Friday, October 27, 2006

MY SITCOM LIFE: "THE EVIL DEAD" MUSICAL

Do you have any examples of TV sitcoms which mention theatrical musicals based on movies or plays which you'd never think would be adapted as musicals?

I'm confusing you, aren't I?

Here are two examples I came up with, both from 'The Simpsons':

'Planet Of The Apes' - the musical
'Streetcar Named Desire' - the musical

I'm blocked on more examples, but I know there have been others, always good for a laugh.

Last night, I actually went to one of those musicals, adapted from a movie (in this case, 2 1/2 movies) which I never would have guessed to become musical material.

"The Evil Dead"!

It's based on the first two movies, with some great lines (like the speech about the "boomstick") lifted from the third movie, which was also mentioned in the final scene.

It's a big, goofy spoof with plenty of gore spewing out into the audience. Since I wasn't in the splatter zone, I found it hilarious to see that happen to the others in the front rows. I'm scheudenfreude that way......

My only complaint was that too much of the show was played to the audience and the lines punched up - give us some credit, we get the jokes on our own. But any show that gives me a Bullwinkle J. Moose impression is aces in my book!

Nobody can step into Bruce Campbell's blood-soaked shoes as Ash, but Ryan Ward did a good job at it and could definitely play Campbell's ganglier brother.

My favorite song in the show? "What The F*** Was That?" and my favorite lyric was "You F***ing Stabbed Me!".

That's right. That was a lyric, not a line.

It's playing at the New World Stages over on W. 50th Street between 8 and 9th Avenues in New York City. I'm not saying it's fun for the whole family - I know some people walked out. But if you're in the mood for something along the lines of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Little Shop Of Horrors", and just ready to laugh, check it out.

Until they make a musical out of the "Saw" trilogy....

BCnU!
Tele-Toby

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