See a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Broadway's Jay Armstrong Johnson Transforming into Winifred Sanderson

Jay Armstrong Johnson put a spell on Times Square!

In exclusive photos shared with PEOPLE, the Broadway star, 35, can be seen getting into costume as Winifred Sanderson from Hocus Pocus ahead of his annual I Put a Spell on You Halloween concert.

"We've gotten [the transformation] down to about two, two-and-a-half hours now," Johnson tells PEOPLE, adding that makeup artist Kyle Krueger of Alcone is the man behind recreating the iconic Bette Midler look. DW is Johnson's costume designer.

The former Phantom of the Opera star created the annual event in 2016, and he's joined by Allison Robinson and Amanda Williams Ware as Sarah and Mary Sanderson, respectively. Johnson gave theater fans a preview Saturday at the Curtain Up Broadway Festival in Times Square.

"Hocus Pocus is like my favorite movie of all time since I was a kid," he says. "And I knew that one year I wanted to get a couple of my friends together and be the Sanderson Sisters for Halloween, but I knew that I couldn't half-ass it. Like I knew that if I didn't have the money to really make something look good that I didn't want to do it."

This year, the singer is going even bigger, taking over Sony Hall on Oct. 23.

The evening — which will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS — will also feature performances from theatrical stars, including Major Attaway, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Gavin Creel, Robyn Hurder, Tamika Lawrence, Julia Mattison, Tomás Matos, Krysta Rodriguez, Alanna Saunders, Claire Saunders, Heath Saunders, James Scully, and Alysha Umphress, among others.

Produced by Katie Rosin, I Put a Spell on You will also stream on Broadway on Demand on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. and be available for 24 hours.

"We've got a couple of new things [planned] that have never been seen in front of audiences before, which we're super excited about," says Johnson.

Directed by Ahmad Simmons, who is also the supervising choreographer, the Hocus Pocus tribute will also feature choreography by associate director/choreographer Lili Froehlich and assistant choreographer Kristopher Ward, as well as Mike Baerga, Phil Colgan, Chris Jarosz, Michael Anthony Sylvester and Jason Williams. Music supervision is by Will Van Dyke.

Last week, on the Broadway Podcast Network's The Art of Kindness podcast, Hocus Pocus film producer David Kirschner revealed that a stage adaptation of the cult classic is officially underway.

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"This started before COVID, but now it seems to be back on — and that is that they are building a Broadway version of Hocus Pocus," said Kirschner, who created and produced the 1993 Halloween film, and also serves as a producer on its recently released sequel.

He told podcast host Robert Peterpaul, "I just want to pinch myself, and I'm just afraid that I'm going to be 9 years old and on a little league field again… But it's just so wonderful just to stand back and watch all of this."

"It's not just me. It's so many people that brought Hocus Pocus [to life] — from [director] Kenny Ortega and Mick Garris' script and John Debney's score and Bill Sandell's production design, and now a whole new generation are working on it," Kirschner, 67, said.

Though no theater, cast, creative team nor timeline for a Broadway production of Hocus Pocus has been officially announced, Kirschner told Peterpaul, "I think you're going to be very pleased."

The 1993 film, starring Midler, 76, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as the sinister yet hilarious Sanderson Sisters, is set on Halloween night. When Max Dennison (Omri Katz) lights the Black Flame Candle in an age-old cottage in Salem, Massachusetts, he resurrects the trio of witches who wreak havoc on the town.

I Put a Spell on You will be held Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. at Sony Hall in New York City. Visit BroadwayCares.org/Spell and BroadwayonDemand.com for tickets.