The Decrepit Ghouls are taking Halloween to strange new waters this weekend.
The hit immersive experience is back for its third year, this time with “The Decrepit Ghouls in a Cursed Catskills Cruise,” transforming a Parksville warehouse into a haunted ocean liner packed with live music, comedy, art, and total spooky chaos.
“You buy a ticket, go through a gangplank, and there are portholes,” laughed co-creator Todd Perlmutter. “The ghouls have taken over a cruise ship — and there’s going to be yacht rock. That’s the hook.”
Weird, Wild, and Wonderfully Local
Each fall, the Decrepit Ghouls turn a quiet Catskills town into a creative carnival — part concert, part performance art, all community-built.
“Every year, there are more creative people involved,” said Marcus Brooks, one of the Decrepit Ghouls’ ringmasters. “It’s become this big group of artists and performers donating their time and energy. The whole warehouse gets activated — you walk through rooms built by local artists, see sculptures, hear singers, dancers, everything. It’s part performance, part art piece.”
This year’s theme came together thanks to a stroke of luck — and a little nostalgia.
“I’d been trying to get Peter Moore from Boston since the first show,” Perlmutter said. “He and Adrian [Brooks] were both singers on the Blue Man Group Megastar tour. They also play in yacht rock bands, so it just clicked — we had to do a haunted cruise.”
Big Talent, Bigger Band
Expect a stacked lineup this year, including a few more Blue Man Group veterans.
“We’ve got Pete Simpson, Randall, and Michael Rayhall — who hosts “Absinthe” in Vegas — coming back,” said Perlmutter. “So yeah, this is a heavy Blue Man year.”
The live band is expanding, too. “We’ve got horn players, mandolin, piano — it’s a massive band,” Brooks said. “Everybody’s a total pro.”
Local creatives like Zach Max, Mike Baker, and Catherine are adding fresh flair, including a mysterious nautical sculpture. “We haven’t even seen it yet,” Brooks said. “She just told us it’s ocean-themed and we said, ‘Perfect.’”
Come Weird, Stay Weird
Audience participation is part of the fun — and this year, it’s bigger than ever.
“It’s not like a parade where you just watch,” Brooks said. “Come in costume, get weird, be ready to be amazed. It’s a party. Totally interactive.”
“There’s even a part of the show that depends on the audience to make it happen,” Perlmutter added. “That’s all I can say — but come ready to get involved.”
The production is supported by the Sullivan County Arts & Heritage Grant, the DVA, and local volunteers who keep Parksville “delightfully weird.”
And that’s exactly how the Ghouls like it.
“The first time I saw video of people smiling — all ages, all types — just having a blast, I knew we were doing the right thing,” Perlmutter said. “Every year, it gets bigger, weirder, and more fun.”
Shows run Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. (doors at 6) and Sunday at 4 p.m. (doors at 3), with tickets at decrepitghouls.com. Sunday’s show is a more kid-friendly version, but Perlmutter says, “All the shows are fun for everyone.”
Image Credit: decrepitghouls.com