A terrific wildly fun show.
First let me say I saw the film "The Evil Dead" when it opened at movie theaters in 1981. I haven't seen it since. I enjoyed it then, though I thought much of it was silly and not all that scary. I will say the rape scene in the forest by the forest was chilling, and the image of those roots snaking along the ground toward the vicitim has remained with me these 25 years.
The musical is OK, way over the top and hysterical in concept. They did a good job of bringing all that crazy gore to the stage. The young actors were obviously enjoying themselves, and the young 20-something geeky young men who screamed the lines just before the cast said them were obviously enjoying themselves, too. Unfortunately, they ruined the second half of the show with their shouts, bellows, and all round juvenile behavior. This little show seems to have become a cult classic already. The fan base is young men, sans dates. They wear white and clamor to sit up front in the "splatter seats." And boy, the audience REALLY gets sprayed with blood at the nutsy climax. It's hilarious.
I enjoyed the show, but I can't say it's great. I can't remember a single song. The story, explained in greater detail than I remember from the movie, is as whacked as it was when Raimi wrote it way back when. There are winks and nods given to Raimi and Bruce Campbell. The young leading man gives a fine performance as Ash, and the rest of the cast were solid, except for Ash's sister who annoyed the hell out of me with her non-stop spunk.
We know we are in for a fun, silly time as the show opens with the cast in the car on the way to the cabin, in the woods, with no phone, no roads, and where no one knows they are going. There's much winking and nodding as we follow the prototypical horror story set up, sending the group on the way to their bloody fates.
The sets and props are loads of fun, too. They even manage to get an airplane arriving from Cairo into it!
The last scene in the cabin with dancing zombies and blood gushing everywhere is wonderful. The sister's rape scene in the forest is funny, believe it or not, and well done in a campy style. The entire show is campy and cannot be taken seriously on any level, which is perfect. Ash often reads his lines and looks to the audience for validation of their campiness or lunacy.
At times the show drags, and the sister-as-ghoul popping up from the cellar in chains and throwing off awful puns would have been funnier if they didn't keep going back to her so frequently.
If you love the movie, and I know most of you do, if you are youngish geeky males, and I know many of you are (and I say that with great fondness), then see this show. I think you'll love it.
The musical is OK, way over the top and hysterical in concept. They did a good job of bringing all that crazy gore to the stage. The young actors were obviously enjoying themselves, and the young 20-something geeky young men who screamed the lines just before the cast said them were obviously enjoying themselves, too. Unfortunately, they ruined the second half of the show with their shouts, bellows, and all round juvenile behavior. This little show seems to have become a cult classic already. The fan base is young men, sans dates. They wear white and clamor to sit up front in the "splatter seats." And boy, the audience REALLY gets sprayed with blood at the nutsy climax. It's hilarious.
I enjoyed the show, but I can't say it's great. I can't remember a single song. The story, explained in greater detail than I remember from the movie, is as whacked as it was when Raimi wrote it way back when. There are winks and nods given to Raimi and Bruce Campbell. The young leading man gives a fine performance as Ash, and the rest of the cast were solid, except for Ash's sister who annoyed the hell out of me with her non-stop spunk.
We know we are in for a fun, silly time as the show opens with the cast in the car on the way to the cabin, in the woods, with no phone, no roads, and where no one knows they are going. There's much winking and nodding as we follow the prototypical horror story set up, sending the group on the way to their bloody fates.
The sets and props are loads of fun, too. They even manage to get an airplane arriving from Cairo into it!
The last scene in the cabin with dancing zombies and blood gushing everywhere is wonderful. The sister's rape scene in the forest is funny, believe it or not, and well done in a campy style. The entire show is campy and cannot be taken seriously on any level, which is perfect. Ash often reads his lines and looks to the audience for validation of their campiness or lunacy.
At times the show drags, and the sister-as-ghoul popping up from the cellar in chains and throwing off awful puns would have been funnier if they didn't keep going back to her so frequently.
If you love the movie, and I know most of you do, if you are youngish geeky males, and I know many of you are (and I say that with great fondness), then see this show. I think you'll love it.
This post was last modified: 12-11-2006, 12:25 AM by Maggers.
Reading is freedom.
The mind soars, no earthly cares,
no limitations.
A Maggers Haiku, 2005
Years ago my mother used to say to me... "In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
Well, for years I was smart.
I recommend pleasant.
You may quote me.
Elwood P. Dowd
Maggers Wrote:and the sister-as-ghoul popping up from the cellar in chains and throwing off awful puns would have been funnier if they didn't keep going back to her so frequently.
Boy, that's true.