Organizers of this year’s Halloween Magic show have repackaged “Desperate Housewives,” ABC’s hit prime-time soap opera, and renamed it “Desperate Montrose Housewives” for their latest production Oct. 22-23.

Find out what happens when housewife Bree Van de Kamp plans a dinner party and everything goes wrong. The show has a cast of at least 18 actors, including returning performer Scott Sawyer and Kerry Harris.

And there are bound to be surprises as organizers of the show like to remind the audience that they’re “equal opportunity offenders.”

“That is the truth,” said Pat Padilla, president of the organization’s board of directors. “We try to localize some of the things we do. It’s wide open.”

Previous Halloween Magic productions include “Roxy Whorra Beauty Shop,” an amalgam of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Little Shop of Horrors”; sequel “Hair Wars”; “The Sound of Montrose”; “The Phantom of Montrose”; and “The Best Little Whitehouse in Texas—The Crawford Administration.” Each production is packed with singing, dancing, satire and loads of laughs.

Given the success of the television show about the lives of four women on Wisteria Lane, it’s no surprise that the crew at Halloween Magic decided to put their spin on the show and give it a Houston flair.

“We have a really great show this year,” Padilla said. “To spark interest, we try to pick something that is popular and well known.”

Money milestone

The Halloween Magic shows, which first took the stage 17 years ago, reinvent popular musicals, films or plays. Since their inception, the shows have raised more than $1 million for Houston AIDS charities.

“The board feels very, very good about our $1 million success,” Padilla said. “And all of the money we give away stays in Houston.”

Proceeds from this year’s show will benefit AIDS Foundation Houston, Amigos Volunteers in Education & Services, Bering Omega Community Services, Montrose Clinic and The Center for AIDS.

Halloween Magic passed the $1 million mark in fund-raising last year.

“I can’t say enough about how grateful we are to Halloween Magic. We have a long-standing relationship with them and will always be in debt to them,” said Kelly McCann, CEO of AIDS Foundation Houston. “We have a full array of services and it’s donations like this that make it possible.”

One of the largest foundations of its kind, AIDS Foundation Houston provides assistance to an average of 5,000 clients a year with the help of grants and donations, McCann said. The foundation provides food, housing assistance and help with utility bills for clients with HIV and AIDS. There are also educational programs.

Julie Eberly, vice president of development with the foundation, stressed the importance of having the support of organizations like Halloween Magic.

“For us it’s imperative that we rely on the community to help us in what we do,” Eberly said. “We’re incredibly grateful.”

Eberly said due to the impact of Hurricane Katrina, the organization’s workload has increased. She points out that the foundation’s mission is an ongoing battle.

“We know the work is not over,” Eberly said. “We’re the largest AIDS foundation in the area.”

Sonna Alton, director of community relations at the Montrose Clinic, said the money donated from Halloween Magic helps the clinic deliver services, including care for HIV-positive and AIDS patients, eye care and women’s and men’s health needs.

The clinic has a bilingual staff and confidentiality is top priority. Patients are cared for on a number system; absolutely no names are documented.

“Every dime that we take in is especially needed,” Alton said. “We offer quite a range of services. Our goal is to offer high quality care to the low-income and under served community.”

Alton said a Walgreens is planned for the clinic, which will better help officials serve their clients.

“We’ll have an in-house Walgreens were people can just walk down and talk to the pharmacist,” she said. “It’s going to enhance our services.”

Tom Lotycz, Halloween Magic board vice president, said it’s hard to predict each year how much revenue the show will bring in, but the board estimates raising around $50,000.

“If could be lower this year with [Hurricane] Katrina,” Lotycz said.

Lotycz said so far this year’s ticket sales are slow, but he expects them to pick up as the show draws near. It “always seems like at the last moment” people start to purchase tickets, he said.

Ongoing planning

Some of most talented professionals in Houston’s theater scene have participated in the shows, including actors Jimmy Phillips, Paul Nicely, Jessica Galvello, Jennifer Doctorovich and director Robin Robinson. Craig Bushey is director of “Desperate Montrose Housewives” and Steven Jones is musical director.

There’s a lot of planning that goes into the Halloween Magic productions. Ideas have to be brainstormed, actors assembled and costumes made, well in advance.

“The day after the show is over, we start working on the new show,” Lotycz said.

Padilla, who volunteered as a costumer before joining the board, said actors usually start rehearsing four to six weeks before opening night. She said it takes two to three months to write the show’s script.

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