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'Evil Dead'
Die laughing at ‘Evil Dead, the musical’
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
One of the most- anticipated events of the local- theater season is “Evil Dead, the Musical,” which opens Friday at the Oakland Center for the Arts.
What started in 2003 as an off-Broadway spoof of the “Evil Dead” horror movies has become a modern cult classic, and the Oakland’s production will be the Valley premiere.
“Evil Dead” is a campy horror-comedy with so much blood that the first two rows at the Oakland will be dubbed the splatter zone — and for good reason. Patrons in the splatter zone will get “bloody” and should dress accordingly.
With zombies, severed limbs, animated trees and a talking moose head, the musical requires a monstrous amount of special effects. Kerri Rickard is in charge of effects and makeup, assisted by Daniel Blaine Click and Jack Hearse, who have rigged up what they are calling blood cannons.
The Oakland also has mounted a fundraising effort to pay for those special effects. For information, see the box accompanying this story.
Musical accompaniment for the entire run will be provided by popular regional rock band The Zou, which has no trouble getting ghoulish.
“Evil Dead” is being directed by Robert Dennick Joki, the king of the over-the-top musical. It’s famous for its wild sequences that might call to mind “BatBoy: the Musical,” which Joki directed at the Oakland in 2007.
Joki discussed “Evil Dead, the Musical” in this question-and-answer session:
Q. How long have you had your sights set on “Evil Dead”?
A. When I was a kid, these movies terrified me! All it would take was for me to hear the music from the opening scene, and I would run from the room screaming. I rediscovered them in my 20s when I became a fan of campy horror flicks. If it’s about zombies ... I watch it. I am a huge fan of Bruce Campbell [star of the “Evil Dead” movies], and I love that our show is listed on bruce-campbell.com! I first came across the musical version of “Evil Dead” when I was working on “BatBoy: The Musical” (2007 at the Oakland] but the rights were not available at that time.
Q. Will there be fake blood flying everywhere?
A. This is the bloodiest show I have ever directed ... and yes, there will be a splatter zone. The first two rows of the theater will be covered in plastic, and audience members will be given special splatter-zone kits to protect their clothing. It really isn’t for the faint of heart.
Q. Is there anything else the audience needs to know? For example, is there audience interaction? And Is it appropriate for all ages?
A. This show doesn’t have any audience participation built into it ... but I am sure fans of the “Evil Dead” movie franchise will recognize a good portion of the dialogue, and we are fully prepared for people to shout along with lines like “I’ll swallow your soul!” “This is my boomstick!” “Honey ... you got real ugly,” and “Shop smart. Shop S Mart!” I would definitely say this production is rated R, with strong language, violence, adult situations and rapey trees.
Q. You are known for your creative costumes. What kind of challenges does “Evil Dead” pose?
A. The biggest challenge is that people have to be transformed into zombies in a matter of seconds. In other zombie-oriented shows and movies I’ve worked on, we would have the actors show up for makeup call hours before show time. We don’t have that luxury for “Evil Dead.” In order to meet the needs of this production, I am working with a special- effects team, and we are building everything ourselves. We aren’t renting anything. Audiences can expect headless torsos, severed limbs that come back to life, piles of bloody entrails, and my favorite — a talking demon moose head.
Q. Who is in the cast?
A. Greg Lanning, Marisa Zamary, Kelsie Moon, Kage Coven, Daniel Click, Alia Layshock, Bradley Slabe, Jaye Mills, Ed McColly, and Bernadette Lim. Choreography is by Marisa Zamary. Musical direction is by Jesse Martin. And our house band for the run of the show is The Zou.
Q. What is the fascination with zombies, anyhow? And why does Youngstown seem to like them even more than other cities?
A. I think it has a lot to do with the area we live in. Youngstown has more than its share of old abandoned houses and factories. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a building that looks like the perfect setting for a zombie movie. I also think it gives those of us who are sick to death of the whole “vampire boyfriend” trend something supernatural to call our own.
Q. I noticed that your Rust Belt Theater Company is doing a Halloween-season production of “Living Dead: The Musical.” Are these two shows linked somehow?
A. People who like “Evil Dead” will love “Living Dead.” It follows along the same story line as the classic horror film “Night of the Living Dead,” but with locally written music, new dialog, new plot twists and even audience participation. With songs like “Awkward Road Trip,” “They’re Coming to Get You Barbara” and “I Think I’m in the Wrong Musical,” it is going to be campy, ridiculous and perfect for Halloween at the Calvin Center.