Evil Dead the Musical draws blood at Onyx

October 27, 2011 by Garrett Estrada 

Musical tops list of must-see alternative Halloween events

Forget Paranormal Activity. Skip the haunted houses. The most fun you can have this Halloween season is tucked into the little Onyx Theater, sitting up front, getting sprayed with fake blood at Evil Dead The Musical.

The production is unlike any I’ve ever seen, but let me start from the beginning. Director Sire Michaels sets the over-the-top tone of the show before the curtains even open. The bombastic Michaels pumps up the small theater like a hype man before a concert, except this show features a “splatter zone.”

It was around the time I saw ponchos on sale at the concessions stand that I knew I was in for a treat.

The story is a simple one. Five college students drive out to an abandoned cabin in the woods on spring break looking for a good time (read: lots of sex). The premise is set up by an amusing musical number that is plenty self-aware as it introduces the typical horror movie archetypal characters.

When the poor souls reach the cabin, it becomes clear rather quickly that things are about to go really wrong, really fast. What makes it so great, though, is how the writing and the actors play into the purposefully clichéd story.

I laughed when the main character, Ash, gave a romantic necklace to his girlfriend Linda, who turned to the crowd and said, “I’ll wear it as long as I live.”

It’s those campy, fourth-wall-breaking moments that catch the audience by surprise that make the show feel so unpredictable, even though we all know that character isn’t long for the world of the living.

Speaking of which, actress Elizabeth Matthews turns in one of the funniest, weirdest portrayals of an undead person of the show (which is saying something by the second half). Her character, Cheryl (Ash’s sister), spits puns and one-liners like it would bring her back to life. They are all dumb, but that is what makes it fun.

Fans of the cult movie that the musical is based off of will find plenty to like here as well. The iconic chainsaw and “boomstick” combination is just as deadly as in the film, with actor Ben Stobber “bad-assing” it up as the boyfriend turned undead slayer Ash. There is one particularly good scene involving a fight between him and his demonically possessed hand.

Evil Dead The Musical is a damn good time. It has all the blood, profanity and, at times, partial nudity that makes this time of the year so much fun, minus the nightmares. Unless you are terrified by a singing and dancing undead Elvis, then you’re screwed.

Evil Dead the Musical runs until Oct. 31 with showings Thursday — Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. VIP Splatter Zone tickets are $30, all other seats are $15-$20.