Somewhere between a medieval Romanian sadist, a diseased Irish Victorian and a rogue copyright-violating film director from Germany, a ghoulish folk tradition born in old Europe’s backwoods somehow turned into the very epitome of alluring Gothic indulgence – all encapsulated by one name, Dracula.

Now in its 17^th year, Shannon McCabe’s Vampire Ball has swirled around numerous themes over many Halloween seasons. It’s celebrated the characters of True Blood. It’s delved into the desires found in Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. It’s paid tribute to the campy fun of Barnabas Collins and Dark Shadows. This year, McCabe is bringing things back to the O.G. blood-sucker who inspired all of those books, films and TV shows.

It’s starts at the Carpathian Mountains of Wallachia (modern day Romania) in the 13^th Century with a battle between invading Ottomans and a Christian prince prone to shocking feats of torture. The latter’s name was Vlad III, or Vlad Țepeș – or Vlad Drăculea. Some traditions hold that Vlad’s reign was one of terror, so much so that villagers in the hills feared his hand might even reach beyond the grave. While most historians quibble with this characterization of the prince, there is no dispute that he viciously impaled thousands of his Turkish enemies on wooden stakes, and news of that cruel resolve traveled far and wide. In the late 1890s, a Dublin-born novelist rediscovered Vlad’s legend while doing researching for his next page-turner. Mixing elements of the Drăculea bloodline with some macabre literary fashions of his own day and a hint of London’s lurid penny dreadfuls, Stoker published his celebrated novel “Dracula” in 1897. Later, in 1922 – exactly a decade after Stoker died – the early German expressionist F. W. Murnau released his silent film Nosferatu, which was directly lifted, without permission, from Stoker’s book. After Stoker’s widow sued, most prints of Nosferatu were destroyed on a court’s order, though a few secretly survived to inspire famous remakes from Werner Herzog in 1979 and Robert Eggers last winter. Meanwhile, ten years after the original Nosferatu was squashed, Universal Studios acquired the actual rights to “Dracula” and released a blockbuster movie under that title, which starred Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi.

At that point, the Golden Age of monster films had begun.         

This year’s Vampire Ball in Sacramento is honoring that entire dark and turning tradition.

The action happens Saturday October 25 at Harlow’s and its upstairs Starlet Room. Its entertainment includes dancer Janessa Lynna; fire dancer and Burlesque performer Starlet O’Hara; Burlesque performers Sugar Cheeks, Jean Heart, Molly Ann Cherry; DJ Bryan Hawk, MC dive bar, MC Vivienne Beaumont; the band, A Death in Bloom, and chart-topping blues and Americana act, the Katie Knipp Band.

In addition to a Burlesque show, fire dancing, DJ mixing, multiple bars, an outdoor patio with a fountain and fire, the event also includes food available by the Harlow’s Kitchen, along with specialty Vampire cocktails and decadent deserts. Tickets can be purchased here.

SN&R sat down with McCabe to talk about this year’s upcoming gala.

What made you want to make this year’s theme an all-encompassing tribute to all things ‘Dracula’? 

McCabe: Dracula is invincible and continues to rise from the ashes year after year, as does my Vampire Ball. Dracula is a classic character who has been portrayed in so many different ways. Look at how many times Gary Oldman changes in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He’s a scary old creature, then a vampire with big white hair, then he becomes gorgeous and young – it opens up a plethora of costuming ideas. There are many forms of the Dracula persona, from Lugosi to Lee and Oldman, to name a few. Remember Grandpa Munster? He was even based on Dracula.

Perhaps, someone might want to portray “Dracula” from the comic book series?  The possibilities are endless with the costuming. Then, of course, you have all of the surrounding characters from Mina, Lucy and Jonathan Harker, to Renfield.  I can’t wait to see what our guests come up with this year. Did you know that even Roger Daltry of The Who has portrayed Dracula?  He was an alien Dracula named “Vlad” from the planet Drakulon in 1996 film Vampirella, starring Talisa Soto.  

For some bizarre reason, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu came out last December rather than last October: What did you think of the film, and do Nosferatu-inspired costumes fit in to the Dracula aesthetic of this year’s Vampire Ball? 

McCabe: Yes, please feel free to dress as Nosferatu. Did I enjoy the film? I did. I thought that Bill Skarsgard brought a unique and deeper view of the Vampire who first graced the screen in 1922 by the actor Max Schreck. That movie was very scary to me. The new film (2024) is prettier. I liked it. It was nice that the movie gave me a reason to watch a new Vampire film in December, when I’m normally wrapped up in other red-and-green forms of Joy!  

Given that this year is a tribute to Dracula through the ages, we have to ask, what is your very favorite film featuring the Dracula character? And, so far, who’s been the ‘best’ Dracula on the big screen? 

McCabe: My favorite version of the film Dracula is Bram Stoker’s Dracula from 1992 starring Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman. It’s beautifully done, and I have seen it about a hundred times. I’d be remiss if I did not mention two  VVonderful Draculas, Christopher Lee, with his red eyes, and of course Bella Lugosi, with his very strange accent that became the Dracula voice we know today. 

What are you most excited about when it comes to this year’s ball?  

McCabe: I’m most excited about dressing up and having all these live shows. The bands and the performers work so hard throughout the year to bring these special performances that you can only get at my Vampire Ball. The Katie Knipp Band is releasing their new album “Dance Me” based upon their love of the Vampire Ball! I’m also excited to watch A Death In Bloom, as they always bring such a different theatrical show to our stage each year with visuals, vocals, instrumentation and their creative costuming.

I’m also looking forward to hold a very intimate VIV party beginning at 7:30 pm for our VIV guests, a.k.a. Very Important Vampires. This VIV party includes an exclusive Burlesque Vampire show with a dessert/ candy bar buffet, an hour before our general admission guests arrive at 8:30 p.m. … This year’s theme is going to be very different than next year, so I can’t wait to see how our guests play it out on the 25th.