Countdown To Terror

For park-goers, Fright Fest begins at 5:30 pm as the sun starts to set over Six Flags. But for Great Adventure’s team, the transformation begins hours before—and lasts all night.

Raising the dead:  Starting around 2 pm, head makeup artist Tony Mandile and his six-person team airbrush makeup onto the 150 performers who comprise the cast of Fright Fest. For the duration of the night, Mandile and his team stay behind the scenes to touch up dancers’ makeup as needed. (Photos by Marc Steiner/Agency New Jersey)

Blues man: With the help of makeup applied by airbrush and cotton swab, Justice Lewis of Jackson is transformed into a ghoul by one of Tony’s assistants, Nicholas Jarososki, 21, of Howell. After working with Tony over the years, Jarososki says, “It seems like family to me now.”



Head case:
By day, Kyle Diana, 20, of Jackson is a volunteer first aider. After the makeup team is done with him, Diana becomes Nickoli T. Coil. “Fright Fest is my escape from reality,” says Diana, “a chance to be my alter ego.”

Bloodthirsty belle: At 4:30 pm, Laura Neu and the cast of “Zambora” begin performing every 10 minutes.

Dancing in the dark: Backstage in the dance trailer, two of the 12 dancers for the main stage production of “Dead Man’s Party” touch up each other’s makeup as they wait for the night to begin.



Mandile’s Make Overs:
Prosthetic application gets underway at 5:30 pm, when Mandile transforms Katrina Soures of Jackson into a swamp thing and Ian Davis of Atlantic Highlands into a one-eyed bloody businessman.

Proud moment: Choreographer of “Dead Man’s Party” Ashlé Dawson watches the production from a platform above the crowds.

Click here to read Spook Capades, our story on Fright Fest.

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