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Rick Miramontez / Abby Kelley
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

 A BUNCH OF HOCUS POCUS!

 JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON’S
“I PUT A SPELL ON YOU”
CONJURES STAR-STUDDED COMPANY FOR
“A SANDERSON SISTER ACT”

ONE NIGHT ONLY BENEFITTING
THE ALI FORNEY CENTER

To download photo by Shawn Salley, click here.

New York, NY (September 10, 2026) – Producers Jay Armstrong Johnson, Joe Hornberger, and Shannon Molly Flynn announced today the full company and creative team for “I Put A Spell On You: A Sanderson Sister Act.” Broadway’s biggest Halloween party will return to Manhattan’s Webster Hall on Monday, October 12. The Hocus Pocus-inspired concert from Johnson is celebrating its 11^th year, following 2025’s record-breaking event.

Last year’s record-breaking 10th Anniversary raised more than $345,000, helping the AFC reach a historic milestone: the purchase of its first permanent shelter, Casa Cecilia, named in honor of the late transgender activist Cecilia Gentili. The shelter is now open and operating in Harlem. Created in 2016 as Jay’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the event has grown from its beginnings at 54 Below into a viral Halloween phenomenon, attended and streamed by tens of thousands worldwide. A Sanderson Sister Act marks I Put a Spell on You’s eleventh year.

Armstrong said in a statement, “Our team at I Put a Spell on You is thrilled to deepen our partnership with the AFC for a fourth year as we create even more magic, music, and mischief – celebrating community, identity, and the unapologetic queer joy of Halloween. Protecting queer youth, in today’s climate especially, feels more necessary and timely than ever. I’m filled with even deeper gratitude, pride, and awe for the community that has made this spellbinding tradition possible for over a decade.”

Conjuring this year’s spell is Tony Award© Nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), Anania (The Rocky Horror Show), Stephen Brower (Lempicka), Jonathan Burke (CATS: The Jellicle Ball), DeMarius R. Copes (The 25^th Annual Putnam  County Spelling Bee), Jules Geiss, Chance Hoover, Dava Huesca (CATS: The Jellicle Ball), Olivia Lux (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Isabelle McCalla (Schmigadoon!), Jimin Moon (The Rocky Horror Show), Blaine Petrovia, Hannah Solow (Oh, Mary!), Bethany Tesarck (Death Becomes Her), Jeanna de Waal (Sweeney Todd), Garnet Williams (CATS: The Jellicle Ball), Teddy Wilson Jr. (CATS: The Jellicle Ball), with premiere New York City drag queens Reese Havoc, Hanukah Lewinsky and Chelsea Piers. Surprise guests will appear via video, and additional performers may be announced leading up to the performance.

Johnson (Parade, The Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge!) and Allison Godleski will return to headline the evening as the cult classic film’s Sanderson sisters, Winifred and Sarah, with Sydnie Roy joining the sisterhood as Mary, respectively. Also returning are Stacey Badgett Jr., Maddox Martin, and Kathryn Priest.

To download headshots, please click here.

The ensemble includes Mark Daniel Aguirre, Parker Aimone, David Nick Alea, E Anastasia, Claire Avakian, Topher J. Babb, Lexi Baldichino, Sophie Barry , Aubee Billie, Macey Bleu, Josh Bordman, Raven Bright, Delaney Burke, Dianne Cano, Rhys Carr, Daniel Chesnut, Sidney Choothesa, Jocelyn Clark, Anaya Colon, Estefania De La Cruz, Jack Dodson, Mollie Downes, Joshua Leon Eguia, Zach Eisenberg, Thea Erichson, Victoria Fiore, Nathan Fister, Nichole Forde, Cassandra Gauthier, Michael Samarie George, Sarah Guarisco, Hazel Hakel, Isabel Harding, Camren Hilyer, Domanick Anton Hubbard, EmmaLee Hutchinson, Regan Jackson, Brittany Jenkins, Diamond Jones, Rachel Kay, Cameryn Kelly, Ken, Megan Kramer, Holden Kunowski, Jacob Kurihara, Jessie Lawyer, Rachel Lockhart, Bella Luttrell, Christopher Marinelli, Sam Marszalek, José Martinez-Chavarria, Anna Sofia McGuire, Tony Mercado, Michelle Mercedes, Abigail Miller, Abby Miller, Ruth Łchav’aya K’isen Miller, Felipe Morales, Anna Nader, Cole Neville, Jaida Ocasio-Parvaiz, Deon Oliverio, Adolfo Ortiz-Feder, Taylor O’Toole, Emilio Padilla, Clairisa S. Patton, Mekhi Payne, Mattson Pearce, De’Andre’ Pearson, Caroline Poulis, Minga Prather, Carly Smith Quenqua, Raye Ramirez, Jonathan Reyes, Ravyn Rhiana, Michael Rick, Kerry Rimmer, Sashalie Rios, Corey Rives, Sarina Robbins, Luis Rojas, Nelly Noemie Roos, Junior Rosas, Aliya Rose, Matthew Rossetti, Sierra Rusnak, Victoria Santiago, Ian Saunders, Bella Savastano, Nikki Sember, Drew Shoemaker, Jake Siffert, Mack Simmons, Omari Simmons, Em Stockwell, Abbey Sullivan, Evie Thiebaud, Maya Jerome Thomas, Aidan Toth, Gianna Velez, Ian Viciedo, Sarah Webb, Olivia Winston, David Wright Jr., and YoYo Zhou.

