On October 30 and 31, a cult fantasy film gets a live operatic soundtrack at the United Theater on Broadway.

Halloween night features a costume contest with a $10,000 grand prize.

(Los Angeles) October 7, 2026 — The mighty Hercules has faced some formidable enemies over the past three millennia, and this Halloween, LA Opera is adding singing monsters to the list with Hercules vs Vampires. As Mario Bava’s 1961 cult fantasy film Hercules in the Haunted World plays on the big screen, live singers and musicians will perform an original operatic score by composer Patrick Morganelli, synced to the film's action. The production comes to the United Theater on Broadway for two performances, on October 30 and 31, at 8pm.

The film stars former Mr. Universe Reg Park as Hercules and screen icon Christopher Lee as Lycos, a power-hungry ruler bent on immortality. When Hercules sets out to rescue the woman he loves, he must journey to the underworld and back to face an army of the dead. Expect delightfully preposterous monsters, sets and costumes, all captured in outrageously glorious Technicolor, and a muscle-bound hero ready to face it all with his bare hands (and barer chest).

About the Show
Composer Patrick Morganelli wrote the score and adapted the film’s dialogue for live singers. Originally commissioned by Opera Theater Oregon, Hercules vs Vampires premiered there in 2010. For LA Opera’s 2015 presentation, Morganelli extensively revised the work and reorchestrated it for nine singers and a 26-piece orchestra. His music gives Bava’s extravagant visuals new dramatic force, heightening the story’s adventure, romance and supernatural menace. Hercules vs Vampires has since been presented by North Carolina Opera, Arizona Opera and Nashville Opera.

Part of LA Opera’s Off Grand initiative, which brings adventurous works to venues across Los Angeles, Hercules vs Vampires will take over the historic United Theater on Broadway, whose spectacular Gothic architecture and soaring, cathedral-like interior provide an appropriately otherworldly setting for this excursion to the underworld.

Meet the Performers
Blair Salter, LA Opera’s Head of Music, makes her LA Opera conducting debut, leading members of the LA Opera Orchestra. Baritone Joel Balzun performs the leading role of Hercules, with soprano Alexis Seminario as Dianara and baritone Gabriel Manro as Lycos. Tenor Roy Hage takes on the role of Theseus; soprano Gabrielle Turgeon sings Medea and additional roles; and mezzo-soprano Gretchen Krupp is Persephone. Bass James Hayden appears as the God of Evil and as Procrustes. The cast also includes tenors Orson Van Gay II as Kyros and Robert Norman as Telemachus, both of whom perform additional roles as well.

A Halloween Night Out
The October 31 performance will be followed by an afterparty and costume contest, free with admission, with a $10,000 grand prize at stake, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor. The first-place winner will also receive two VIP tickets to an LA Opera performance of their choice (based on availability) and a private tour for two of the LA Opera Costume Shop. The second-place winner will receive $2,500 and two VIP tickets, and the third-place winner will receive $500 and two VIP tickets (all tickets based on availability). Togas, fangs and whatever else your imagination—or 2026—has unleashed are not only welcome, but encouraged! Visit LAOpera.org/Hercules for contest rules.

Click here to download photos.

Performance Dates, Times and Address
There will be two performances of Hercules vs Vampires at the United Theater in downtown Los Angeles (929 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015):

• Friday, October 30, 2026, at 8pm
• Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 8pm (Halloween afterparty and costume contest included with admission)

Tickets
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at LAOpera.org/Hercules, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012).

More information about the production is available at LAOpera.org/Hercules.

About LA Opera
Inspired by the extraordinary diversity and creativity of Los Angeles, LA Opera embraces that spirit through performances that continually redefine what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and fresh perspectives on foundational works that make them feel immediate and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America's most exciting and ambitious opera companies.

In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, LA Opera explores new artistic possibilities through LA Opera Off Grand, presenting adventurous works in venues throughout Los Angeles that expand and enrich the operatic repertoire. The LA Opera Connects department offers a robust array of educational programs and community engagement initiatives that reach people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

LA Opera Media Contact
Marlene Meraz
Director of Communications
mmeraz@laopera.org
213.972.7554

LA Opera's Off Grand productions are supported by a consortium of generous donors to LA Opera’s Contemporary Opera Initiative, chaired by Barry and Nancy Sanders.

LA Opera Orchestra generously underwritten by Terri and Jerry Kohl

LA Opera is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.