Billie Eilish dropped in to play Sally in Danny Elfman's Nightmare Before Christmas concert

Paul Reubens, Weird Al Yankovic, and original cast member Ken Page also lent their voices to Elfman's show

Billie Eilish dropped in to play Sally in Danny Elfman's Nightmare Before Christmas concert
Billie Eilish Photo: SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images

Fulfilling the life-long dream of a lot of people who have funneled money into the Hot Topic-industrial complex over the years, musical superstar Billie Eilish took on the role of female lead Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas last night.

Specifically, Eilish—whose latest album, Happier Than Ever, came out back in August—dropped in last night at L.A.’ s Banc Of California Stadium, where composer and musician Danny Elfman was giving a concert dedicated to the soundtrack of the 1993 film. (Produced by Tim Burton, but actually directed by stop-motion mastermind and Coraline director Harry Sellick.) Eilish and Elfman then proceeded to duet, with Elfman playing pumpkin-related tyrant Jack Skellington (whose singing voice he provided for the film), and Eilish playing his “whatever you want to call the generic word for a Frankenstein” paramour.

Eilish performed at least two numbers at the concert, starting with “Sally’s Song” and then returning to team up with Elfman for “Simply Meant To Be.” She wasn’t the only celebrity to grace the stage either; both Weird Al Yankovic and Paul Reubens—whose collaborations with Elfman date back decades, including the Elfman-penned score for Pee-wee’s Big Adventure—also showed up, playing two-thirds of the mischievous trio of Lock, Shock, and Barrel. (Elfman played Barrel, as he did in the film—ditto Reubens, as Lock.)

Speaking of the original cast: Elfman also brought out veteran Broadway performer Ken Page to reprise his role as the malevolent, bug-filled Oogie-Boogie. The only major missing presence was Catherine O’Hara, who played both Sally and Shock in the original movie.

Elfman’s live Nightmare shows have been a regular feature of L.A. Octobers for several years now (although he’s skipped the last few, for a variety of reasons). He’s currently set to repeat the show—including return appearances from Eilish, Yankovic, Reubens, and Page—tomorrow night, on Halloween proper.

 
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