Five college students decided to read an ancient book about demon reincarnation on a spring break trip to an old abandoned cabin in the woods. They didn’t tell anyone where they were going and weren’t familiar with the area, but merrily pushed on with few inhibitions.
What could possibly go wrong?
If the first answer that comes to mind includes zombie-like creatures, gallons of fake blood, chainsaws, general dismemberment and bad puns all set to clever musical numbers, you’ve got the latest production from the Flathead Valley Community College theater department: “Evil Dead: The Musical.”
The show is based on the 1980s cult classic series of campy horror movies directed by Sam Raimi, “Evil Dead,” “Evil Dead II” and “ Army of Darkness.”
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Cheryl, played by Linnea Springer, sings Look Who’s Evil Now as the first victim of the evil terrorizing five college kids in a cabin in the woods during Evil Dead the Musical. |
According to Joshua Kelly, who plays the musical’s main character, Ash, the movies, full of over-the-top gore and silly one-liners, have as big a following among FVCC students as the other immortal films like the “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
The musical’s plotline is purposefully cliché in the horror genre: Ash and his friends head to an abandoned cabin for spring break debauchery, only to find a book that, once read, begins turning the college students into demons. Ash is then transformed from a house wares salesman from the fictional S-Mart to a demon-killing hero, complete with chainsaw and shotgun.
During rehearsal last week, the energetic cast and crew gathered for a full run through, complete with zombie makeup and fake blood splattering almost everywhere.
The songs are catchy while at the same time giving a wink and a nod to theater fans by showcasing nearly every type of musical number. This includes a sentimental rock ballad about falling in love at a supermarket and the doo-wop number, “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons.”
“It’s ridiculous, it’s over the top,” Linnea Springer, who plays Ash’s sister Cheryl and eventually a wisecracking demon, said. “The gore is so far beyond reality. You just get to laugh.”
Laughter is the point of the show, Springer said, along with the constant movement and entertainment from the able cast. The show’s director, Rich Haptonstall, agreed, saying his cast’s talent has given him the time and energy to focus on the million little technical aspects that make this show a challenge to put on.
For example, the production calls for gallons of fake blood coming from everywhere on the set. This proved to be troubling for costumes as well as actor safety, as fake blood can cause a slippery stage. The solution was two kinds of blood: One made of detergent for clothing and one made of sticky corn syrup for the floor.
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Aaron Rold, Tanner Eshom and Karrisa Brown – as Ed, Jake and Annie – are cast is the blue light of the outdoors while rehearsing Evil Dead the Musical at Flathead Valley Community College. |
“We’ve tried very hard not to splatter the audience,” Kelly noted.
Haptonstall said he wouldn’t have chosen this musical on his own, but the students pushed the idea on him. And once he listened to the music, the director was hooked. Kelly said the theater students pressed to have the musical because it is relatively new material, written in 2003 and making its Off-Broadway debut in 2006.
“There’s a lot to be said for these types of show because they’re ultra modern,” Kelly said before last week’s rehearsal. “Younger students crave something new.”
And while the objective is to laugh at all of the horror genres silly aspects, the musical is for mature audiences because of the gratuitous use of gore and adult language. The show debuted April 15 and runs through May 1.
Haptonstall said he hopes audience members will sit back and enjoy the talented cast and its high energy level. In a show that combines live music with the buzz of a chainsaw, there is always something happening to laugh at, Haptonstall said.
“It never gets boring,” he said.
“Evil Dead: The Musical” runs until May 1, with performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m. and a special matinee performance on April 24 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20, $10 for students and senior citizens. For ticketing information, call the FVCC Bookstore, at 756-3814 or visit http://www.fvcc.edu/student-life/theatre/.
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Joshua Kelly, Nicole Sly, Linnea Springer, Summer Rose and Mac MacGregor, left to right, sing about what could possible go wrong with spending the night in a cabin in the woods while rehearsing their parts as Ash, Linda, Cheryl, Shelly and Scott during Evil Dead the Musical at Flathead Valley Community College. |