A Balboa Island mom built a Halloween show where nobody gets scared.
Heather Sossaman Burbich, founder of Once Upon an Island, created "Once Upon a Nightmare Before Christmas" with her son Cruise in mind. He loves Halloween but dislikes frightening attractions, according to Stu News Newport. So she built one without the frights.
The live, walkthrough experience takes over the company's Once Upon a Christmas venue at 114 Agate Ave. on Balboa Island. Families move through the story together, scene by scene. Jack, Sally and Zero have taken over Santa's North Pole. Children discover Sally's laboratory, hear live singing and help set Christmas right by the final scene.
The whole family participates. Parents don't watch from the sidelines.
Four show dates remain: Oct. 23, 24, 30 and 31. Tickets start at $39.99 and vary by date. All ages are welcome. Children and adults each need a ticket, but babies under one get in free if held by a parent.
Sossaman Burbich, who got her start portraying princess characters at Disneyland from age 16 to 21, has run Once Upon an Island on Balboa Island for more than a decade, according to the company's website. The Once Upon a Christmas space opened in 2020 and sits next door to the flagship location at 118 Agate Ave., which has been open since 2015, according to the company's locations page.
The show's event page describes the experience as an immersive walkthrough where families travel scene by scene, meeting characters and hearing live performances along the way. Reservations and tour times are available there.
