Friday the 13th is a cursed day for all, especially for the counselors at Camp Crystal Lake, where a murderous zombie runs rampant. The young counselors work hard by day, but at night when their boss leaves the campsite, they engage in sex, drugs and alcohol, unaware that the maniacal zombie killer Jason Voorhees is out to kill them all. Riotously funny and well-written, Friday the 13th: The Musical, was a hit for Wig & Candle, the student-run theater club on campus.
Performed this past Friday (April 13), the show began with a rambunctious entrance to Rebecca Black’s smash hit “Friday.” The cast entered, wearing shirts that displayed their camp counselor status. They sat down and used various props to create different personas on stage; they all played multiple characters, which added to the chaotic and comedic nature of the show. Throughout the course of the production, they constantly satirized the stereotypical, dumb situations and characters that are distinctive of horror films.
This hilarious musical was written entirely by Andrew Marco ’15, who worked on this for almost two-and-a-half-years before it actually became a reality. Marco, who plans to major in theater and minor in music, unsurprisingly has a talent for both. His inspiration for the production “comes from clichés in musicals and horror movies.” He is a huge fan of both horror movies and musicals, so it seemed logical that he would find a way to combine the two, not knowing that the product would be wonderfully hilarious.
The musical is based entirely on the horror movie of the same name; a bunch of teenagers are hired to work at a cursed summer camp in the bowels of New Jersey. They all know very little about the history of the camp, although the locals know it to be a dangerous place and constantly warn them. The youths engage in partying and sex, all while they are slowly killed off one at a time by Jason Voorhees, the evil zombie that seeks vengeance against these innocent kids. In the end, only one lives, and the cycle continues.
Some of the more memorable scenes include Leila Teitelman ’15 enacting a sassy dog and Anders Nielson ’12 envisioning Pikmin around him. Whether it was the ditzy girl played by Hailey Fyfe ’13 or the town crazy, played by Grant Jacoby ’13, all of the cast put on a noteworthy and comical performance.
Naturally, it is easy to point out the plot holes and make fun of slasher movies, and this seems to be one of the main draws of the show. Marco said he also drew inspiration from all types of shows — “everything from Les Mis toChicago.” Marco also added a rock ’n roll layer in order to generate a fun and quirky show with memorable numbers that get stuck in your head.
The process of writing sounds grueling, but he pulled it off impressively, even starting when he was only in high school. This is the first show that Marco wrote in entirety, and the plot is mostly based off the first Friday the 13thmovie, but there are also elements from the other twelve movies. Marco said he “[wrote] songs based on some of the more ridiculous moments” in order to create an amusing show that was sure to entertain all. He then used these moments and superimposed a Broadway-like quality over them, producing fun and catchy songs. The production was staged in only two weeks, another fantastic feat by the actors and crew. Alex Marz ’13 and Grant Jacoby ’13 directed the show — a semi-staged reading — and Marco hopes to continue working on it and put on a full production in the future.
There was an impressive turnout for the unveiling of this show, especially for Oliva Hall, one of the smaller venues on campus. There were a lot of laughs, and even a standing ovation at the end.
“I’d just like to thank everyone who has supported this project since its genesis,” said Marco. “This whole process has been very rewarding and memorable for me, and that’s due mainly to the cast, professors and audience members who helped make this show a reality.”
