Evil Dead The Musical roared back to Toronto last night, and Tim and I were thrilled to have tickets in the Splatter Zone for opening night!  It was my first time seeing the musical (Tim was splattered the first time it was in Toronto, as well), and – though I am loathe to admit it – I’ve never seen any of the movies, so I was a complete noob going in (Note: Tim is loaning me his copy of the trilogy to watch, so fear not – my Ash education is nigh), and was excited to see how it would go.  We collected our tickets and press kits, grabbed white Splatter Zone t-shirts, greeted some cast members from Night of the Living Dead Live who were also in the audience, and settled into our plastic-covered seats, waiting for the show to begin.

Being new to all this means that I have a rather unique view on the show overall.  The website states that you don’t have to be a fan of the movies, or of horror films in general, or even of musicals to enjoy this production – you just need to like having fun.  Now, I *am* a fan of most of those things, so I wasn’t really worried, but it did occur to me that there would probably be jokes I didn’t get, and that was fine.  I’ll just have to go see it again once I’m caught up!

However, I was happy to discover that everything the website claims is true – I loved every second of this extraordinary show.  My face hurt from smiling before Intermission even rolled around, there were so many hilarious lines and moments that I can’t possibly keep track of them all, and the songs are so catchy that I’m pretty sure that even my dreams were doing the Necronomicon all night long!  And the Splatter Zone is SICK!!!  So much fun – so much blood!  It rained down on us so much by the end of the show that I could barely applaud because my hands kept sticking together!  AMAZING!!!

Now, for those not familiar, this musical basically covers the events of the first two Evil Dead films and Army of Darkness, but with songs included.  And for those like me who are not really familiar with the films, a group of college students heads to a cabin in the woods for a wee vacation and – as you do – they end up accidentally unleashing a bunch of evil demons upon the Earth by reading from the Necronomicon (The Book of the Dead).  It’s up to Ash, a housewares employee at his local S-Mart and his trusty chainsaw to save the day!

The musical is irreverent, it pokes fun at the films and at itself, there is plenty of sexual innuendo (can you call it “innuendo” when it’s that blatant?) and even more over-the-top blood and gore.  Dismembered heads, amputated limbs, and one demon in particular who can’t stop making one bad joke/pun after another.  The lighting is incredible, the effects add to the hilarity, and the songs come with some pretty sweet, high energy dance numbers.  What’s not to love?

Now – let’s take a moment to talk about the amazing cast.  Tim and I got to speak with a few of them over the weekend at the Zombie Walk, and I was tweeting at them excitedly before the show as I geared up to get good and bloody.  But even getting a cold preview on the weekend could not really prepare me for how incredible these performers are once they are back on their own stage.  Director Christopher Bond has assembled an outstanding group to bring this show to life each night, and I want to take a minute to highlight some of them!  First of all, Ryan Ward is perfect as our hero, Ash.  He channels Bruce Campbell like nobody’s business, but brings his own wit and charm to the table in making the comedy really work.  There was one scene right at the end of the first act that cracked me up so much I thought I might actually die, and it was all due to his ridiculous antics and the way he sold the moment.  I keep remembering other little things – the way he’d deliver a line, whether it was an iconic movie quote, or a comedic poke at the film’s expense, or striking that epic pose of chainsaw-wielding, girl-heart-stealing power, or even just a facial expression in reaction to another character’s line – every moment was pitch-perfect as far as I am concerned, and Ash is on stage for a LOT of moments!  Huge kudos to Ward for really making the role his own, and to great effect.

The character of Scott is brought to hilarious life by Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll who – to me – seemed to be channelling a little Jeremy Piven along the way.  He’s the best friend – the one most interested in getting drunk and getting laid.  If any other fun happens in between, great, but really, Scott’s just there for the sex.  He also tends to say whatever he thinks, and while it may be hard to express how anyone could like the guy based on that description, he’s still the guy with so much charm and good humour that you really can’t help but love him.  Fernandez-Stoll smiles pretty much all the time when he’s on stage, no matter what line he’s delivering, an it kind of put me in mind of a cute goofy dog.  You can’t stay mad at him when he’s smiling and his tail is wagging like that!  Ah, Scotty.

Alison Smyth as Cheryl is ridiculous – I want to bottle some of that energy!  Wow!  I caught myself often just watching her, because this is one performer who is always doing something while she’s on stage.  She completely inhabits the character and therefore is very present in every moment, whether pretending to read a book (nice choice of book, btw), or spewing one-liners from under the stairs, she is a powerhouse whose performance commands attention.  And she certainly had mine!  I could NOT stop laughing!

Daniel Williston is amazing as Jake.  The farmer tan, the accent, the self-referential humour – not to mention some mad dance skills – Williston imbues Jake with all the hillbilly life you’d expect from a stranger in the woods (even the way he pronounces “woods” is hilariously perfect), and I appreciated his character’s overall no-nonsense and sarcastic presence.

Laura Tremblay is hysterical in dual roles as Annie and Shelly.  The characters are quite different, and she plays them both to perfection.  I particularly enjoyed her creative excuses for her clothing getting torn, almost as much as I loved her characters’ more…shall we say…simpler moments.  I mean, I know she didn’t write her own script, or anything, but it could be considered too over-the-top if not handled properly, and she sells it all so well that the humour shines through as a result.

And, truth be told, I may have developed a mild crush of sorts on young Margaret Thompson.  I mean, who wouldn’t, right?  She looks great, she dances great, she sings great, and she plays up the comedy – especially as a demon – incredibly great!  Again I say, what’s not to love?

Honestly, the entire cast is amazing, so talented, and the show is put together incredibly well.  The merch is awesome, the Splatter Zone kicks bloody ass, the songs are still replaying themselves in my head today, and I think one elbox is still a bit pink from where I leaned on the armrest of my seat after the first dousing.  MAN that was a fun show!  Now I can’t wait to get the soundtrack, watch the films, and go see it all again!

Evil Dead The Musical is running 8 shows weekly at the Randolph Theatre in Toronto.  Don’t miss it!