Evil Dead the Musical
Black Button Eyes Productions

A Chicago Storefront Premiere
Joseph Jefferson (“Jeff”) Award Recommended
5 Jeff Nominations, Including Best Director of a Musical (Non-Equity)

“Director Ed Rutherford leaves no inch of the Pride Arts Center unturned as actors run, tumble and fight through the blood-drenched space…Rutherford maintains the energetic throughline of the show through specificity and aggressively consistent characterization.”
-Quinn Rigg, Chicagoland Musical Theatre (Read the Full Review Here!)

Evil Dead the Musical is one of the silliest, bloodiest, most wonderfully excessive shows you could want to see. Director Ed Rutherford has lots of fun envisioning absurd moments and bringing them to life.”
-Karen Topham, Chicago on Stage (Read the Full Review Here!)

Evil Dead the Musical, directed by Ed Rutherford, perfectly balances the over-the-top goofiness, goriness, and absurdity that the series is known for, with some amazing musical and dance performances along the way.”
-James Brod, Third Coast Review (Read the Full Review Here!)

“Ed Rutherford is the astute director…Evil Dead the Musical is delightfully mindless splatter theater.”
-Jonathan Abarbanel, Windy City Times (Read the Full Review Here!)

“The production, directed by Ed Rutherford, is a well done, loving homage to Sam Raimi’s schlock horror classics…Rutherford oversees the production steady hand and a sure sense of exactly how much is too much, reliably leading his talented cast of strong singers right up to it for just under two hours.”
-Christine Malcolm, Edge Media (Read the Full Review Here!)

“Overall, Rutherford’s staging…does an admirable job at addressing the shortcomings of the material. It’s tricky to move onstage from parody to horror, so Rutherford mostly- and wisely- favors the former.”
-Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune

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