As Danny Elfman took the stage of the Hollywood Bowl in a black suit with vertical white stripes to sing “Jack’s Lament,” the crowd erupted in applause. Bathed in a ghoulish blue light in the iconic venue, he transformed into the iconic character that is Jack Skellington, singing in a perfect cadence with a warm, rich tone.

With devilishly charming performances and an enchanting live orchestra, “The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert” returned for its 10th year over the weekend, starring Elfman, John Stamos as Lock, Janelle Monáe as Sally, Keith David as Oogie Boogie and others to mark the special occasion. The Bowl transformed into Halloween Town before the show to feature a delightfully spooky costume contest and trick-or-treat stations.

While most of the original cast from the film did not reprise their roles for this concert — save for Elfman, Greg Proops and Randy Crenshaw — there was no shortage of talent and skill from the singers who stepped in.

The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, led by conductor John Mauceri, provided haunting melodies through their on-point performance of the film’s score and soundtrack, originally composed by Elfman. While much of the audience’s attention was stolen by the amazing vocalists, the orchestra never faltered in precision or playing in time.

A sea of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) fans, many dressed in costumes or film merchandise, enjoyed the live performance from the orchestra as the film was simultaneously played on the various screens throughout the venue.

Projections on the front lip of the Bowl were also engaging in their own right, consistently matching what was happening during the film and making the experience feel more immersive. The lighting design throughout the night was equally engaging, elevating both the on-screen visuals and the projections.

Right from the iconic opening track “This Is Halloween,” the vocal range and prowess of the cast were made evident, especially with stellar performances from Baraka May and Angie Jaree, who effortlessly changed voices to sing for varying characters, from the Witches to Corpse Kid.

After “Jack’s Lament,” a giddy, jolly and playful performance from Elfman of “What’s This?” gave the audience a kick of excitement, but it wasn’t until “Kidnap The Sandy Claws” that the energy was brought back to the stage. Stamos as Lock, Riki Lindhome as Shock and Elfman as Barrel seemed like an odd trio to cast together, but they surprisingly had great chemistry on stage, getting into character during the song by being playful via poking and chasing each other.

Lindhome is no stranger to singing silly or mischievous songs, being half of the comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates, and her charisma shone through during her performance that matched the cadence of Catherine O’Hara’s original performance as Shock. Stamos also visibly had fun on stage, but he repeatedly rushed through his part before finding the tempo of the song about halfway through.

After a short intermission, violinist Sandy Cameron took the stage with a bright and snappy overture of the most popular music from the movie. Backed by an accordion, saxophone and double-bass, Cameron had wonderful articulation, serving the audience a fun treat as she hopped around the stage soloing on her violin.

As the main show proceeded, David’s performance of “Oogie Boogie’s Song” was dashingly suave. Ken Page, the original voice of Oogie Boogie, was a noticeable absence from the show since his death in 2024, but David did an adequate job in the role, matching Page’s tone from the original recording while still adding his own spunk to the song.

Without a doubt, Monáe gave the standout performance of the night with her rendition of “Sally’s Song.” Monáe stunned the crowd before she even began singing with a seemingly perfect Sally costume, her body painted a greyish-blue. Her performance was equally as satisfying as her outfit, with her gorgeous vibrato and wistful tone that carried throughout the bowl.

Closing out the main show, most of the cast returned to the stage to sing “Finale / Reprise” with wicked delight. Elfman and Monáe sang a brief duet to close the song out, holding hands as they sang “We’re simply meant to be.”

After the cast and orchestra took their bows, Elfman returned to the stage for a surprise encore consisting of a jazzy rendition of “Oogie Boogie’s Song.” He then changed into casual rocker attire, joining his live band for two Oingo Boingo songs: “Dead Man’s Party” and “No One Lives Forever.”

Despite the cold, autumn air, Elfman reminded the crowd that he still had the fire and energy to put on a killer show. As he thanked the crowd one last time for joining him for his tenth year performing “The Nightmare Before Christmas” live at the Hollywood Bowl, the spooky vibes created during the show were sure to stick with the audience just in time for Halloween.