Evil Dead The Musical

Evil Dead The Musical is running at the West End Canopy through October 25, with the production put on by Pittsburgh Musical Theater. The venue is at 327 South Main Street, an outdoor, covered space in the city. The show runs from September 25 through October 25, so you've got a good window to catch it.

If you know the movies, you know the setup: five college students unleash an evil force at an abandoned cabin, and it's left to Ash and his chainsaw to save the day. The musical blends the original cult-film trilogy—The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness—into one stage experience. Blood flies, limbs get dismembered, and demons tell bad jokes, all set to music described as completely off the wall. The book and lyrics are by George Reinblatt, with music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, Melissa Morris, and Reinblatt, plus additional lyrics by Bond and additional music by Rob Daleman, all based on the characters Sam Raimi created.

Brett Goodnack takes on Ash, with Michaela Isenberg as Annie, Brecken Newton Farrell as Scott, Zanny Laird as Cheryl, Kamilah Lay as Linda, Ben Sheedy as Jake, Sabina May as Shelly, Loren LaCash as Knowby, and Ben Nadler as Ed. Allante Walker and Collin Yates are in the ensemble, and Joshua Clark and Allie Burns are on cover. Nick Mitchell directs and also appears on stage as Knowby. The show's cast album debuted at number four on the Billboard charts, and critics have called it "the next Rocky Horror Show," "the greatest musical phenomenon on the planet," and "a visual feast."

Pittsburgh Musical Theater has been a fixture of the city's musical theater scene for over 30 years, and its Professional Productions pair local creative talent with Conservatory students. One thing to keep in mind: the show is rated inappropriate for younger audiences, so it's better as a night out with friends than a family outing. It runs through October 25 at the West End Canopy, 327 South Main Street.