10/28/2009 
Email this article Print this article

Dead Zone – Celebrities star in Bridgeville Halloween display

By Terri T. Johnson Almanac staff writer tjohnson@thealmanac.net

 Bridesmaids in Amanda Gregg's Sept. 19 wedding wore stunning, formal, rose-colored gowns. Now, just six weeks later, one of those gowns covers a mannequin chained to the ground in the middle of her aunt's intricate Halloween display.

For the last nine years, JoLeene Young, Gregg's aunt, has utilized her artistic talent to create an extensive Halloween display admired by those who pass her house on Bank Street in Bridgeville.

Themes vary year-to-year with ghosts, goblins and skeletons on display. This year Young decided on a different theme: Dead Celebrities.

Marilyn Monroe is the one wearing the bridesmaid's gown, flashy thrift store jewelry and an atrocious white wig.

Standing tall, or, in the case of John Lennon, sitting on a bail of hay, are Michael Jackson in his "Thriller" outfit and surrounded by zombies, and Jimi Hendrix with a peace-sign necklace and guitar.



Young expected the display to be ready well before Halloween complete with smoke, music, lights and a few other surprises.

Preparations took more than a month as Young crafted the latex faces and hands to accent the used mannequins her father-in-law found before they were tossed in the trash by a local clothing store. The face-building process "took a whole lot of trial and error," Young said. "I had to build the faces, paint them and let them dry."

Choosing the dead celebrities also took time, Young and Gregg said. Sure, there are a lot of dead celebrities, but Young said some had died too recently, like Patrick Swayze and Farrah Fawcett. Others were well known, like Janis Joplin, but the public may not have easily recognized their faces.

Young's mind is already whirling about who to add next season.

Planning and building the display takes time. She tries to keep costs down. That's why Monroe wears her daughter's bridesmaid's grown from Gregg's wedding. Jackson's red pants are Young's old sweatpants. Her husband's black pants adorn a zombie. She found Jackson's shinny shoes for $3 at Goodwill.

When the display appears, there's practically a parade in front of her house.

"The neighborhood waits for it," she said.

And yes, Young dresses to greet the trick-or-treaters who make their way through the display on Halloween.

"Yep, they brave it out to come up to the porch," Young said with a smile. "They know the big candy bars are here."

This year she's planning to dress as Lucille Ball, complete with red wig and big red lips.

"Guess I'll be a dead celebrity too," Young said with a chuckle.

She experiences no vandalism. One year, however, she said a pumpkin was moved and she found rosary beads neatly placed underneath. Weird, but maybe, she said, there's a special blessing on the display. She's not willing to uncover the significance of the religious beads.

And speaking of religion, the entire display is disassembled and put away before Nov. 1.

"It's All Saints Day and everyone around here is Catholic, and it all has to come down," Young said.





0 comments
All comments will be reviewed by administrators and posted to their respective articles within 24 hours. Comments deemed inappropriate will not be posted.
Subject:
Body:
Poster:
captcha 909d70d005184669a888a11dcd4b782e
Enter text seen above:

Home

Click for Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Forecast


© 2010 Observer Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
395 Valley Brook Road • McMurray, PA 15317
Phone (724) 941-7725 • Fax (724) 941-8685 • Classified Fax (724) 942-3923