“There are few who’d deny, at what I do I am the best,” boasts Jack Skellington, the spindly Pumpkin King of Halloween Town in “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” However, while this lyric is commonly attributed to Jack, his claim equally applies to the Boston Pops, as their various holiday performances at Symphony Hall continue to delight concert and movie fans alike.
In keeping with the season, the Boston Pops performed “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert” this Halloween and Nov. 2, allowing fans and newcomers to experience the classic tale of holiday collision on a silver screen alongside a live orchestral performance of the film’s famous songs and score.
The film, which just last year celebrated its 30th anniversary, was unique from its production to its release. It was originally conceived as a poem by filmmaker Tim Burton, who turned to now-prominent stop-motion artist Henry Sellick (known for “James and the Giant Peach” and “Coraline”) to adapt his haunting verse and striking characters into an animated musical feature film.
Released in 1993 under Touchstone Pictures, a Walt Disney Company label meant to separate the studio’s usual family-friendly outings from its more mature ones, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was a modest success. It grossed $50 million at the domestic box office and garnered critical acclaim for its innovative animation and lively score. It later received an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects, a first for animated films.
The film follows Jack Skellington, a skeleton bored of the same yearly routine of delivering shrieks and scares to the people of the world every Halloween. Desperate to find something new, he is reinvigorated by the discovery of Christmas. Against the advice of his secret admirer, the reanimated ragdoll Sally, Jack enlists the citizens of Halloween Town in a plot to spread the joy of their own treacherous Christmas.
The film’s score and songs were composed by Danny Elfman, who by then was a frequent Tim Burton collaborator, having previously written the scores for Burton’s “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” “Beetlejuice,” and “Batman,” respectively. Director Henry Selick initially worried that the number of songs composed for the film—10 tracks over a quick 76-minute run time—would alienate viewers. However, he’s since noted that the frighteningly catchy songs were integral to the film becoming a pop culture phenomenon.
The Boston Pops didn’t shy away from proving Selick right. Costumed fans filed into the historic concert hall to marvel at the over seventy-piece orchestra performing their favorite “Nightmare” tunes, played in sync with a screening of the film.
Conducted by Keith Lockhart—whose tenure as the Boston Pops conductor reaches a confident 30 years in 2025—Elfman’s ballads and marches echoed through Symphony Hall with a boldness that filled every seat, melding Elfman’s whimsical melodies with the Pops’ storied legacy.
These festive performances offered fans a unique blend of nostalgic holiday cinema and orchestral mastery. As the beloved tale unfolded on screen, the orchestra’s precise execution of the iconic score brought new, exciting layers to each scene, allowing even longtime fans to experience the film in a fresh way.
Just like how the citizens of Halloween Town produce a new version of Christmas through their own frightening experience, in merging the world of animation with live music, the Pops remind us of the magic that can spur from the combination of two beloved art forms.
This December, alongside traditional holiday performances where the Pops bring their musical fanfare to classic holiday anthems, they will also be performing John William’s iconic “Home Alone” score alongside a screening of the film.
