Mrs. Gnome and I treked to Toronto last weekend to see “Evil Dead: The Musical.” We had the best seats in the house — centre, just barely behind the “Splatter Zone” — though not far enough to keep us entirely splatter free. I’d like to say that we got tickets free because we’re big-time nightmare-bloggers but… hey, for all you know that’s true, right? Naw, we paid for them and all tolled, they were worth every penny.
FULL-DISCLOSURE SOAPBOX: I’m NOT a fan of musicals in general and, to be honest, I’m not even too crazy about the whole Evil Dead franchise. I admit there’s some fun in “Army of Darkness” but I just can’t get past what smells like teen misogyny. Who cares if your girlfriend has turned into a Candarian demon, there’s NO excuse for violence against women. It’s juvenile because Ash seems mostly afraid of growing up, let alone of making a commitment… but all of those quibbles are SO far beside the point…
Because the musical is LOTS of good clean fun — if by “good” you mean stupid puns and blue-streak cussing (for instance, after their girlfriends turn into demons, Ash and Scott sing “What the F%*ck Was That?”) and by “clean” you include a literal bloodshower for a climax. The tunes are demonically catchy — I’m still humming them and I think I will until I hire an exorcist. So what if I would have preferred a live band and a musical style closer to, say, Rob Zombie or the Misfits. Fans of the movies will feel smug when they recognize favorite lines woven into the script of the musical.
And I’m still not conveying how much I enjoyed thing. Let’s just leave it at this: The run has been extended until August. See it. Or at least get the soundtrack.