This year will feature choreography by Chip Abbott, Elias Alfau, Quincy Ellis, Cam Gradel, Dava Huesca, Michael McCrary, Arianne Meneses, Alex Mitchell, Justice Moore, Isaiah Silvia-Chandley, Sissa Strain, Michael Anthony Sylvester, and Renell Taylor. Associate Choreographers include Kailin Brown, Taylor Daniels, Maria Desario, Kali Hightower, Dainique Jones, TJ Tapp, Dahlia Qumhiyeh, Leah Read, Mack Simmons, Ahren Victory, and assistant Kaylie Wood.

Bringing the evening to life alongside Johnson as Executive Producer, are producers Shannon Molly Flynn (St. Ann’s Warehouse, Normal Ave), and Joe Hornberger (CATS: The Jellicle Ball), with producing oversight from Andy Jones of Baseline Theatrical. A Sanderson Sister Act is co-directed by Heath Saunders (Company, Great Comet…) and Mack Brown (Ars Nova) and written by M Sloth Levine (Bad Cinderella).

Sean Gorski of Hudson Theatrical Associates continues as the event’s Co-Production Manager with Sean McGrath, alongside Creative Director and Founding Designer DW (The Costume Studio), Supervising Choreographer Michael Anthony Sylvester (NYCC’s In The Heights), Director of Hair and Makeup Kyle Krueger (Purple Rain), Music Supervisor Jackson Teeley (Parade), Music Consultant Will Van Dyke (Mamma Mia!), Production Stage Manager Caroline Pastore, Lighting Designer Andrew Garvis, Scenic Designer Joshua Warner, Sound Designer Jaechelle Johnson, Props Supervisor Andy Diaz, Video Supervisor Brian Pacelli, Director of Media and Graphic Design Kat Wright. Additional writing and direction is by Daniel Leeman Smith and Josephine Tarrant, with support from Safe Harbors NYC.

The production team also includes Josh Barry (Makeup Supervisor) Kelsey Buerger (Wardrobe Coordinator), Tori Carboni (Associate Supervising Choreographer), Taylor Daniels (Associate Supervising Choreographer), John Findlay (Costume Coordinator), Nora Fisher (Wardrobe Supervisor), Hannah Frye-Ginsberg (Production Coordinator), Isaiah Howell (Production Audio), Ryan Marsh (Lightning Programmer), Pam McCaddin (Production Electrician), Sean McGrath (Co-Production Manager), Yasmyn Sumiyoshi (Choreography Coordinator), Kevin Thurber (A1), Tristan Van Tine (Production Video), Christina Vida Roldos (Associate Director of Hair & Makeup), and Maddie Winningham (Associate Production Manager).

Costumes for A Sanderson Sister Act will be designed by John Beltre, Thomas Gluodenis, AC Gottlieb, Brian Hemesath, Hunter Kaczorowski, Miss Indigo Leigh, Vanessa Leuck, James Nguyen, Maddie Peterson, Brenda Phelps, Athena Randall, Filippa Sandlin, Steven Smith, and Julia Squier. Completing the department is Martín Lara Avila, Taylor Barnett, Gabi Manuel Burdette, Liv Kurtz, Rosie Medlock, and Hannah Sadler.

The performance will feature makeup, hair/wigs, and SFX by Elisa Abend-Goldferb, Shannon Lee Carroll, Josh Coleman, Joey DeVirgilio, Leah Herron, Axel Hurtado, Kirsten Jaskela, Christina Kim, Melanie Licata, Yamilet Lopez, Derrick Medina, Loryn Pretorius, Brandon Proaño, Melanie Dela Rosa, Alexis Santos, Mira Scirica, Cesar Silva, and Suki Tsujimoto. The Alcone Company continues as the event’s makeup sponsor.

Associate Producers include Amber Coates, Jonathan Fierros, Tia Harewood-Millington, Tony Harris, Westin Hicks, Taylor Iman Jones, Devon Kish, Sierra Miliziano, Mikayla Petrilla, Nick Puglia, Nicholas James Reilly, Donna Reinhold, Jaida Rivera, Lina Silver, Cecelia Tickton, Christian David Tinajero, and Samuel Weber with Assistant Producers Meghan Fitton, Devon Kish, and Esmé Maria Ng.

Key Art for A Sanderson Sister Act was shot by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman of MurphyMade. The video team consists of Catriona Rubenis-Stevens (Director for Video), Jake Primmerman (Director of Photography, PRIMME CREATIVE), and Caroline Mariko Stucky (Live Show Capture). A Sanderson Sister Act will be streamed in late October for a limited time to additionally benefit the AFC. Details will be announced at a later date.

Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker famously starred in the original 1993 Disney film Hocus Pocus directed by Kenny Ortega.

General tickets will go on sale in September, while VIP sponsorship packages are currently available by emailing Travis Shumake, AFC’s Major Gifts Officer and Interim Special Events Manager (TShumake@AliForneyCenter.org). VIP packages range from $1,000 to $50,000. All ticket purchases benefit the Ali Forney Center and are tax deductible before additional service fees.

For more information, visit SpellOnYouNYC.com and follow @IPutaSpellonYouNYC on Instagram.

A B O U T  T H E  A L I  F O R N E Y  C E N T E R

The Ali Forney Center was founded in 2002 in memory of Ali Forney, a homeless gender-nonconforming youth who was forced to live on the streets, where they were tragically murdered. Committed to saving the lives of LGBTQ+ and at-risk young people, our mission is to protect them from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.

A 24-hour program, The Ali Forney Center never closes its doors. We provide more than just a bed and food for those in need — from initial intake at our drop-in center to transitional housing and job readiness training, we provide homeless LGBTQ+ and at-risk youth a safe, warm, supportive environment to escape the streets.

From our leadership and staff to our youth counselors, we are all committed to helping provide stability, healing, trust and education to young adults so they can ultimately live independently.

To learn more about The Ali Forney Center and their vital work,
please visit https://www.aliforneycenter.org/. @aliforneycenter

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