There's always something special about watching a live performance. You can feel the emotion coming from the stage, and the crowd's excitement is more noticeable, too! These are only some wonderful reasons you might love Broadway performances. The acting and vocals are always top-notch, and can we take a second to appreciate the costumes? If you love Broadway, there's a chance that you have considered wearing a Broadway costume for Halloween. Keep reading for our recommendations on the best Broadway Halloween costume ideas!
1. Addams Family Costumes
| Morticia Addams | Wednesday Addams | Pugsley Addams | Gomez Addams |
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While the Addams Family has been around for decades as a comic strip and several TV series and movies, the Broadway version first hit the theater in 2010. The musical comedy follows the lives of the Addams Family, who are busy living their normally abnormal lives. However, everything is disrupted when they discover that Wednesday is dating an ordinary boy. This would make a fun Broadway couples' costume idea, but there's nothing wrong with going solo, too.
2. Bonnie & Clyde Costumes
| Bonnie Costume | Clyde Costume |
The Broadway musical Bonnie & Clyde is based on the historical events of the Depression-era bandits, Bonnie Paker and Clyde Champion Barrow. They were famed not only for their violent robberies and kidnappings, but their roles as lovers brought them fame in the public eye. All you need for this Broadway couples' costume idea are 20s-30s era gangster costumes, with a blouse and skirt for Bonnie and a striped suit and fedora for Clyde. Finish it off with fake money bags and firearms, and you're ready to attend your next Halloween party.
3. Grease Costumes
| Plus Size Pink Ladies Jacket | Bad Sandy Costume | T-Birds Jacket | Good Sandy Costume |
Did you know that Grease was actually a Broadway musical before it became the famous Hollywood movie starring John Travolta and Olivia-Newton John? Parts of the plot and several musical numbers changed, but fans of both will still recognize these Grease costumes. You can find plenty of Pink Ladies jackets and T-Bird jackets, along with some individual character costumes for Sandy. These Grease costumes can easily accommodate individuals or groups of practically any size!
4. Beetlejuice Costumes
| Beetlejuice Costume | Lydia Deetz | Girl Scout Costume | Striped Jumpsuit |
While quite a few shows have been turned into movies, the opposite has also been done, with popular movies becoming musicals. Beetlejuice premiered on Broadway in 2019 becoming a musical sensation! The plot closely follows the movie, although there are additions like Sky the Girl Scout and expanded roles for Delia and Beetlejuice. The best part is that you can easily find excellent options for Beetlejuice costumes due to the movie, and other characters are easy enough to DIY with regular clothes. It's showtime!
5. Mean Girls Costumes
| Women's Pink Suit | Pink Bouclé Dress | Pink Tank Dress | Strappy Pink Dress |
Prepare for pink! While you may not find the exact Mean Girls costumes from Broadway, you can't go wrong with picking something pink if you're dressing as one of the plastics. Based on the 2004 movie of the same name, the musical is familiar and fun, with great numbers like "World Burn" and "Sexy". If we could change the world, we'd make it Halloween every single day, too! (And world peace would be great, too.)
6. Shrek the Musical Costumes
| Shrek Costume | Donkey Costume | Princess Fiona | Gingerbread Costume |
2001's Shrek movie was such a smash hit that it didn't take long to be modified for Broadway in 2008. It follows a similar plot with all the characters you know and love. However, we do get to see and hear more about Fiona's side of the story before her rescue. The costumes in Shrek the Musical are often wildly inventive because of the fun fairytale creatures and animation it's based on, so don't be afraid to get creative, too!
7. Hamilton Costumes
| Hamilton Costume | King George III Costume | Schuyler Sister Costume | Aaron Burr Costume |
Because Hamilton is a Broadway original, you may need to be more inventive in order to wear Hamilton costumes. Luckily, due to the nature of the musical, you can often piece an outfit together with various historical costumes. (In fact, we wrote an entire guide to DIY Hamilton costume ideas.) Don't miss your shot at wearing a Hamilton costume for Halloween! Musical theater geeks and Broadway enthusiasts will love to see their favorite shows out and about on Halloween night.
8. Mary Poppins Costumes
| Mary Poppins Costume | Chimney Sweep Bert | White Mary Poppins Dress | Bert Jacket Costume |
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One of the longer gaps from movie release to Broadway reproduction, the original Mary Poppins movie was released in 1964, while the musical debuted in 2006. (That's a difference of 42 years!) Due to the wonders of movie magic and the many scene changes, they had to adapt parts of the movie to make it more stage-friendly. However, because the Broadway musical is based on a classic Disney film, Mary Poppins costumes are easy to find, especially for Bert and Mary.
9. Wicked Costumes
| Wicked Witch Costume | Glinda Costume | Scarecrow Fiyero | Boq Suit |
The record-breaking musical Wicked became the 4th-longest running Broadway show and the second-highest-grossing musical of all time. Of course, some people want to wear Wicked costumes for Halloween! An Elphaba costume is undeniably the easiest to find, as well as scarecrow Figaro, because they have looks similar to those of their Wizard of Oz movie counterparts. You may need to be more inventive for other characters like Glinda, Boq, and others, but it will be worth it!
