s spine.

“The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” from “Sweeney Todd”

This song opens Stephen Sondheim’s haunting musical about the titular barber who seeks revenge on the judge who falsely imprisoned him and lusted after his wife. In the show’s staging, as the discordant overture ends, a crowd steps out of the mist and from their ranks emerges Sweeney himself. The words themselves are frightening, but the combination of the lighting, Sweeney’s corpse-like makeup, and the shrill sopranos’ unsettling singing make the number terrifying.

“Suppertime II” from “Little Shop of Horrors”

“Little Shop of Horrors” tells the story of Seymour, a poor young florist who is secretly in love with his coworker, Audrey. When Seymour discovers a strange Venus flytrap, he brings it back to the store but quickly discovers that Audrey II, which he has named the plant, is an alien that only feeds on blood. As the musical progresses, Audrey II becomes increasingly ravenous, eventually luring the real Audrey into the store and eating her. In “Suppertime II,” Audrey II is at the height of its destructive capacity and the wild squealing of the plant’s victim make the song a horrifying listen.

“Sweet Transvestite” from “The Rocky Horror Show”

In Halloween staple “The Rocky Horror Show,” Janet and Brad get a flat tire in the rain on the way to their old teacher’s house, forcing them to ask for help at a nearby castle, the home of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. While the master of the house does not appear right away, his entrance is certainly a show stopper. Tim Curry’s dulcet tones, shocking makeup, and risque costume in the film adaptation make for a very creepy experience as he offputtingly wiggles his eyebrows. While not as eerie as many of these other numbers, “Sweet Transvestite” seems so utterly bizarre with its mix of sexual innuendos and Frank-N-Furter’s off-putting behavior that it clearly belongs on this list.

—Staff writer Nina M. Jasanoff can be reached at nina.jasanoff@thecrimson.com.