The audience missed their zombies.
The outcry came after the Bug Theatre in north Denver took a break from producing its annual stage version of the cult film “Night of the Living Dead” last October. The show, which kicked off five years ago as a brainchild of writers, directors and producers Kris Hipp and Duane Brown, had built up a cult following far beyond the Bug’s neighborhood in the Denver highlands. A loyal crowd from across the metro area had come to expect the stage adaptation of the classic cult horror film, and they weren’t shy about voicing their disappointment.
“We got hit with so many messages asking why it wasn’t happening,” said Aurora resident Deb Flomberg, who handles marketing for the Bug Theatre. Flomberg also manages the Equinox Theatre Company out of the same house, a venue built in 1912 as a Nickelodeon movie theater. “It was kind of flattering … (We’ve) built up this following.”
That passionate response from a loyal fanbase of cult fans offered a valuable opportunity. Flomberg and the rest of the Equinox Theatre crew had already built a season around camp and cult titles, a lineup that included stage adaptations of the “Evil Dead” film series and a take on Stephen King’s “Carrie.” When producers from the Bug Theatre and partners Paper Cat Films announced that the beloved “Night of the Living Dead” show would return this year, the link between the shows was obvious.
“It was a no-brainer,” Flomberg said. “We talked about it, and we thought we have the most amazing three months of theater ever.”
That eventually solidified into a concept titled simply “Trilogy of Terror.” Starting with the production of “Evil Dead: The Musical” next month, audience members can sign up for three cult classics adapted for the stage by three separate artistic companies. That package includes the Equinox staging of “Carrie: The Musical” in November and, of course, the remount of “Night Of the Living Dead” in October. That staging is set to fuse live theater and film, and will feature much of the original cast from the first production five years ago.
The string of cult classics speaks to the developing role of the Equinox company and the Bug as a venue. While the house still hosts a variety of film, comedy and performance art events, it’s become a center for a unique brand of theater that attracts cast, crew and audience members from far afield.
“Honestly, the Equinox Theatre is kind of a dream. It’s crazy, campy horror and science fiction. That’s what I grew up with,” said Christian Munck, an Aurora resident and choreographer for the upcoming production of “Evil Dead: The Musical.” “It’s really nice that someone has a venue that caters to weird, offbeat stuff.”
The upcoming production of “Evil Dead” certainly falls into that category. Based on the films directed by Sam Raimi in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the show tracks a hero named Ash as he ventures with friends to a haunted cabin in the woods. Like the films, the show is set to feature zombies, undead monsters and plenty of gore (the front row of the theater will be designated as a “splatter zone.”)
But the challenges of the show go beyond the special effects. The films never incorporated music, and bringing the original score by Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla, Melissa Morris and George Reinblatt to life is a tricky feat. There’s the risk of being overly campy, the peril of ruining the scares with too much flamboyance or spoiling the music with too much gore.
“One of the first things we talked about is, ‘This is not ‘Chorus Line,’” Munck said. “We need dancing that keeps the story and the humor.”
Though the show isn’t set to debut until next month, the unique nature of the script has already put the cast and crew to work. Props include an arm-mounted chainsaw and a demon-possessed moose head. The demands on the costume designer include turning a crew of actors into frightening minions of the underworld.
“I’ve had this amazing influx of people from the community who want to be a part of this,” Flomberg said. “I have more people on the crew than I do in the cast.”
All that work isn’t likely to be for nothing. The “Evil Dead” production is showing the makings of another “Night of the Living Dead” in terms of popularity.
“We’re almost two months out, and I’ve already got two nights where the theater is almost sold out,” Flomberg said.
Even if the show proves to be a roaring success long before Halloween, Flomberg insists the production won’t pigeon-hole the future of the Equinox company. Plans for the next season will veer away from the cult and the camp and show another side of the troupe.
“Next season we want to show a different side of us; we want to show that we can be taken seriously,” she said.
That doesn’t mean the folks at the Bug Theatre and Paper Cat Films will deprive fans of their beloved zombies.
Reach reporter Adam Goldstein at 720-449-9707 or agoldstein@aurorasentinel.com
“Trilogy of Terror”
At the Bug Theatre is set to include the Equinox Theatre Company’s productions of “Evil Dead: The Musical” in August and “Carrie: The Musical” in November, as well as the Bug Theatre’s production of “Night of Living Dead” in October.
Tickets and showtimes: equinoxtheatredenver.dreamhosters.com or www.bugtheatre.org.