A witch, Wonder Woman and a man in authentic army green fatigues — which last saw combat circa 1975 — were swaying and slow dancing in a small, packed classroom in Silver Spring on a recent Friday morning.

They were being serenaded with Leo Sayer’s dreamy lament, “More Than I Can Say,” a cover of the Crickets’ 1960 lullaby. A crooning ballad from Engelbert Humperdinck and a Boney M. disco number soon followed.

Dozens of others dressed as ghouls, princesses and more joined in song and dance. Some even rushed to the front of the room to give fake flowers to their favorite heartthrobs during this Halloween edition of Active Golden Karaoke at the county’s Holiday Park Senior Center.

This group of mostly Vietnamese immigrants in their 60s to 90s has gathered Tuesdays and Fridays this fall. Most will arrive on Fridays by 9 a.m. for breakfast, followed by karaoke at 11 a.m., lunch at noon and bingo at 1 p.m. For some, the karaoke is a warmup for the spirited game of bingo, which — and this part is not organized by the county’s Department of Recreation — involves a volunteer collecting dollar bills and doling them out to winners from a thick envelope.

Others are thankful for Love Vietnamese Seniors Club, as the name of their group chat says, because of the karaoke and how much it has been a balm and point of connection to others as they age.

“When I go to karaoke, the music often makes me feel optimistic,” said Rao Tran, 70. “I get into the mood and sometimes, with a good song, I like to sing or dance with them.

“It makes me feel light.”

‘My second home’

Tran was there with his brother, Dai, 67. They both live in Silver Spring, and they were not in Halloween costumes. He got into the group around two years ago because he had been searching for community since his mother died in 2013, Tran said. Karaoke and other activities with his fellow seniors have relieved the sense of seasonal depression he feels and helped him manage his stress. Tran said he has some standbys, such as Humperdinck’s “A Man Without Love” and Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams.”

In his working days, Tran was an electrical and software engineer. In retirement, he still gets to work with his hands by teaching art and basket weaving at Holiday Park Senior Center.

Quyen Duong, 52, is one of the youngest members and lead volunteer of the senior group, which, since its 2023 founding, has grown to more than 50 participants, she said. Duong, dressed as a princess, was a pharmacist and consults for a nonprofit. Karaoke is good for seniors, she said. It exercises their brains and lungs, and it boosts their moods.

But she too had a more personal reason for wanting to put on this showcase of love ballads preferred by these Vietnamese seniors. Both her parents and parents-in-law died in the past few years, Duong said, and she decided to give back to the Vietnamese American community she has been a part of since arriving in the United States in 1990.

“I feel like I have no parents and, when I found Holiday Park, it was home — my second home,” Duong said. “I can have 50 moms and dads here.”

They include Lan, 80, and Long Nguyen, 83.

They’ve lived in Silver Spring for 50 years after fleeing Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. Long was in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and in his fatigues with pins bearing the flag of South Vietnam, and Lan had a masquerade mask on. They said karaoke was a good way to train their voices and to be active. “For him, tango and dancing is exercise,” Lan said with a chuckle. “More fun, you know?” Long said.

The hour wound down and the group began to file away to another room to grab lunch at the senior center. Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash” closed the set list as volunteers began to set up the bingo hopper and distribute cards. Karaoke was over for today, but the show would go on.