Normally I review only movies. Whether it is at the theater or on DVD however, I thought I would make an exception and write an off Broadway review for the musical version of this classic horror film.
Evil Dead: The Musical (2006)
Starring Jennifer Byrne, Jenna Coker, Brandon Wardell, and Ryan Ward as Ash.
I was excited when I heard about it via a friend but had reservations to not get my hopes up. I mean after all Evil Dead: the Musical? Come on… it’s going to be bad… right?
Well, I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised. This musical took all three of the Evil Dead movies: The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), and Army of Darkness (1992) and made it fun, creating a splatter fest musical! The show had great elements to it that made it a lot of fun to watch. The first being it didn’t take itself to seriously. What show can that has a man who cuts off his own hand with a chainsaw because it gets possessed but not the rest of him? The second element which made it fun was the movie's fan base. With each classic one liner delivered the fans started to cheer, scream, and applaud. The third element that made this a fun show was Ryan Ward’s portrayal of Ash. He took the “Rambo of Horror films” and made the part his, all the while play homage and respect to the character we all know and love.
My only reservations for the show are the second act seems to drag a pit and maybe a few of the redundant lines said by the supporting players should be trimmed back. Often with each repeating of the lines I found myself wanting to scream CUT!!! We get it the point!
Does it help to see the movies? Yes. Being a fan of the films made this a joy to watch. However if you are a fan of off beat musicals like: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Little Shop of Horrors (1986) or Monty Python’s Spamalot then you will enjoy Evil Dead; the Musical.
Update postedon 2-27-07 It is sad that the show has ended. Hopefully a rivial will bring it back or perhaps it will go on tour? We can only hope.
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