Let me preface this review of Evil Dead: The Musical with a confession: I've never seen either of the Evil Dead movies. I don't have anything against Bruce Campbell and campy fun, but there are certain flicks are simply pass you by. Which made the experience of the musical playing down at The Grandel even better.
Think about it. A man walking into a theater with no clue what to expect, only knowing there is a chainsaw, severed body parts, and evil spirit hilarity involved. I'd like to say I approached this material with perfect unbridled caution.
The result was a great time at the theater-and it doesn't matter if you love, hate, or sit impartially to the source material. What Christopher Bond and the cast and crew have done is transform something that already had a cult following into something even better, updating the words with pop culture humor, energy, and enough profanity to make you know this isn't your grandson's school play.
Frank Cipolla and George Reinblatt's music deftly highlights the story of Ash (Trent Mills) and his group of friends going to the cabin in the woods and running into demons, death, and overall destruction. This is a true experience with many flavors, which is what makes the fun on stage really shine. You've never seen anything like this.
It all started back in 2003 with an idea about extending the universe of the cult classics: Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and The Army of Darkness. It launched in Toronto, continued in New York, carried over to Spain, and opened in Vegas in 2013, where it has played for five straight years. This is the first time St. Louis has seen the group and it's a one of a kind experience. What began as an extension of a cinematic universe has grown into something unique in its own way.
Did I mention that it's hilarious? Because it most definitely is. And it's also energetic like no other live event I've seen before.
With songs like "All the men in my life keep getting killed by Candarian Demons" and "Look Who's Evil Now" filtering the two hour show, the cast never stops moving, and the energy balances out the vulgarity that is cooked into the script. You'll laugh when Ash talks about the perfect scenario for chaos or when his sister Cheryl (played with virtuosity by Saphire Demitro) cracks a Kardashian joke about her transformation into a demon. Christopher Fulton's Scotty has the dirtiest mouth, but also gets the most laughs. Merritt Crews has dual roles and gives each of them an extra kick. Michelle Nash's Linda goes from lovely girlfriend to crazy demon lady with smooth menace. Jonathan Shaboo has a scene stealing moment singing about a guy named Jake.
The music numbers are lively and well sung, settling its hooks into the proudest musical cynic. If the songs don't work, the play flops. It's a good thing this cast can perform!
The Splatter Zone is the place to be for this event, because when Ash finally goes ballistic in the end, let's just say the first few rows in the audience will need a change of clothes and a rinse. But it's worth getting covered in fake blood in order to meet with the cast and crew afterwards for selfies and appreciation.
The cool thing about theater is that there's no buffer between the performers and the crowd. It's all right there for the taking and that is the hardest job in the business. A play is a series of moving parts with one function, and that is to entertain and create something special. I got a kick out of the lightning, make-up, and the rigs quietly moving behind the stage throughout the show. It makes a show about undead souls quite...human.
Evil Dead: The Musical plays at The Grandel through Sunday, October 22, so go check it out. Bring the family and some friends. Show them what true live entertainment is all about. Sit in the front row and covered. Soaking it all in is the wise move here.
I walked in knowing little about Evil Dead and Ash's playground, but I left knowing that talented people can make anything come to life, especially a story about the undead.
*If you want to go, go here and type in the promo code, KSDK, for a discount on tickets.
