A Bloody Fun Night Of Theater

By Jenn McKee

Yom Kippur – which began Friday night, when I was driving to Detroit's City Theatre to see "Evil Dead: The Musical" – is a day of atonement, so I'll just come clean: I've never seen any of Sam Raimi's three "Evil Dead" movies, though they're comedy/horror cult classics.
This gaping hole in my cultural education made me wonder if I'd still find things to enjoy in The Ringwald and Olympia Entertainment's fifth annual production of "Evil Dead: The Musical." But really – do I need to have seen the source material to laugh at a man's possessed hand throwing him around a stage?
No. No, I don't.
With a gleefully profane book and lyrics by George Reinblatt, and music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, Melissa Morris, and Reinblatt, "Evil Dead: The Musical" is (I'm told) a mash up of elements from each of the "Evil Dead" movies.
Five college students – S Mart employee Ash (David Moan), his co-worker/girlfriend Linda (Allison Huber), his little sister Cheryl (Kimberly Alley), his best friend Scott (Graham Todd), and Scott's new girlfriend Shelly (Kryssy Becker) – are traveling to an abandoned cabin in the woods for a vacation. Once there, they find a Sumerian version of the Book of the Dead, and an archeology professor's recordings of the book's incantations, which unleash demons that start to attack and possess Ash's friends – and eventually his own hand.
The nearly two-hour production, directed by Phill Harmer, employs a pre-recorded score. Unfortunately, the music occasionally overwhelms the delivery of Reinblatt's sharply funny lyrics, particularly during ensemble tunes like "Cabin in the Woods" and "Do the Necronomicon." Also, during Friday night's performance, Huber hit a couple of rough patches in "Housewares Employee," and David Schoen – who has played "alternate trail" guide Jake for five years now, and whose performance in the show is otherwise wholly enjoyable – was intermittently drowned out by the music during "Good Ol' Reliable Jake."
Yet these are relatively small quibbles, particularly when weighed against all the things "Evil Dead" gets right. Chief among them is Moan, who plays the puffed-up camp icon Ash to near-perfection. His hilarious delivery and sense of timing are dead-on – so to speak – and his vocal abilities are truly tremendous. Plus, remember, not only does Moan have to beat himself up with his own hand, which he does quite capably, but also, because "Evil Dead" films are a beloved cult staple, the actors have to respond when audience members anticipate lines and yell things out, as if attending a "Rocky Horror" screening. In Moan's case, on Friday, after the crowd joined him in saying, in reference to his raised rifle, "This is my boomstick," a patron said, "S Mart, top of the line," and Moan responded, "I'm getting there."
This gets at one thing (of many) that makes "Evil Dead" fun: The cast seems to be having a fantastic time with the show and each other, and that translates to the crowd. After Richard Payton, playing oppressed research assistant Ed, delivered a really entertaining rendition of "Bit Part Demon," he was supposed to be shot and killed; but lying on his stomach, his body convulsed with giggles over what was happening on stage – and this is precisely the kind of show in which a glimpse behind the curtain is not only acceptable, but adds to the laughs.
Todd, meanwhile, clearly relishes playing Ash's horny, foul-mouthed best friend – his bro-tango with Ash, "What the Fuck Was That," is a highlight – and Becker delivers on two roles: Scott's eager sex toy Shelly and the archeologist's daughter (whose clothes keep getting ripped off), Annie.
Tommy LeRoy's hunting lodge set design – and one should note that pretty much everything placed there will be used at some point during the show – must look real while also being able to withstand being splattered with loads of fake blood nightly, plus many, many other tricky technical demands. Alex Gay's lights, whether they create a red glow outside the window, or pulse to signal the demons' return, are a key element of the production's storytelling. Bailey Boudreau designed costumes that must, in a couple of cases, tear away, as well as withstand gallons of fake blood nightly (a 21-gun salute to stage manager Holly Garverick for handling the messy stage and costume clean-up duties). Jeff Bobick is the show's music director, and Allyson Smith designed the cheeky choreography (right down to the "Thriller" moves near the end).
But speaking of the show's messiness, I've just realized that I failed to mention the "splatter" rows in the theater, wherein about a dozen rows in the center section are covered with garbage bags, and patrons are warned that if they sit there, they may well get fake blood on them, and they may not be able to wash it out of their clothes.
It's telling that most of the people who chose to sit in the splatter section sat in the front row. The people who really love "Evil Dead," the true fans, seem to be all in. But even if, like me, you're a newbie to this offbeat world, you'll still likely find it all to be bloody fun.

REVIEW:
'Evil Dead: The Musical'
The Ringwald Theatre & Olympia Entertainment
at City Theatre
2301 Woodward Ave., Detroit
8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, 16, 23
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, 17, 24
8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, 18, 25
Contains adult language and themes
$29.50
313-471-6611
www.olympiaentertainment.com