By Coral Gables Gazette staff

The glow of hundreds of candles will turn the Hotel Colonnade into a gothic concert hall on Friday, October 24, when the Listeso String Quartet performs a program of Halloween classics in two evening shows. The Candlelight Concert series, known for pairing familiar music with dramatic staging, is returning to Coral Gables with a setlist that blends movie scores, concert hall staples and pop culture themes.

A candlelit setting in the Gables

The performance space inside the Colonnade will be staged with flickering candles along the floor and surrounding the musicians, creating an atmosphere closer to a film set than a traditional chamber performance. The effect is part of Candlelight’s signature formula, which has made the series a draw in Miami and beyond. Shows often sell out, in part because the venues are unusual—churches, courtyards, hotels—and in part because the music selections are built on recognition and nostalgia.

The October 24 performance includes two options: 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Each lasts about 65 minutes. Doors open one hour before start time, and late entry is not allowed once the performance begins. Seating is first come, first served within each ticketed zone.

Hotel Colonnade, located at 180 Aragon Avenue, has become a favored site for Candlelight events due to its archways, balconies, and marble interiors. The building’s Mediterranean Revival style, combined with the candlelit setup, gives the evening an immersive atmosphere without the need for extra staging. The venue is ADA accessible, and admission is open to guests age 8 and older. Anyone under 16 must attend with an adult.

Music built for suspense and nostalgia

Tickets start at $24, with prices increasing by zone and proximity to the performers.

The setlist opens with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” arranged for string quartet but still tied to its dance-floor roots. From there, the program moves into Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette,” known today as the theme from Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Bernard Herrmann’s prelude from Psycho is scheduled midway through the concert, followed by the themes from The Addams Family, Ghostbusters, and Halloween, the John Carpenter score that helped define the modern horror soundtrack.

Film themes and classical fright

Several selections come from classical composers whose work has long been linked with the macabre. Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Macabre,” Modest Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain,” and Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” are featured alongside Franz Schubert’s “Der Erlkönig,” a piece based on a supernatural poem about a father racing to save his child from a mythical figure. Dmitri Shostakovich’s “String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, II. Allegro Molto” offers a darker, urgent tone, written during the Cold War and connected to the composer’s personal struggles under Soviet rule.

Film and television themes anchor the second half of the program. The string version of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells,” recognized as the theme from The Exorcist, leads into music from Stranger Things, Beetlejuice, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. The show closes with “Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which has become a participatory anthem during the Halloween season.

The performers and the format

The performers, members of the Listeso String Quartet, have been the principal ensemble for Candlelight concerts in South Florida. Their repertoire spans pop arrangements, film scores, and classical works, allowing them to move quickly between genres without breaking the tone of the evening. The group is known for syncing musical crescendos with lighting and atmospheric pauses, a hallmark of the Candlelight format.

Coral Gables audiences have embraced Candlelight’s blend of familiarity and theater. A previous concert at the Colonnade featuring music from The Nutcracker and Tchaikovsky sold out before the performance date, and similar fall programs in Miami have drawn strong turnout. This production is expected to follow that trend as the Halloween season gets underway.

If you go…

For guests interested in attending, the organizers recommend arriving early. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the first show and 8:00 p.m. for the second. Once the doors close five minutes before each performance, entry stops to preserve the atmosphere and prevent disruptions. Safety protocols remain in place, and guests will be seated by staff based on their ticketed zones.

Additional details and ticket availability can be found through the Candlelight Miami listings. Guests who want to explore other themed concerts, including tributes to classical composers and film scores, can view upcoming dates through the same platform.

With its mix of horror themes, concert hall classics and pop culture nods, the October 24 performance offers an accessible way to enter Halloween weekend. The Colonnade setting and candlelit staging add a layer of visual drama that complements the program rather than competing with it. For fans of live music, seasonal events, or theatrical experiences without the costume requirement, it is one of the month’s most atmospheric bookings in Coral Gables.