Cult films, especially ones admired for their unintentionally funny writing or acting, are usually only appreciated by those who feel in on the joke.
The joke also requires a general lowering of standards and expectations. “Showgirls,” much beloved in some circles for being so painfully bad, is certainly no “Schindler's List.”
“Evil Dead: The Musical,” playing off-Broadway at New World Stages, is what happens when a group of friends sees a particular cult film too many times: They write a musical spoof about it. “Showgirls” and the 1980s sitcom “The Facts of Life” have been brought to the stage recently in a similar vein, but such attempts are typically limited in comedic value and mass appeal.
“Evil Dead” not only satisfies fans of the 1980s Sam Raimi horror film series by sticking largely to the script (audience members can be heard reciting well-known lines with the actors), it also has the added cache of being extraordinarily bloody. In fact, the first three rows of the theater are called “The Splatter Zone,” where patrons are given ponchos to wear before they are deluged with torrents of fake stage blood – a volcanic eruption of plasma.
The musical can, at times, get loaded down in plot details, but Canadian co-creators George Reinblatt (author), Christopher Bond (director) and Frank Cipolla (musical supervisor) combine their skills to maintain the show's campy appeal.
The actors also embrace the cheesiness inherent in this kind of production, with Ash (Ryan Ward) playing up his character's swagger and his love interest Annie (Renee Klapmeyer) slowly losing bits of her costume as they get snagged in contrived ways on the furniture. And just wait until the furniture starts moving and the stuffed moose on the wall starts talking.
Jenna Coker, who plays Ash's sister Cheryl and becomes the first to be possessed, is the liveliest of the performers, bringing a sarcastic zeal to her nerd-turned-tormentor role.
Fortunately, the creators of “Evil Dead” know when the joke has worn thin and keep the second half tight, wrapping things up in what is truly an oddity at the theater– a crowd-pleasing bloodbath.
