Chad Jones’ Theater Dogs

Continues through July 26 at the Campbell Theatre, Martinez

Michael Scott Wells and Alexandra Creighton scare off Candarian demons in Evil Dead: The Musical, a Willows Theatre production at the Campbell Theatre in Martinez. Photos courtesy of Willows Theater.

Singing and bleeding in horror musical
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Adding the words “the musical” to a title is, in some cases, automatically funny. ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore: The Musical. Mein Kampf: The Musical. Spider-Man: The Musical. (Don’t laugh – that last one is real and coming to Broadway soon.)

So already, Evil Dead: The Musical has a leg up in the laugh department, albeit a dismembered, bloody leg.

Sam Raimi’s early ’80s gore fest splattered across movie and video screens through much of the decade, lending it cult status, spawning two sequels and making a sort-of star of Bruce Campbell and a budding blockbuster director of Raimi (who would go on to direct the Spider-Man franchise).

Whenever the word “cult” is attached to a movie, the musical stage version can’t be far behind. About two years ago, a group of Canadian kids – George Reinblatt (book, lyrics, music), Christopher Bond (music and additional lyrics), Frank Cipolla (music), Melissa Morris (music) and Rob Daleman (music) – decided to camp up the already campy comedy-horror film and turn it into an all-singing, all-dancing zombie fest. The show was a hit in Toronto, had a run off-Broadway and is now back in Toronto.

The musical finally makes it to the Bay Area courtesy of the Willows Theatre Company, who’s producing it in their Campbell Theatre, which is a spiffy cabaret-style space in downtown Martinez. The ironic thing is that years ago, this is the kind of outrageous, sensational show that people would come see in the big, bad city. But now these kinds of shows tend to spring up in the suburbs, and city folk have to make the trek.

Now to the review. In the immortal words of Ash, the hero of Evil Dead: “Yo, she-bitch. Let’s go.”

To read the complete review, click here.

Evil Dead: The Musical continues through July 26 at the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. Tickets are $30 for the splatter zone, $25 regular. Call 925-798-1300 or visit www.willowstheatre.org for information.

Now here’s something that might actually get my lazy butt to finally trek to Martinez and check out the Willows Theatre’s fancy new cabaret theater (the home of every Nunsense show known to God and mankind).

Willows is producing the cult classic EVIL DEAD: The Musical at the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward Street in Martinez, CA, June 13-July 26, 2008. Billed as “disarmingly funny” and the musical that “would kill you to miss it,” EVIL DEAD is part rock opera, part Alice Cooper, part Rocky Horror…and totally for the kid in all of us who dares to be scared.

If, like me, you’re an EVIL DEAD novice, here’s the gist: Five college students break into an abandoned cabin in the woods and unleash evil spirits, turn into Candarian Demons…and sing show tunes!

Sam Raimi’s classic 80’s horror films are brought to … er … life. As musical mayhem descends on this sleepover in the woods, “camp” takes on a whole new meaning with numbers like “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons,” “What the F*** Was That?” and “Do the Necronomicon.” EVIL DEAD is one of the few musicals we know to feature a “Splatter Zone” - where the gore hits the floor. Think Gallagher smashing those watermelons – only yuckier.

A limited number of tickets for the front section “Splatter Zone” will be available for each performance. Tickets are $30 for Splatter Zone, $25 for farther back and out of range. There is a $5 discount for students with I.D. Call 925-798-1300 or visit the Willows Theatre www.willowstheatre.org. Tickets go on sale April 15.

The Campbell Theatre is at 636 Ward St. in downtown Martinez, one block east of Main Street at the corner of Estudillo Street.

Here’s a taste (and it’s R-rated, so proceed with caution):

There’s more at myspace.com/evildeadthemusical