They could have titled this play There Will Be Blood, had some blockbuster movie not gotten it first.
Evil Dead: The Musical is a strange brew of horror movie kitch and musical theatre mastery. There are geysers of fake blood, torrents of raw language, and a concert's worth of choral songs. The dancing is slick, the blood is sticky and the jokes are knee-slappers. It's a mature audience night out like no other.
It helps if you walk through the Prince George Playhouse doors with some sense of what you're about to experience. Yes, this is a musical. The songs are seriously crafted, the singing is seriously voiced, but they are all total spoof tunes (think South Park or Cannibal: The Musical for anything comparable).
Yes, this is based on a horror movie, but a B-movie dark comedy, and the emphasis in this script is almost exclusively on the funnybone. It is a caricature, self-admittedly, of all the slasher-film cliches we love to cling on the couch with.
The lead character is, as most horror lovers know, the rugged and handsome Ash, played famously by Bruce Campbell, who has made a franchise of it. His perfect Prince George counterpart is Matt Russell: tall, striking, and deadpan hilarious.
It is a small cast, and with all the interest among local thespians in these deliciously cheesy parts, the roles were filled with interesting choices. A standout performance was turned in by Amy Blanding. She is well known as one of the members of roots-rock group Black Spruce Bog, and her singing chops are evident, but her sense of comedic timing and commitment to the physicality of the play was delightful.
Veteran musical theatre practitioners Maggie Trepanier, Adam Harasimiuk (who steals many a scene) and Arielle Bernier are professional-calibre. They couldn't claim perfection, but they were standouts.
Jennifer Johnson is strongest on the dance side of the spectrum, but this role will help establish her as a quality all-around performer.
Jon Chuby is strongest on the comedic acting side of the spectrum, but this is his first role on stage (he's had film and television roles only, prior to Evil Dead) and his star is suddenly rising.
There are no small parts - that theatrical axiom is so true, as demonstrated by this production. Bradley Charles didn't have much to say, but that was the point and the challenge, as his physical acting got to shine. And if local theatre had a Phil Hartman Award, it would go to Edward Quinlan, who is often tapped for parts unremarkable but gives performances substantial.
Not a character or a cast member, but somehow as big as anyone living (or, well, not living) on the stage was the production's blood gang. From hoses, from plastic bags, from sucking stab wounds and chainsaw gashes, the blood flew. There's a reason the first several rows of cushioned seating was removed and replaced with plastic chairs. Those who sit there get plastic ponchos. It is the famed Splatter Zone and the stage crew doesn't just warn that the fake blood might come their way, they make sure everyone gets splashed in it (it washes out, no staining, and tastes sweet).
Evil Dead: The Musical is Grease from the bowels of hell. It is a 21st century Rocky Horror Picture Show. It is bold and brassy. It is so foul it is fresh. And it's on for a limited time until Halloween at the P.G. Playhouse.
Get tickets at Studio 2880 or at the door while supplies last.
