Mile
Zero

Last night I went to see Evil Dead: The Musical performed by the Landless Theatre Company in DC. Verdict? Groovy.

Let's be clear: it's a production for fans of the movies. If that doesn't describe you--or indeed, if you haven't seen all three films--you probably won't get much out of the show. A lot of the fun comes from the Army of Darkness quotes scattered through the script, or the way they've adapted certain scenes from the movie (it's actually based more on Evil Dead 2) to the stage, sometimes breaking the fourth wall in the process ("That does seem a bit inconsistent," Ash admits during one particularly transparent plot point).

But given that it's a for-the-fans production, I was pleasantly surprised. I don't usually enjoy musical theatre, but the songs are kept mostly short and snappy. The direction makes good use of the single set, and the script abandons the horror aspects of the movie completely, while amping up the campy humor (Karissa Swanigan is particularly good as Cheryl, Ash's sister, who spends much of the show providing snarky undead commentary from the cellar). And while there's no way to provide the kind of over-the-top gore that Sam Raimi delighted in, they did manage to spray red "blood" all over the audience whenever possible (protective ponchos were $1 at the entrance).

I could nitpick a few things: Clay Comer can't quite pull off Bruce Campbell's swagger as Ash, and the closing scene (ripped from the end of Army of Darkness) comes off a bit abrupt. There's probably a bit too much milked from the "S-Mart employee" gag overall, come to think about it. But hey: if you wanted serious theater criticism, you'd be watching serious theater, and this isn't it. ED:TM's a fun romp for cult movie aficionados, and on that level it's a success. It's playing through November 1, with tickets available from Landless Theatre.