by Lorie Lewis Ham
If you are in the mood to start your Halloween season early, or you enjoy horror and all of its tropes year-round, you won’t want to miss Evil Dead the Musical on stage at the Selma Arts Center through September 7.
Evil Dead The Musical is a rock musical based on the Evil Dead horror movie franchise. It was first performed on stage in 2003 and instantly became a hit. Eventually, it moved on to an off-Broadway run and is now being produced all over the world. According to Wikipedia, the musical takes creative liberty with the plot line of the movies, mixing together the characters and concepts of all three, as well as changing sequences for the sake of the stage and comedic intent. Roughly, the first act adapts the original The Evil Dead while the second act adapts Evil Dead II.
The cast of “Evil Dead the Musical”
For those like me who have not seen the movies, here is the basic plot. Five college students spend the weekend in an abandoned cabin in the woods and accidentally unleash an evil terror and horror and death ensues. These students and this story embody all of the standard horror movie tropes that have been around for ages. While this franchise came out in the ‘80s, my husband enjoys horror and monster movies from the ‘50s and ‘60s that have most of those same tropes. The difference here is the characters and the monsters all sing and dance to original songs written specifically for the musical.
The college students
I can’t attest to how this compares to the movies and can only give you my take—this show is absolutely hilarious! It is camp at its finest. The music is fun, the actors sing it beautifully and play their parts perfectly over the top just as the roles call for. I could tell that there are definitely inside jokes meant for Evil Dead fans, so if you are one of those you will enjoy it even more.
Be warned that the show definitely earns its R rating with language and violence, and you do have to sign a waiver as you go in (wasn’t clear if this was just part of the fun or not but you do have to sign it). Also, unless you are cool with getting A LOT of fake blood on you, avoid the splash zone lol. But it might be worth coming prepared to enjoy the splash zone instead! One reviewer has compared it to the fun of seeing the Rocky Horror Picture Show and I think that is a fair comparison. 
If you are in the mood for some horror fun, don’t miss your chance to see Evil Dead the Musical. Major props not only to the actors but to directors Claudio Laso and Summer S. Session for doing a great job of putting all of these pieces together. Also, another fun note, the special effects and puppets are great at adding to the creepiness and the laughs—I want to know how they made the pictures spin! And while this isn’t your typical musical, I still can’t get the opening song “Cabin in the Woods” out of my head.
Tickets can be purchased on the Selma Arts Center website and the show plays through September 7 at 1935 High St, Selma, CA.
All photos provided by The Selma Arts Center.
Check out more local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. And don’t miss out on Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast where we feature mystery stories read by local actors!
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