“Yes,” I said firmly, though not really knowing why. It just seems common sense to agree to a poncho when attending a slasher/thriller/musical.
Accepting the poncho was the second-smartest thing I did that evening, with attending The Garage’s latest production, Evil Dead the Musical, being the first.
The director, Matt Kollar, says in the program that he would bet his “honorary degree” that the musical will “remind you that we’re all hapless meatbags, forever dangling on the brink of despair and subject to the cruel whims of extradimensional entities.”
So, that’s the mastermind behind this production. That sort of dark humor and blunt delivery slice through the production, meshing the fantastical with realism for a refreshing tone. Though the play did not quite invoke existential crisis from within, it did hint to enjoying the moment and appreciating those in your life, I suppose. It was hard to find a deeper meaning than college vacation gone horribly wrong, but honestly, what more could one ask for?
Full disclosure, this may not be the play for everyone. It is a cheesy ’80s horror film-turned musical. Do not be deceived though. The live nature of the show didn’t diminish any of the gore a fan of the film would expect. Evil Dead is full of guts, dismemberment and genuine fake blood rocketing across the stage and all over the audience, specifically the elderly woman sitting right in front of me. (She did not return after intermission.) By the middle of the performance, “blood” covered the walls, people and floors— leaving behind a sticky varnish in its wake.
Do not let the gore dissuade you from attendance. (Honestly, it’s half the fun.) This performance has the wit of clever writers, charm in the musical numbers and dedication from the actors— a mix of ingredients for a night of laughs and excitement.
So much excitement, in fact, that actress Jazzy Jones, who plays kid sister Cheryl/Head-Zombie-in-Charge, smashed one of her fingers the previous night. When asked about it after the show, she said it happened right before one of the final song/dance numbers.
“I just had to go out there and smile and…” she said, before half-singing/performing a few seconds of the number.
And that’s the kind of dedication seemingly everyone at the Garage Theatre puts into their craft. I mean, actual blood, sweat and tears went into the making of this show.
The Garage Theatre’s Evil Dead the Musical runs through Oct. 15 with performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm. For tickets and information call (562) 433-8337 or email contact@thegaragetheatre.com.