10. Newsies Costumes
| 20s Man | Newsies Costume | Peaky Blinders Suit | Peaky Blinders Costume |
We know that the Newsboys' Strike occurred in 1899, but 1920s costumes work remarkably well as Newsies costumes. The cast is primarily made up of newsboys, who are also the easiest to find costumes for. We suggest looking for vintage suits with newsboy caps like these gangster and Peaky Blinders costumes and wearing button-up shirts without the suit jacket tops. Of course, these Newsies costume ideas are also the easiest in the show to DIY!
11. Into the Woods Costumes
| The Baker Costume | Red Riding Hood | The Wolf Costume | The Witch Costume |
Into the Woods is a glorious buffet of fairy tales woven together through theater and song. We follow along with the baker and his wife, who want to start a family but find that they cannot because an evil witch has cursed them. To undo the curse, the baker must collect items from several fairytales. Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella are all major characters who you might want to dress as for Halloween!
12. Hairspray Costumes
| Plus Size Tray Turnblad | Link Larkin Costume | Plus Size Edna Turnblad | Corny Collins |
Some Broadway musicals become so popular that they outgrow their source material! Hairspray was originally a 1988 comedy movie that was only moderately successful. It later became a cult classic, and in 2002, Hairspray hit the Broadway stage. The story centers around Tracy Turnblad and her family and her goal to be on The Corny Collins Show. Hairspray is set in the early 60s, so there's a mix of 50s and 60s styles to work with for your costume ideas.
13. Seussical Costumes
| Gertrude Costume | Cat in the Hat Accessories | Horton Costume | Wickersham Brothers |
Seussical initially didn't perform well on Broadway, but it became incredibly popular for school productions. (The original Broadway run only lasted from 2000 to 2001!) The original cast mostly wore regular clothes or suits with accessories for their characters. Of course, you're welcome to wear Dr. Seuss costumes instead, as that's more common with other productions off-Broadway.
14. Sweeney Todd Costumes
| Sweeney Todd Costume | Mrs. Lovett Costume | Judge Turpin Costume | Johanna Costume |
Another Broadway favorite is Sweeney Todd. It first debuted in 1979 and has since enjoyed a lengthy run, several revivals, and a film adaptation. But did you know that Sweeney Todd originated in penny dreadfuls, which were Victorian-era serial literature? That only explains the use of Victorian costumes! Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett are two of the most recognizable characters, but you can always add more people for a group costume idea. Just don't forget to have a rolling pin and a straight razor!
15. Spamalot Costumes
| King Arthur Costume | Sir Galahad Costume | Black Knight Costume | Killer Rabbit Costume |
Why did it take so long for 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail to become a Broadway musical? We're not sure why, but we're glad Spamalot hit the Broadway stage in 2005. There are many nods to the original comedy, from the costumes and cast doubling roles to your favorite bits set to music. Find a few friends to wear knight costumes with you, or you can flesh out the cast with favorites like the Rabbit of Chernabog and the Lady of the Lake.
16. Oklahoma Costumes
| Cowboy Costume | Plus Size Prairie Dress | Fringe Vest Cowboy | Pioneer Costume |
Oklahoma is one of those classic Rogers and Hammerstain musicals that keeps coming back. (And it was actually the duo's first!) It opened on Broadway in 1943 and has continued to be revisited. The key to Oklahoma costumes is Western clothing, especially prairie dresses for women and cowboy-adjacent fashion for men. Due to the large number of Oklahoma musicals throughout the years, there is no one costume you need to have to be recognized. We hope you're ready to belt out a few tunes!
17. Jersey Boys Costumes
| Red Suit | Black Suit Costume | Angelo DeCarlo Costume | Inflatable Guitar Prop |
The Broadway musical Jersey Boys centers around the members of The Four Seasons, a 60s rock 'n' roll band. This is a great Broadway costume idea for four people, considering the band was comprised of four main members. Just find some matching suits and guitar props, and you're all set to hit the stage! Of course, you're welcome to include other characters if you'd like, including people like crime boss Gyp DeCarlo or love interest Mary Delgado.
18. On the Town Costumes
| Sailor Costume | Vintage Dress | Judge Pitkin | Cop Costume |
Another Broadway classic, On the Town, has been featured on Broadway several times. (This show is also the source of the famous show tune "New York, New York".) Costumes change with every rendition, although the key costumes here are the white Navy sailor uniforms and vintage dresses for the main characters. Through their day of escapades, the protagonists run across other characters like Judge Pitkin and a cop. On the Town easily makes an adorable couples' costume idea, but don't be afraid to make it your own!
19. Sister Act Costumes
| Nun Costume | Disco Man | Plus Size Nun Costume | Police Costume |
The 1992 movie Sister Act became a Broadway sensation in 2011. While the musical changed the setting to the late 70s and a few other elements, the plot is still very recognizable. Grab your gal pals for this one and some nun costumes, and you'll be fabulous, baby! If you want an even larger group costume with other cast members, find a cop costume for Eddie and some '70s costumes. It's time to spread some nunsense.
Are you itching to book another Broadway show? What are some of your favorite Broadway costumes? We hope you loved these Broadway Halloween costume ideas! Feel free to share your ideas in the comments below. We hope you're ready to hit the town in your favorite Broadway costume.
