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Lively cast rocks in ‘Evil Dead’ Local band The Zou gives concert feeling to musical
By Lorraine Wardle
YOUNGSTOWN
I have a confession to make. I haven’t seen the movie “The Evil Dead.”
And now I may never see it, because it never could live up to the awesome musical version performed at the Oakland Center for the Arts this weekend.
“The Evil Dead” originally was a horror movie written and directed by Sam Raimi in 1981. The film has since amassed a cult following, inspiring sequels, comics, an upcoming remake and, of course, a musical.
“Evil Dead: The Musical” opened in 2003 in Toronto and then ran off-Broadway. The musical is a spoof that combines plot points from all of the movies and includes lines and references that fans will recognize.
The play, like the first film, tells the story of five college students who go on vacation to an isolated cabin in the woods. “What could go wrong?” one character asks. The kids discover the “Necronomicon,” the book of the dead, along with an audiotape that releases evil spirits. The woods outside the cabin come alive and attack the frightened students, turning them into zombielike creatures called deadites.
As Ash, the leader of the group, tries to fight off the deadites and save his friends, a combination of blood baths, musical numbers and hilarity ensues.
It may be helpful to have seen one of the original movies, but it’s really not necessary to enjoy this musical. The show plays up every horror-movie clich and ridiculous plot point for laughs and soars with energetic, entertaining musical numbers.
Director Robert Dennick Joki has, as always, created an amazing show. Every aspect of the production, from cast to music to special effects, fits perfectly.
The script is funny on its own, full of horror references and ironic jokes. The rock-’n’-roll-style songs are hilarious, too, and really catchy. Add to that Joki’s quirky and clever sense of humor and directing style, and you get genius.
Joki has assembled an excellent cast of local theater veterans as well as some newcomers. The play truly was an ensemble production, with Greg Lanning in the lead role of Ash. Lanning made an impressive theater debut, with a natural stage presence and great delivery.
As his college-student friends, Bernadette Lim, Marisa Zamary, Alia Layshock and Ed McColly played their roles perfectly and gave dynamic performances. Kage Coven, Jaye Miller and Kelsie Moon also stood out in their roles. Each cast member gave a strong performance, and they all worked together to create a balanced show.
In order to get the true rock sound for the musical, Joki enlisted regional rock band, The Zou. The popular band gave the show the feeling of a rock concert, filling the theater with music. Jesse Martin, guitarist for the band, also served as musical director and impressed with an awesome guitar solo.
Marisa Zamary’s choreography worked perfectly, playing on the campy, silly theme of the play.
Of course, no horror spoof would be complete without lots of blood. The special-effects crew, led by Kerri Rickard, created cool masks that transformed the actors into deadites, as well as many, many blood- spraying effects. By the end of the play, the entire cast was dripping with (fake) blood. In fact, the first few rows of the theater have been dubbed “the splatter zone.”
“Evil Dead: The Musical” continues at the Oakland on Friday, Saturday, May 11 and 12 at 8 pm. For tickets, call 330-746-0404.