REVIEW: VANDY MANOR

NOVEMBER 3, 2023

review: VANDY manor

For over 60 years Dick Van Dyke has been transforming his residence into an absolutely extraordinary celebration of Halloween entitled “Vandy Manor”. This private street party - exclusive for his family, friends, and neighbors - celebrates Van Dyke's favorite holiday with the same amount of fun that has been consistent throughout his entire career. The street outside of his and his wife (and event organizer) Arlene Silver's home becomes transformed into a ghoulishly festive paradise for one night only on Halloween. Guests run amok through this whimsical world filled with handcrafted sets, cinematic scare actors, and thrilling animatronics.

As we approached Vandy Manor we could hear the intro theme to Beetlejuice echoing throughout the darkness of the dell, and we knew we were in for a real treat. Upon arrival at Van Dyke’s house we saw a massive, hand painted stage set (built within the home’s driveway) featuring a giant Beetlejuice head and sandworms coiled around a crescent moon. Costumed children sat in front of the stage as a rowdy Beetlejuice threw candy into the air to the delight of the audience. 

Vandy Manor’s variety show was 45 minutes long and included a wry Ed Sullivan impersonator, incredible musical numbers (including Madonna’s Vogue) performed by the sea witch Ursula flanked by Flotsam and Jetsam, and a wonderful performance by Magic Castle regular Michael Rayner - who is famous for spinning burning cheeseburgers on top of parasols. (The Little Mermaid themed variety show was added to the Vandy Manor celebration around a decade ago. Silver thoroughly enjoys embodying the character of Ursula, almost as much as the audience loves her wicked performance.)

As we walked between the stage and the main stairs of the home, we were greeted by dozens of scare actors - zombies, wolfmen, and aliens - who blended in with the numerous animatronics. The animatronics ran the gamut from spectral beauty to horror, surprising visitors in the most entertaining ways - like the shrieking ghoul who spat streams of mist out at people as it tried to escape the restraints from its laboratory table. We saw mummies, witches, and even a Stranger Things Demogorgon. Our favorite character was the humanoid possum who sauntered about in her flowing dress, cackling at people as she twitched her nose. Upon going to get candy from a giant cauldron located on the porch, we came face to face with Regan from The Exorcist who was levitating above a church altar to the horror of Father Karras. Music filled the night air thanks to DJs Azalia Snail and Dan West who blasted Halloween classics along with tunes from fiendish bands like The Cramps. 

We were ecstatic and deeply honored to receive the invite to Vandy Manor. Van Dyke’s haunt has been one of the great Halloween legends and we never thought we would have a chance to attend. Van Dyke and Silver's ability to capture so much artistry and energy for a community holiday celebration is truly remarkable. Vandy Manor is not only the place to be to celebrate Halloween, it’s also a source of joyful inspiration, much like the timeless magic and pioneering talent of Dick Van Dyke.

VC

November 03, 2023

Hauntsofla.com

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