Look Who’s Evil Now!

Look Who’s Evil and Dead in Musical Form!
By
Morgan P Salvo
5 stars!!!

I had a chance to view an early rehearsal of Evil Dead: The Musical at 2nd St. Theater and I have three words for you –This Thing Rules! This has to be the most twisted and hilarious musical ever. Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead (’81) was the first horror movie that had me falling out of my theater seat laughing out loud. It was so gory AND funny at the same time it was beyond belief. It seems that co-directors Chris Kas and Sandy Klein have a similar intention, and they’ve put together a show you’ll want to see more than once.
The Evil Dead movie was made on a shoestring budget and there’s no denying its cult classic status, spawning countless rip-offs and two sequels. I thought initially that a musical of it would be sacrilege. Then I considered that Evil Dead 2 was actually a parody of the first film and Army of Darkness had hero Ash (Bruce Campbell) spewing one liners amidst Three Stooges-type humor, so why not a musical comedy? Garnering both Raimi and Campbell’s seal of approval, Evil Dead: the Musical was born. The musical has been shown in Toronto, NY, and Dallas, and this group in Bend takes the helm with a ton of gusto.
Taking the plot ingredients of five college students in a secluded cabin, a book of the dead, evil spirits, murderous trees and a hero wielding both a shotgun and chainsaw and turning it into a musical is a frightening task in itself, not to mention funny. Any Bruce Campbell fan will be pleased as he is parodied as much as the original movies. The musical takes creative liberty with the plot line of the movies, mixing together the characters and concepts of all three, as well as changing sequences and adding characters and background history for the sake of the stage and comedic intent. The songs are smart, catchy, raunchy and comical, including the catchy opener “Cabin in the Woods” and “What the FUCK Just Happened”.
In talking with director Chris Kas I found a kindred spirit. He saw The Evil Dead at age 13 and it inspired him to become a filmmaker. He too considered the movie untouchable until he read the script for the musical and couldn’t turn it down. You can see why – it’s hilarious from start to finish and bursts with Grand Guignol energy. Though my preview was a full week before opening night this was an impressive production. Despite incomplete sets and missing makeup, blood, body parts and singing moose, my imagination filled in the gaps. Kas assured me that when the show opens there will be plenty of blood-drenched demon killings set to the campy songs and bad puns. Audience should beware or enjoy the mini Gwar-like "splatter zone”.
The R-rated dialogue is delivered in supremely capable hands, particularly by Todd Hanson (Ash). Crew and cast alike share in this labor of love. Cameron Saunders was brought in because of his sheer devotion to the Evil Dead movies. He’s playing a tree and is also backstage to operating a pressurized blood dispenser. The actors are actually applying a lot of their own make-up, but there’s a small team backstage to assist with that as well. Natalie Skeen is the wardrobe stylist and plays a tree as well. Sound guy Greg Thoma had about 8 gazillion cues and seems to still be entertained laughing at all the jokes. The dual direction seems a perfect fit with Klein’s background in stage and Kas’s in film. Yet no production is without its ups and downs, as Kas told me they had to find a late replacement to play the role of Linda. “Erin Barbot walked into the theater on Friday looking for acting work, new in town. We auditioned her Saturday and cast her right away. She was there Sunday painting the set and learning the songs at the same time.” Clearly Barbot is a quick study because it wasn’t obvious that she had less time in the role than the others.
I had a blast watching the rehearsal and knowing with all the chainsaws buzzing, blood spurting, demon killing, and shotgun blazing, intact for opening night I’ll be back next week. It’s great to have something this cool and edgy in Bend. Kas sums it up best, “I think Bendites are ready for this kind of theater...whether you are familiar with Sam Raimi’s cult horror flicks or not you will be entertained. Blood, demons and dance numbers tell this comedic horror tale just in time for the haunting season."

Evil Dead: The Musical
2nd Street Theater, October 1-31
Directed by Chris Kas & Sandy Klein
Music: George Reinblatt, Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla and Melissa Morris