NORTH WALES, PA — Halloween is arriving early at Montgomery Mall, where witches, broomsticks and themed potions will take over the former Hot Topic space as the Hocus Pocus Speakeasy makes its suburban Philadelphia debut for an eight-week run this fall.
Without a Cue Productions and Pops McCann Whiskey will open the seasonal pop-up Sept. 12 and keep the cauldrons bubbling through Nov. 8, following the concept’s Center City Philadelphia debut last Halloween season.
At the center of the experience are the Sanderson Sisters — Winifred, Sarah and Mary — brought to life in an interactive show filled with performances, games, singalongs and audience participation. Shows are scheduled every Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
Standard admission to the Hocus Pocus Experience is $35 plus tax and box-office fees, while a table for eight costs $240. The $75 VIP option adds early entry, a toast with the witches, an extra musical number, cast photo, three themed cocktails or mocktails, a souvenir glass and premium seating.
The regular Hocus Pocus Experience is restricted to guests 21 and older, but the witchcraft doesn’t stop with the weekend performances.
Selected Fridays will turn the pop-up into a rotating Halloween playground with bingo, wizard-themed comedy, broom making and other special events.
Mrs. Roper Bingo kicks off the Friday lineup Sept. 11 and returns Nov. 6. The $22 event mixes “Three’s Company” nostalgia with party games, yacht-rock performances and themed cocktails, with caftans strongly encouraged.
The prizes carry their own tricks and treats, including an overnight stay at Resorts in Atlantic City, an at-home murder mystery party, a Mrs. Roper-themed wine basket and whiskey from Pops McCann.
On Sept. 18 and Oct. 23, Dirty Potter will bring an adults-only dose of wizarding mischief to the space. The interactive production combines a cabaret-style comedy with character encounters and wizard-themed Quizzo, with tickets priced at $30 or $100 for a table of four.
Would-be witches get their turn Oct. 2 with the Hocus Pocus Broom Academy, an all-ages workshop where guests can build and decorate their own broom while watching live musical performances.
Broom Academy tickets cost $50, with tables of eight available for $320 and VIP admission for $75. Broom-making supplies are included, with one important catch for aspiring spellcasters: guests need to bring their own glue guns.
Then comes Hocus Pocus Bingo on Oct. 9 and Oct. 30, when the Sanderson Sisters will preside over bingo rounds, performances and Halloween prizes. Tickets start at $20, VIP admission is $50 and a table of 10 costs $150, plus applicable fees and taxes.
The entire Montgomery Mall space will get the Halloween treatment, with floor-to-ceiling decorations, photo opportunities, themed snacks and a custom cocktail menu developed with Pops McCann Whiskey.
“We are so excited to open our first pop up experience in Montco, and thrilled that it will be the witchy hilarity of the Hocus Pocus Speakeasy which debuted in Philadelphia last October,” Without a Cue founder and Executive Director Traci Connaughton stated. “The witches fly again — and we can’t wait to see you there.”
For Without a Cue, the Montgomery Mall residency also provides a temporary suburban stage for several of its interactive productions while tapping into the Halloween-season appetite for experiential entertainment.
And for Montgomery County residents who usually have to travel into Philadelphia for the company’s productions, this fall’s destination is considerably closer: just follow the broomsticks to the former Hot Topic.
The Hocus Pocus Speakeasy runs Sept. 12 through Nov. 8 at Montgomery Mall in North Wales. Tickets, schedules and additional information are available at hocuspocusspeakeasy.com/philadelphia.
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