Playwright and Writer George Reinblatt Discusses ‘Evil Dead The Musical’

When you reflect on the 45+ year legacy of the Evil Dead franchise, it’s quite incredible to consider its legacy. Over the years, the series has gone in directions that we’re certain original creator Sam Raimi would have never thought possible.

Perhaps the most unexpected turn of events for the franchise occurred when it was turned into a musical. Evil Dead The Musical was first performed on stage in Toronto back in 2003. Since then, it has been performed on various stages in various different capacities, leaving its own legacy as one of the most endearing modern stage shows.

One of the primary sparkplugs behind the success of Evil Dead The Musical is George Reinblatt. Born in Toronto, Reinblatt is a playwright, television writer, and comedy writer who wrote much of the music and lyrics for the musical. He is one of the co-creators of the musical, which has recently added new dates through to Christmas. Thanks to popular demand, a 10:30 pm show on Halloween has been added. A special promotion is also being introduced called ‘splat the boss.’ Ideal for holiday parties, it’s a promotion where groups can arrange to have their boss get splattered with fake blood during the show. That’ll be your path to a promotion for sure!

Joining us today is George Reinblatt to discuss the stage adaptation of Evil Dead, his creative process when writing for it, how it may resonate with new generations, and what’s next for the musical.

Background and inspiration: What inspired you to adapt the Evil Dead film series into a musical format?

George Reinblatt: “When we saw the popularity of movies being adapted for the stage, we wanted to choose the craziest movie that could be turned into a musical. At first (director and co-composer) Chris Bond suggested we adapt the film Evil Dead 2, but then I thought, ‘What if we combined both Evil Dead 1 and 2 into one story.’ And amazingly, mixing these two films together somehow made for a really solid structure for a musical, and the rest is history.”

Fanbase loyalty: Corey, you mentioned the show has a loyal fanbase. Can you share any memorable stories from fans who have attended previous productions?

“Our fans are crazy… and I mean that in the nicest way. They come to this show again and again and again. Sometimes people will come 30 times in a run. Some of these lunatics don’t even wash their clothes, so when we spray them with blood, they then show up a month later in the same bloody clothes, ready to be sprayed again. Like I said, these people are nuts, and I love them for it.”

Evil Dead the Musical in 2017

Creative process: George, what was your creative process like when writing the book and lyrics for this musical? How did you balance humour with horror?

“You have to understand this show isn’t scary at all. It’s a comedy. So most of the humour stems from these characters acting as seriously as they can while all these cheesy effects and insane situations are happening all around them. We’re having fun with the horror genre rather than actually scaring people.”

Musical numbers: The songs in the show have catchy and humorous titles. How do you come up with these creative ideas, and what’s your favourite song in the production?

“Some of the titles are direct lines from the movies like ‘Join Us’ and ‘It Won’t Let Us Leave.’ While other ones are just the funniest thing we could think of in that situation like ‘All The Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed By Kandarian Demons’ or ‘What the F*@K Was That?.’

“But you can’t ask if I have a favourite song because I truly love them all. And that’s not me just using a line to sell you… it actually took a ton of work to get to that point. In the four-year lead-up to getting this show to New York, we cut songs and replaced them. We rewrote other songs. And it’s now in a place where I truly do love them all.”

Evil Dead the Musical in 2017

Audience experience: What makes Evil Dead The Musical a unique experience for audiences, especially with the splatter zone?

“Well, you answered your question within your own question. The splatter zone is the most unique experience you can ever have in a theatre. For those who don’t know what this is, the first four rows get covered in blood throughout the show. I had no idea so many people wanted to sit through two hours of musical theatre while being drenched in fake blood, but those tickets sell out immediately every time. It’s crazy. And even if you’re not in the splatter zone, it’s just as fun watching these lunatics get covered as you stay back at a safe distance.”

Blood and gore: How do you approach the theatrical blood and gore in the show while ensuring it remains campy and entertaining rather than off-putting?

“If you see our show, you will definitely say it’s campy. It’s not gory at all. It’s just fun. And it’s a delicate balance because, in many ways, this show is way more high-tech than people anticipate, but at the same time, many of our effects are meant to look cheesy and comedic. But overall, everything (even the blood) is more cartoonish than anything.”

New generations: What do you think will resonate with a new generation of viewers who may not be familiar with the Evil Dead franchise?

“This show was written to be enjoyed by both fans of the movies and newcomers. For the hardcore Evil Dead fans, there are a few moments they might get an extra laugh out of, but newcomers will never feel left behind. They’ll still enjoy it just as much because the show stands all on its own.”

Evil Dead the Musical in 2017

Challenges and triumphs: What have been some of the biggest challenges in bringing this production back to the stage after several years, and how did you overcome them?

“Well, the whole theatre industry has had a rough few years, but the positive of it all is, theatre is clearly back! Look how many amazing shows are in Toronto right now. It’s an amazing time for theatre here. And on top of that, it seems people were missing Evil Dead The Musical more than we ever thought because the fans are coming back in record numbers. So after these last few years, we’re extra excited to be back, and the fans clearly feel the same way.”

Collaborative effort: How has collaboration among the writers, musicians, and cast shaped the final product of the musical?

“The goal of this show is to hit you on every level: comedy, singing, dancing, acting, and special effects. We even have funny costumes. So to do that, it needs to be a collaborative effort, not just between myself and my co-composers or the director… but it needs to be a collaboration with every single member of the production team.

“And we honestly have the best team in the business. They get the comedy and insert it into every element of the show. Amazingly a huge number of people have been with us since day one when we were performing in the back room of a tiny bar called the Tranzac Club. And I’m so grateful that we found these people so early in this process because they have all contributed in countless ways.”

Impact of the original films: How do you think the original Evil Dead films have influenced the tone and style of the musical adaptation?

“The Evil Dead franchise is very hard to explain to people who haven’t seen it. Sometimes it’s a horror. Other times it’s a campy comedy. So we really leaned into the comedy side of things for our show, and then took that one step further by adding show tunes.”

What’s next: After this production, what are the next steps for Evil Dead The Musical and for you as creators?

“For me personally, I’m going to keep writing comedy. I’m currently head writer of Roast Battle Canada on CTV Comedy and we just wrapped our fourth season. Previously, I’ve written a bunch of roasts on Comedy Central like the Justin Bieber Roast. I’ve also written on shows like Mr. D. So Evil Dead really launched me into some fun places as a writer.

“And for the show… honestly, you never know where we’ll be next. We’ve recently started expanding into Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. We just wrapped our fifth production in Seoul, South Korea where the show is performed by a bunch of K-Pop stars. So honestly, I have no idea where we’ll land next, but wherever we go, it’s guaranteed to be a bloody fun time.”