The Willows Cabaret Presents TEXAS CHAINSAW MUSICAL 10/9-31

Just in time for Halloween season, the Willows Cabaret in Martinez is staging the world premiere of The Texas Chainsaw Musical. For the fans of the Cabaret's successful Evil Dead: the Musical, Chainsaw won't disappoint. Penned by Marin composer/musician Cory Bytof and Christopher t. Minori, who now lives in Georgia, Chainsaw finds all the fun, frivolity, and body parts you remember from one of the most famous horror films ever made.

Halloween fun at the Willows Cabaret in Martinez. The Texas Chainsaw Musical plays Fridays & Saturdays, Oct. 9-31

"Think of it as Love Story ...with a chainsaw," Bytof says.

The Texas Chainsaw Musical, with story by Minori and music and lyrics by Bytof, plays Fridays and Saturdays, October 9-31, at the Willows Cabaret, 636 Ward Street in Martinez.

Chainsaw workshopped at this year's San Francisco Fringe Festival, where Willows artistic director Rich Elliott saw it as perfect for Halloween at the Cabaret. The Willows will add the scenic elements that made Evil Dead so popular, including the notorious "Splatter Zone" in the front row of the theater.

"It's a hoot," Elliott says, "and the show works because the songs are witty, while everything else is completely over-the-top."

Bytof and Minori use the 1974 horror film, directed by Tobe Hooper, only as a jumping-off place. Their Chainsaw is more of a prequel and based on the true story of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein.

"We wondered what this guy would have been like as a kid," Minori says, "So we took a few things from his life, and then completely made up everything else. It was easier than doing research."

Oh, the "Splatter Zone"? The Willows Cabaret production of Evil Dead used 50 gallons of stage blood per performance, much of it cascading into the front row of the audience. People paid extra to sit there, and the "Zone" was sold out nearly every night. The Zone will return for Chainsaw, and plastic ponchos will once more be available in the lobby.

For those who may be chainsaw-averse, Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park opens at the Willows Mainstage on October 12 and runs through November 8. Hats: The Musical (it's about the hat ladies) follows Chainsaw into the Cabaret, November 23-December 20.

Ticket and Schedule Information

Tickets are $30 for the Splatter Zone, $25 farther back. To purchase tickets call (925) 798-1300 or visit the Willows Theatre web site at www.willowstheatre.org. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 9 - 31, 7:00pm and 10:30 pm.

The Campbell Theatre is located at 636 Ward Street in downtown Martinez, one block east of Main Street at the corner of Estudillo Street.

The Willows Theatre Company Daytime Box Office is located at 636 Ward Street in Martinez, in the lobby of the Campbell Theatre. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday 12:00-6:00 pm. The theatre box office and will-call window, located in the theatre lobby, opens one hour prior to each performance. For more information call (925) 798-1300 or visit our web site at www.willowstheatre.org.

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