BUCKETS OF BLOOD
Faint hearts need not apply. This should be the byline when promoting ‘Re-Animator: The Musical’, the current offering at theSteveAllenTheaterinHollywood.
The production has been held over, allowing multitudes of avid theatre goers to be drenched in ‘blood’ as they sit in eager anticipation of what they have been already advised they are going to get as they eagerly sit, awaiting for the curtain to go up. I was one of those lucky (?) participants taking part. After all the mayhem and ‘blood’ have finally been dispatched, at the lowering of the curtain, it would seem a wonder that there would have been anything left to prepare for the next performance.
The production is a carbon copy, for the most part, of the film of the same title, released in 1985, which has now been relegated to cult film status. The only real difference is the fact that it is now a musical.
Actually, in spite of all the hi-jinks of the show, it becomes obvious that this production has been very cleverly put together. The acting is quite good and the mechanics all come together splendidly. At certain key points in the show, one of the actors (under the guise of following the script) actually lets loose with what appears to blood (probably some type of raspberry soda) and splatters those ‘victims’ who are in the first several rows. They have already been given some sort of protective pancho to wear in advance before the start of the show. I talked to some of the audience who admitted they had been back a number of times and were looking forward to being targeted for whatever the actors were willing to dish out.
The actual plot of all this has to do with a demented but brilliant scientist who thinks he has found the key to bringing the dead back to life and rents the cellar of a medical student to do his experiments. In the midst of this, all sorts of unsuspecting individuals get caught into the mix and pay the price for his lunacy.
Blood and gore abounds in all these goings on and everyone gets the worse of it, including some of the audience. One can only pity the stage hands who have to clean all the mess which is left behind when all is said and done.
All the cast are excellent and all have very close physical appearances to those in the movie version.
Graham Skipper, playing the demented scientist, excels and Rachel Avery, Harry S. Murphy, Mark Beltzman and Jesse Merlin do very well in support. Direction was by Stuart Gordon and music and lyrics by Mark Nutter.
Come if you dare but beware of all the above. However, I believe you will find the experience worth it.
4773HollywoodBlvd…..323.666.4268…….info@steveallentheater.com
BOB TINSLEY
eeworldnews.com
