EUSTIS, Fla. – Celebrate Halloween with a musical taking elements from the cult classic films “The Evil Dead”, “Evil Dead 2″, and “Army of Darkness”.
The show follows five college students who go to an abandoned cabin in the woods. They accidentally unleash an evil force that turns them all into demons. It’s then up to Ash, a demon-killing hero, to save the day.
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Alex Gerard plays Ash, the character Bruce Campbell made famous in the franchise.
“I hope that people walk away from this show feeling that we honored the movies, while still providing a funny, raunchy take on the series. ‘Evil Dead’ has such a large fan base, and we want those fans to have fun, while also possibly welcoming brand new fans into the franchise, especially if they’ve never seen the movies,” said Gerard.
“That’s why I like this show so much. You don’t have to be a fan, or even to have seen the ‘Evil Dead’ movies to understand or enjoy this show, and if you are, well, that just makes the musical that much better,” he explained.
Briana Stuart plays Cheryl, the younger sister who turns into a demon.
“Cheryl is someone who I very much was in middle school. I think she wants to be seen and heard by her peers, but is constantly being pushed down. While I’m not a younger sister, I still can very much relate to that aspect of her. As for when things go more dark, let’s just say I think everyone has an inner personality that they want to show off,” said Stuart.
The show is presented by the Bay Street Players and even though it sounds like it’s filled with horror, they describe the musical as a comedy from start to finish.
Tad Kincade is the director behind the musical. He said he really pushed for it because it’s such a fun and ridiculous show. He even performed in it for more than 2 years in Las Vegas.
Audience can expect more than a theatrical experience, too. There’s a “splatter zone,” the first three rows where audience members can get covered in fake blood. Guests who sit there get a free t-shirt.
The musical does have some midnight showings. It’s running at the historic Eustis State Theatre Oct. 17 - Nov. 2.