Review: Stray Dog Theatre's Fun and Gory Production of EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL

I can distinctly recall catching filmmaker Sam Raimi's Evil Dead 2 in a local theatre (an unrated cut) and being wowed by his audacious and imaginative camera work, as well as the copious amounts of gore and humor that gushed forth at breakneck speed. I'd only had the opportunity to see the first film, Evil Dead, on video, since it had been victimized by a decidedly limited and slipshop distribution, but I quickly became of a fan of the series, and even enjoyed the further adventures of Ash in the silly, but fun flick, Army of Darkness. I bring this all up because Stray Dog Theatre is presenting Evil Dead: The Musical, which pays homage to, and parodies, the Evil Dead trilogy, as well as other horror movie and musical theatre conventions, and it's a gruesome fun fest that's perfectly timed for the Halloween season.

To make the most of your viewing experience you'll want to watch the films I've listed above, otherwise you'll find yourself missing out on a lot of the humor. The basics are in place, with Ash, played in all the films with square-jawed earnestness by everyone's favorite cult film actor, Bruce Campbell, leading a group of college students on a trip up to a remote cabin in the woods. They find the Necronomicon, or so-called "Book of the Dead", which contains incantations which can bring forth a bevy of nasty occurrences. Naturally, a recording of some of these passages that a Professor made and mysteriously left behind gets played, awakening the evil spirits and setting the plot in motion.

This adaptation by George Reinblatt (working with a myriad of composers) tweaks the original idea quite a bit, adding characters, changing relationships, and making a much bigger deal out of Ash's employment at S-Mart ("Shop smart. Shop S-Mart!"). But these revisions allow the playwright/lyricist to actually tie elements from all three films together, and it generally works better for the stage. Reinblatt's lyrics and humor are sophomoric at best, but they fit in with the general tenor of their inspiration, even if they don't manage to transcend it. The music itself is a mixed bag, with only a few songs particularly memorable ("Cabin in the Woods", "What the F*** Was That?", and "Bit-Part Demon" are catchy standouts). and some seem sort of shoe-horned into the show, only acting to slow the momentum and adding little value.

Gregory Cuellar wildly hams it up as our hero, Ash, and that's in keeping with the overall tongue-in-cheek quality this "splat-stick" comedy absolutely requires. Julie Venegoni is very good as his love interest, Linda, and she not only loses her heart to Ash, but her head as well. Antonio Rodriguez amuses as his ever-horny, foul-mouthed friend Scott, and Laura Coppinger is a riot as a ditzy girl named Shelly that he picks up in a bar and brings along for the night. Anna Skidis is solid as Ash's tree-hugging sister Cheryl, who gets a little too close to Mother Nature, and turns into a pun-infected "deadite".

Ryan Cooper is a nervous wreck as Ed, the boyfriend who can never get in a word edgewise with his overly loquacious girlfriend Annie, the concerned daughter of the Professor, who's winningly portrayed by Stephanie Merritt. Solid work in support is provided by: Steven Castelli as good old reliable Jake, Matt Anderson as a stuffed Moose head that comes to life, and Ben Watts as the ghost of the Professor.

Director Chris Owens keeps the blood and jokes flying, with most sticking to their intended targets. Owens and the entire cast should also be commended for their infectious enthusiasm, which keeps the pace humming along nicely for the most part. Justin Been's scenic design ruggedly captures the feel of a run down cabin in the woods, and Tyler Duenow's spooky lighting scheme is filled with dramatic and clever effects. Sarah Orloski and Kathleen Allison also contribute to the overall look with their makeup designs and appliances. Lea Eilers does fine work as vocal director, and Joe Dreyer (music director/conductor/keyboards), Billy Croghan (guitar), and Sean Lanier (drums) keep the music tight and the volume at a perfectly reasonable level. Justin Been's sound design and Jacob Studt's work as engineer provides the best overall sound for a musical production at the Tower Grove Abbey, to date.

Stray Dog Theatre's production of Evil Dead: The Musical is silly, gory fun, and continues through October 30, 2010 at the Tower Grove Abbey. If you're a fan of the sticky stuff, pay a little extra and you can sit in the front row, receive a T-shirt, and be drenched in blood. Can there be a better way to spend your Halloween?

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