Directed by Michael Knight, Evil Dead: The Musical features Armon Flukers as the chainsaw-wielding hero, Ash, and Hannah McGinley Lemasters as Annie, an archaeologist’s daughter with intimate knowledge of the demonic infestation. | Courtesy Opera Del Sol
When Evil Dead: The Musical made its U.S. debut in 2006 at New York’s New World Stages, seats in the front section were designated as a “splash zone” to warn audiences that there was a good chance they might end up doused in fake blood.
There’ll be no such danger when Opera del Sol presents its own rendition of the kitschy camp-horror theatrical. Nobody’s risking precious fixtures in the well-appointed Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater with some indelible mixture of corn syrup and Red Dye No. 40.
But to director Michael Knight, that just makes for a fun challenge to simulate the ghastly goings-on in more creative ways.
“We’re still figuring out what we can do on stage,” he says. “I have a solid idea for making up for the big technical effects we may not be able to use while still getting plenty of laughs. I think we’ll lean a bit more toward Monty Python.”
And if that means employing evocative lighting and other theatrical sleight of hand to suggest gushing plasma—well, such industriousness is wholly appropriate given that the musical is based on a 1981 horror movie and its sequels that emphasized winking audacity over technical flair.
The “scrappy” nature of the source material has been a philosophical North Star to the 38-year-old Knight, a native of Michigan who says that he has been a fan of the Evil Dead movies since a friend turned him on to them back in high school.
“It’s (filmmaker) Sam Raimi doing something with his best friends on a shoestring budget that turned into a giant something,” he says. “That in and of itself is inspiring to me, and I really want to honor those films. I want to make people laugh at the fact that they know them so well.”
It’s true that a cult-like level of obsession has attached itself to the franchise, which began with the Raimi-directed Evil Dead and Evil Dead II and has gone on to encompass four more feature films and a TV series.
If you aren’t familiar with the stories and their underlying mythology, here’s the gist: A group of vacationing college kids (isn’t it always?) arrives at a cabin in the woods, where they discover a mysterious tape recorder. Playing the tape unleashes an army of ancient demons, after which gory mayhem ensues—so everybody dance!
That last part—the dancing, we mean—is an innovation of writer George Reinblatt and a trio of musical collaborators from Toronto. The show, since it debuted in 2003, has become a perennial on regional and local stages across the country and was produced locally at the now-defunct Theatre Downtown in 2011.
Opera del Sol’s upcoming version casts Armon Flukers as the chainsaw-wielding hero, Ash, and Hannah McGinley Lemasters as Annie, an archaeologist’s daughter with intimate knowledge of the demonic infestation.
Evil Dead: The Musical marks the first time in seven years that Knight has directed for Opera del Sol, the more pop-culturally oriented arm of Central Florida Vocal Arts. Performances will be Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
Dr. Phillips Center is located at 445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando. For more information, call or visit the website.
