(First Off-Broadway Show to Have a Blood “Splatter Zone”)
If you are a fan of the movie, then no need to read further, you will unquestionably enjoy this raucous production with its dancing zombies, buckets of blood, Bruce Campbell Doppelganger, and, yes, they kept the tree rape, but it is toned down a bit for the stage. If you aren't a fan, and to be honest I fall in that category, you will still find much to enjoy. The acting is meant to be over the top and, well, “theatery” and Ryan Ward as Ash and Darryl Winslow are particularly praiseworthy with Darryl getting some of the best lines. The musical has the backing of Renaissance Pictures and therefore Bruce Campbell and with good reason. Far from ruining the franchise, the musical has enhanced it and given it new life. After all, just how many more special edition DVDs can they put out? The choreography by the guy from the musical Buffy, Hinton Battle, is great and the production value including sets, effects, and costuming are top notch (while still in keeping with the B movie vibe). My only major complaint was with the Cheryl character after she became a demon. I have read reviews that claim she is the shining star in the production, but the character was disturbing, crass, and hateable to me far more than the creators intended. She told Dom Deluise jokes, for god sake! Has there been no other fat men in the last two decades to reference in puns? Despite that, I can recommend this as a fun evening out if you are a fan of gore, Evil Dead, or off broadway musical comedy.
But what do you think?