Indy Theatre Habit

I received a press release today announcing that the run of “Evil Dead: The Musical” has been extended at Theatre on the Square through Saturday, November 29, 2008.

Last Saturday night, my friend and co-worker David and I met downtown to see a sold-out performance of this show, which was directed and choreographed by Ron Spencer, with music and vocal direction by Jeanie Logan and technical direction by James Trofatter.

It was a LOT of fun.

“I can’t believe you’ve never seen any of the movies,” David said to me as we were waiting for the show to begin.  This musical is based on the horror movies that Sam Raimi wrote and directed in the 1980s and which starred Bruce Campbell.

“You should start with ‘Evil Dead Two’ and then watch the first ‘Evil Dead,’” David advised me.  ”Then ‘Army of Darkness’ and then ‘Bubba Ho Tep.’  Then ‘Bruce Campbell: the Movie.’”

“There’s a movie called ‘Bruce Campbell: the Movie’?” I asked.

“Well, it’s something like that.  There’s a biography of his chin, too.”

I laughed out loud at that.  Meanwhile, David was pulling out his iPhone and bringing something up.  “Look,” he said, holding the gadget so that I could see the screen.  It was a commercial for Old Spice.  “THAT is Bruce Campbell.”

I laughed at the commercial – that endless ship! – but mostly I was just delighted to have asked the right person to see this show with me.

“I’m intrigued to see how they’re going to do the hand,” David said as the house lights dimmed.

The hand?

In “Evil Dead: the Musical,” five college kids on spring break break into a cabin in the woods and find more than they expected.  For one thing, they open a Book of the Dead and read aloud from it, which calls up a force that turns humans into demons.  Or maybe zombies.  Anyway, evil creatures.  Things go downhill from there.

I confess that I screamed more than once, and I probably wouldn’t call this family-friendly fare, but the show overall is goofy-gory rather than terrifying.  Yes, yes, there are relentless demons and rapist trees.  Yes, there is a chain saw and flying body parts and blood spurting everywhere…but one of my favorite songs from the show is called “What the F*ck Was That?”  I am laughing again, remembering it.

The musical spoofs the movies, which spoofed low-budget horror films in general.  It is a hoot.

R. A. Shane Chuvalas plays Ash, the wholesome, handsome, slightly dim hero played originally by Bruce Campbell.  After the show Saturday night, I heard a man say “he was just like him!”  David said that, too, when we talked about the show some more at work today.

“Especially in Act Two,” David said.  “He (Chuvalas) had that B-movie actor thing down perfectly.  And ‘hail to the king, baby!’” David laughed out loud, remembering.  “I had forgotten about that.  That was great!”

I had nothing with which to compare Chuvalas’ portrayal, but I enjoyed it, too.  At first he reminded me a little of Brad in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” movie, except that Ash is gutsier in his panic.  I don’t think that singing, especially harmonizing, is Chuvalas’ strong point at this stage in his performing career, but he does know how to play sexy and funny very well, with or without a Campbell-like chin.  He also has the physical strength and skills to convincingly fling himself around a sticky stage as if possessed.  Yikes!

Actually, this is a pretty physical – and messy – show for each of the cast members.  Linda Heiden plays Linda, Ash’s dim but sweetly sexy girlfriend.  They met when he became a “Housewares Employee” at the same place she works:  S-Mart.   I admire Heiden’s ability to spit fountains of blood under duress.

Rebecca DeVries starts out as Ash’s timid and geeky sister, Cheryl, but when the evil force takes her over, she haunts the basement as a potty-mouthed punster, flinging open her trap door quite often to interject raunchy observations and bits of song into the action on stage.  DeVries’ comedic skills are excellent.

Evan Wesselmann plays Scott, Ash’s uber-crass best friend.  I admire Wesselmann’s ability to make me not like Scott much at all (except that I did, as I mentioned earlier, love Scott’s duet with Ash of “WTF Was That?”) 

Scott picked up the beautiful but trampy Shelly (Erin Cohenour) in a bar just a day or two before this trip.  Shelly is even ditsier than Linda or Cheryl, and more than willing to give Scott the non-stop sex vacation he desires.  She doesn’t mind walking around in her underwear, either.

Cohenour also plays Annie, the bossy daughter of the now-missing man who owns the cabin. She has come with her meek boyfriend, Ed (Luke McConnell) to find out what happened to her father.  Annie’s clothes, too, just rip off conveniently so that there is almost always a beautiful, virtually naked woman on stage, but Cohenour differentiates the two characters very well.

For the most part, the music in this production takes a back seat to the comedy and the special effects.  I enjoyed most of the music, including the instrumental music by Sean Baker and John Schwier, and what I didn’t enjoy of the singing, I didn’t mind because I was laughing so hard.  However, I completely swooned over the sound of Luke McConnell singing “Bit Part Demon.”  I wish that funny song could have been longer.

Chris Meek plays Jake, the possibly deranged “helper” wearing a blank stare and overalls.   He reminded me of some horror movie character, too, but I can’t tell you who.  Stage manager Thom Turner also plays a variety of creepy (body) parts and voices.  (Sound design by Ron Spencer.)

The set, designed by James Trofatter and lit by Ron Spencer with special effects by David Schlatter, could sing a chorus of “Look Who’s Evil Now,” too, if it wanted.  It is full of surprises.  I especially loved the demon moose head over the door.

Set construction/scene art is by James Trofatter, Jeff Roby, Matt Keen, and Jill Murrell.  John Fullam is the light operator.  Jeff Roby is the sound operator.  Sharon Cruz is the run crew.  Diane McGuire and Peter Finney are in charge of Properties.  Stephen Hollenbeck and Curt Pickard designed the costumes.  Yuri Pimentel designed the hair.  Curtis Paul designed the make-up. 

I bet that all of these people have massive re-setting responsibilities after every show because of all the blood.

At intermission and after the show, audience members went up to the stage to wipe their programs in the blood as a souvenir.  You may or may not get splashed with blood if you sit in the front three rows, but you for sure will not be completely safe unless you sit in the back three rows.  And even then, depending on how you exit, you will probably have to walk through some blood.

“It smells like kool-aid,” David said, as we were picking our way through the spatters.

“I’m glad,” I said.  “I don’t think I could have handled it if it smelled metallic, like real blood.”

The seats are not assigned and the show has been selling out, so get to the theatre early to grab the seats you want (bloody or blood-free.)  On Saturday night, people had lined up in the lobby long before the house opened.  Try not to sit at the far left of the house (stage right.)  That’s where David and I sat, and we could not see any of the enticing scary stuff going on outside the cabin’s window.  We still had a great time, but if we had it to do over, we would sit on the other side of the theatre.

By the way, you know I don’t do stars, but I couldn’t help overhearing a man sitting in front of us.  After the show, he stood up and said to his date, “Four stars, baby!  Four stars!” in a voice that implied four was the most he could give.

“Evil Dead: the Musical” was scheduled to close this coming weekend, but it has been extended to Saturday, November 29, 2008.  To make a reservation (highly recommended) please call the Theatre on the Square at 317-685-8687.

Hope Baugh – www.IndyTheatreHabit.com