(Screenshot from YouTube)
Bette Midler’s annual Hulaween costume gala, benefiting the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), will feature a reunion of the Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s 1993 Halloween classic “Hocus Pocus” as Midler will be joined by costars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy for this year’s event.
As nearly all events have been since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Hulaween 2020 will be a virtual event. This year it is titled “In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover” and will have the three actresses paying tribute to their iconic characters throughout the night.
“Hocus Pocus,” while not considered a critical or commercial success upon its initial release, has become a cult classic over the last 27 years and is regularly one of the highest-rated films on TV during the Halloween season. The Sanderson Sisters have even become LGBTQ icons with drag queens across the U.S. performing as the witchy trio every year. In 2018, a novelization of the film along with a sequel to the story called “Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel” was released. Last year, Disney announced that it was working on a film sequel to be released on its Disney+ streaming service.
For those wanting to be a part of the virtual reunion, you can reserve your spot for the one-hour event — streaming Oct. 30 — for just $10 at NYRP.org. Details of the night’s event have not been released, but in celebration of the Sanderson Sister’s return, exclusive merchandise can be pre-ordered on the NYRP’s website including T-shirts, tote bags, candles, candies, wine and more. All proceeds raised benefit the NYRP.
The NYRP is a nonprofit organization founded by Midler in 1995. Since its founding, NYRP has planted trees, renovated gardens, restored parks and transformed open space for communities throughout New York City’s five boroughs. As New York’s only citywide conservancy, NYRP brings private resources to spaces that lack adequate municipal support, fortifying the city’s aging infrastructure and creating a healthier environment for those who live in the most densely populated and least green neighborhoods.
“In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover,” Midler’s virtual costume gala streams Friday, Oct. 30. For more information or to purchase tickets and/or merchandise, visit NYRPshop.org.
“Hocus Pocus” can currently be streamed on Disney+.
