Call me crazy, but the music I usually listen to doesn’t involve plotlines and expository motives. But when The Contortionist offered me the chance to head out to see Evil Dead the Musical for my Thursday music beat, I took her up on the offer. The show starts with a group of jubilant youngsters making their way to a secluded cabin in the woods. They encounter some zany zombies, a chainsaw incident and many a sophomoric jab. Based on the campy horror series from the 80s and 90s, the musical production carries on the tradition of low-brow humour mixed with ironic post-modernity, making it an intelligent but fun choice for an evening out.

The fake blood used in the production tends to get on the people in the first three rows (aptly named the “splatter zone” by the show’s producers), which they seem to enjoy. Surprisingly, many of the show’s attendees were there for the second or third time, knowing the words to the songs and applauding wildly after each song and dance number.

Though there were a few too many masturbation jokes, the play did a great job at entertaining with catchy musical numbers (my favourites were “What the Fuck Was That?” and “Good Old Reliable Jake”). The show has been given favourable reviews in everything from The New York Times to the CBC’s website and was voted “Toronto’s Favourite Show” by attendees, so you don’t have to take just my word for it. The show is playing until April 5th in Toronto at the Diesel Playhouse (56 Blue Jays Way). Check out the MySpace page with samples from the soundtrack or just go straight to the source and buy the album here.