Directed by Chad Wise
February 28, 2003 - April 5, 2003
Boxer Rebellion Theatre

Resurrection

'Evil Dead' gets new life with stage version; can others be close behind?

If Bruce Campbell busted into song, some enthusiasts of Sam Raimi's imaginative 1982 low-budget shocker "The Evil Dead" would certainly enjoy it.

Now regarded as a horror classic, the "Spider-Man" director's debut comes to the stage in New Millennium Theatre Company's "Evil Dead! The Musical," and for once a good movie gets the treatment given to "Footloose" and "Big" on Broadway.

Consider Bruce Campbell, star of "The Evil Dead," cornered by malevolent forest demons into cocking his shotgun, splattering the walls with his possessed pals ... and bursting into song.

Sam Raimi's 1982 low-budget shocker is a modern horror classic, so it's not unthinkable that Chad Wise used the "Spider-Man" director's debut film as a template for a stage musical.

New Millennium Theatre Company's "Evil Dead! The Musical" comes to the Chicago stage courtesy of artistic director Wise. If film relics like "Footloose" and "Big" can receive prestigious adaptations on Broadway, it's about time some good movies got similar treatment. "The Evil Dead" is just the tip of the chainsaw."It's a single location for the most part, there's good characterization and it definitely has a niche audience," he says, recounting why he first mounted "Evil Dead" as an outdoor show last Halloween. As for the format, it goes back to the reasoning behind musicals he learned in theater school.

"A musical happens when a character's emotions get so strong that words can't express them anymore and they have to sing them," Wise reckons. "For 'Evil Dead,' I picked the parts with high emotional levels, whether it be fear, determination, love or excitement. Then I tried to write songs from that."

A musical "Evil Dead" is of course tongue-in-cheek, which Wise says is for two reasons. First, "I want to give the audience something more. They could pay four bucks to go down to the video store and rent the movie. I want to give them something unique in the experience they have here."

It's also parody because, as the director admits, his shows are unauthorized, meaning "if somebody wanted to shut me down, they could. My research has shown that laws vary, but if you change enough of the original property, then it becomes a parody. Just adding the musical aspect covers it, because if you're doing a 90 minute show with 40 minutes worth of songs in that show, you're covered.

"I also try to change some of the conventions," Wise says, "especially with 'Evil Dead.' There are so many little things from the movie that the diehards pore over and obsess about and make drinking games for, so I try to play that stuff up even bigger and a little more off-kilter. Like an in-joke for the fans."

On Broadway, movie adaptations are big business. Three of last year's biggest draws were "The Producers," "The Lion King" and "Hairspray." All three were based on movies, and touring productions of each will hit Chicago stages during 2003.

"A lot of those have been 'musicalized' but haven't really steered away from the original work," Wise says.

He thinks it's harder to come up with shows like his but feels it's more creatively rewarding than doing a straight version.

"It's almost a cop-out to just pull a script off the Web and do it," he says. "You've got to have a little bit of a hook."

As for why movies currently provide so much fodder for stage plays, Wise believes it's "because it's something familiar to your general audience member. A guy sitting at home who wants to take his wife out to the theater, he's going to see something where he's seen the movie or heard of it rather than 'Raisin In the Sun' or 'After the Fall' or some monstrous three-hour-long Henrik Ibsen period drama he's just going to fall asleep in.

"Doing these (shows), you get people coming out that have not been to a play since the one they were forced to go to in high school. That's why I don't consider myself a sell-out. If it gets people off the street that wouldn't normally come see theater, you're still giving them theater. It may not be 'classic,' life-changing theater, but they're coming in, they're having a good time, getting a little bit of culture. So why not?"

To succeed (artistically or financially, take your pick), a stage musical based on a movie must take inspiration from a film made within the last 50 years, appeal to several demographics and capably portray the plot through the musical's conventions. Or, of course, if it can reasonably send up a movie through those conventions.

