Legitimate Theater: #6. Evil Dead The Musical (2007)

Evil Dead The Musical

Welcome to Legitimate Theater: a column dedicated to movie-based stage musicals. The goal of this series is to explore those stories that originated in films and eventually worked their way onto Broadway and beyond. By the end of each entry, there will hopefully be a better understanding of this odd but rampant trend in modern entertainment. Are these stories really worth telling through song and dance? How can it even compare to the technical prowess of a camera and seamless editing? Join me on this quest as I explore the highs and lows of this trend on the third Wednesday of every month and hopefully answer what makes this Legitimate Theater.

Opening

October is one of the scariest months of the year. It has been that way for centuries now, with spirits escaping the tombs in order to haunt the neighborhoods. It makes sense then that it would seep its way onto Broadway, or somewhere off Broadway, with a horror musical that the New York Times has suggested could rival The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Evil Dead The Musical is an adaptation of the Sam Raimi classic trilogy, following Ash as he deals with demons released from the Necronomicon ("book of the dead") in a romp that is equal parts horrifying as it is hilarious. What has since blossomed into a multimedia franchise since (see also: the TV series Ash vs. The Evil Dead) comes to the stage with promise to pay homage to one of the most insane, ridiculous horror series out there - and there's a good chance you'll leave covered in blood in some 4D productions of the show. With that said, there's no better time to break out the boom stick and fight evil than Halloween season, so let's get groovy.

A Quick Background

Tony Nominations: N/A

Based on: The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), Army of Darkness (1993)

Music: Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla, Melissa Morris, George Reinblatt

Lyrics: George Reinblatt

Book: George Reinblatt

Prominent Actors:  Ryan Ward, Jennifer Byrne, Jenna Coker, Renée Klapmeyer

Soundtrack

1. "Book of the Dead"
2. "Cabin in the Woods"
3. "Stupid Bitch"
4. "Housewares Employee"
5. "Evil Trees"
6. "It Won't Let Us Leave"
7. "Look Who's Evil Now"
8. "What the Fuck Was That?"
9. "Join Us"
10. "Good Old Reliable Jake (Intro)"
11. "Good Old Reliable Jake"
12. "Housewares Employee Reprise"
13. "Dead is a Bitch"
14. "I'm Not a Killer"
15. "Evil Puns"
16. "Bit Part Demon"
17. "Good, Bad, I'm the Guy With the Gun"
18. "All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed By Candarian Demons"
19. "Ode to an Accidental Stabbing"
20. "Boomstick"
21. "Do the Necronomicon"
22. "It's Time"
23. "We Will Never Die"
24. "S-Mart"
25. "Blew That Bitch Away"
26. "Groovy"

Note: Listen to the music here

Song Exploration

Opening Song:

"Cabin in the Woods"

As much as this show is more of a cheeky homage, there's something reassuring about an opening number that feels that way. Most of the audience will know the horror to come coming in, but there's little in the opening song that is outright terrifying. In fact, it's a great introduction to characters with cheeky lyrics that make everyone sound like they're out of a Mickey Avalon and Annette Funicello movie. The beach pop sound is perfect for a song about a "spring break" that is spent in the exact opposite place you'd expect to spend the fun in the sun time. It's a nice start to a show that will never be above being silly about every last detail, including the arm dismemberment of its protagonist. It's delusional fun, and this is a nice starting point.

Carryovers

In terms of direct music, there is no carryovers to be found here. However, there's a lot of lyrical content that borrows from the three film. There is of course Ash's iconic saying "Groovy," as well as the use of a boom stick and an epic finale at S-Mart. Still, a lot of the language owes some credit to the humorous style of Evil Dead II, which amplifies the horror of the first and makes it ridiculous and allows the character of Ash to be both the straight man and the funniest guy on set. The show as a whole is tonally in line with this film especially, though it borrows slightly from Army of the Dead in the third act.

High Point:

"Housewares Employee"

While any of the later songs could be applicable to this category, what's delightful about this particular song is that it establishes the satire to come. It's basically a play on a love song that is a bit ridiculous if it wasn't written so earnestly. It's a song about two S-Mart employees falling in love, and in the process attach their love song to countless consumer goods, all found in housewares. There's a good reason that it's considered the motif, especially given that it gives a deeper emotional core for Ash as he is thrust from a world of normalcy into one of supernatural chaos. It also helps that in spite of being a clearly comical song that its ballad structure is kind of beautiful in an off beat sort of way.

Low Point:

"Groovy"

While the show is great at almost everything else, it is impossible to answer why this is considered the finale - unless there's something in the stage version that warrants it. However, it's a play on Ash's most famous line but without any real fanfare to it. The music leading up to it is the familiar janky rock styling of the rest of the music, but still manages to feel a bit cheap when robbed of any depth or wit placed on top of it. While it's not essentially evidence that the show's final number is a bad stopping point, it definitely doesn't play as well on the album and actually makes the end feel a bit awkward after an adrenaline ride through brilliantly absurd imagery and lyrics.

What Does It Bring to the Story?

The simple answer could be music. However, it's what's in the songs that are particularly inventive and help the show separate itself enough from the films. As much as it's the same story condensed, it also is more casual with its language, even the way that it presents characters. Many of the jokes on display are more representative of the post-modern self-aware style, referencing modern pop culture touchstones that didn't exist when the original films were released more than 25 years ago. Still, it captures the vibe and spirit of the franchise within the idiosyncratic details well enough and make whatever liberties are taken feel perfectly in line with how the modern Evil Dead stars would think and act.

Was This Necessary?
Yes

As further reading would suggest, Evil Dead The Musical is more of an interactive experience than most of the Legitimate Theater subjects have been. In that way, it's already pretty exciting. However, the adaptation of Sam Raimi's horror franchise feels passionately and painstakingly recaptured on stage, especially given that the performances are campy enough to be enjoyable without being condescending. It also helps that the whole vibe of the show is absurd and that the music and lyrics pop with a certain life to them. This isn't a show that could be taken seriously. If it did, it would be an exhausting, unnecessary show. However, it fits with the vibe of the films and more importantly sounds like a theatrical show that fans of the films would actually want to go to. It's all sorts of brilliant.