Is the approach killing "legitimate" theater? Time will tell, but as long as the trend threatens to continue, the following 10 movies should be considered for stage musicals.

"Raising Arizona" (1987): The baby-snatching caper from Joel and Ethan Coen is a natural for the stage, an organically colorful and energetic tale of love and redemption between a crook and a cop. It can be both fun and resonant, but must follow the movie's lead by avoiding "cute" and playing up the deceptively absurd aspects - especially the demonic biker chasing daddy H.I. (Nicolas Cage in the movie), a physical manifestation of his internal dark side.

"My Best Friend's Wedding" (1997): A Julia Roberts vehicle is just the thing to attract the non-theatergoing crowd. The wedding element, the heroine's unspoken desire for her best friend and her schemes to steal him away all beg to be illustrated through show-stopping songs. If George (Rupert Everett in the movie) is cast correctly, the ladies - and their sassy gay male friends - will love it. Besides, that campy "Save a Little Prayer" sing-along bit will have them dancing in the aisles.

"The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993): As long as Disney's intent on staging its recent animated hits ("The Little Mermaid" is due next), someone may as well do the best one. Jack Skellington's quest to usurp Christmas for Halloweentown teems with potential for great sets and costumes. Getting Danny Elfman to adapt his bouncy tunes would be a coup, and just as the film straddles the seasons, the family-friendly show could feasibly be mounted any time from Labor Day through New Year's.

"Road House" (1989): A Zen bouncer finds a challenge in a rough Wyoming bar, taming both the wild western patrons and the heart of a pretty doctor. The fight scenes would be turned into dances, and country music would feature prominently in the score. Just picture a honky-tonk number called "No Dancing On the Tables." Maybe this could lure Patrick Swayze back into singing!

"The Right Stuff" (1983): Totally all-American, the true story of the U.S. space program's origins should fly well with those looking for a wholesome patriotic epic. From Chuck Yeager's breaking of the sound barrier to the original Mercury 7 astronauts, the story evokes a more "innocent" historical era and pays respect to these pioneers. With plenty of characters to give their perspective, the songs should come without difficulty, and such black-and-white themes should appease the nation's current political environment.

"Cocoon" (1985): Aliens bring new life to a retirement community, and the real Steve Guttenberg's there to drive the boat! The "Short Circuit" star's fee shouldn't be astronomical. Dancing senior citizens are pure box office gold, and the hopeful story about living life to its fullest can attract all ages.

"Blood Feast" (1963): In the vein of "Little Shop of Horrors" or "Evil Dead," this b-movie of yesteryear would make a fine off-Broadway musical. The sensitive tale of a maniacal Egyptian caterer who uses his business as a front for cannibalistic sacrifices, the world's first "gore" film is a cult masterpiece of minimalist plot, amateur acting and skull-slapping dialogue. Think of the famous tongue-ripping scene set to a jolly bhangra beat, with audiences advised to wear protective gear.

"Ladyhawke" (1985): The medieval fantasy movie found jaunty thief Matthew Broderick helping a cursed pair of lovers - a jealous bishop caused the woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) to turn into a hawk by day, the man (Rutger Hauer) a wolf by night. They only see each other as humans for a brief moment every dusk and dawn. Envision a gothic romance a la "Phantom of the Opera," but with sword fights, humor and a happy ending.

"Friday" (1995): The first hip-hop stoner musical could, unlike most any of these others, borrow bits from its sequels. For a raunchy comedy aimed at younger audiences, there's quite a bit of family bonding, lessons about courage and other wholesome stuff in the movies to balance the edgy gross-out and drug humor. Not for every family, of course, but if it can get college students and their more open-minded parents into the same venue, why not?

"First Blood" (1982): A moral man runs afoul of the law, and his ensuing battle of wits with a zealous cop becomes a metaphor for the shoddy treatment of Vietnam veterans, not to mention for war itself. Imagine "Les Miserables" set against the backdrop of Reagan-era America. A crooning Rambo can be played for laughs or poignancy, depending on the playwright's approach.