World Premiere Lend Me A Chainsaw
My thoughts on the world premiere of Lend Me A Chainsaw or…a bloody good time!
Brian Christensen the composer/ lyricist and book writer of Lend Me A Chainsaw has struck gold. This tuneful bawdy terror romp will most likely have a long life at community theaters and colleges across the country. Christensen incorporates nearly every horror movie cliché and turns them into delightfully crude and risqué songs and situations.
The premise is a familiar one. Three hormonally charged couples, all juniors in college, are on a road trip. Car trouble strands them in a creepy remote motel. What could possibly go wrong? Everything. And it’s drop dead funny.
Troy Murray and Lindsey Kay Smith are Chad and Kat. Chad is fueled by alcohol. The wiry, limber Murray is a born entertainer, and his Chad is as entertaining as he is obnoxious. Chad extols alcohol in “The Only Thing” which becomes one of many clever, energetic dance numbers from Choreographer Danny Vanegas. If there is a “good girl” in the group, it’s Lindsey Kay Smith’s Kat. Kat is reluctant to join in with the questionable behavior of the others. Smith has a lovely voice and is a skilled dancer. She gives Kat a hesitant, wistful quality that makes her stand out from the others.
Noelle Saul as Jess and Dakota Britvich as Nick are the horniest of the horny and their sexual escapades draw howls from the audience. They give absolutely fearless performances and say and sing things to each other that you probably haven’t heard in a musical before. They are hilariously over the top and together they are one big lewd laugh machine.
Also, wonderfully funny are Dahlia Parks and Cam Hayes as Sam and Kevin. These two have stage presence off the charts and are a super comic duo. Parks’s Sam is probably the most grounded and logical person in the group. However, Parks is a natural comic and makes Sam great fun, especially as the body count starts to grow. Cam Hayes’s Kevin supplies one laugh after another whether he is driving the car or running for his life. The marvelously expressive Hayes is a master of physical comedy and his antics with a vibrator just about steal the show.
Speaking of stealing the show, Hailey Hatfield as the motel employee Jo may not steal it but with her incredibly beautiful voice, she just about stops it at the top of Act II with “Spread My Wings.”. What a powerhouse singer she is, and her appeal is undeniable. Wow.
He’s known simply as Man here, but Shane Morgan’s performance is anything but simple. Morgan can get a laugh just by crossing the stage and his comic rendering of “Tale of the Chyler Cabin” showcases both his voice and comedy skills. His performance bookends the show and I wish he had much more stage time, but in the time he’s on, he is a hoot.
The rustic motel and colorful forest are designed by Keegan Arnold who also designed the lighting that includes numerous black outs. Costumes are by Victory Shultz and sound is provided by the man behind all this craziness, Brian Christensen.
Director Aaron Schultz and Assistant Director Jayden Russell milk every ounce of comedy out of the show and make it fast paced uproarious fun. Joey O’Reilly is the Music Director and has everyone sounding bloody good and directs the small but awesome sounding band.
Brian Christensen’s Lend Me A Chainsaw is not for the prudish or the squeamish. For everyone else it is riotous musical send up of those teen slasher flicks that is outrageous fun from beginning to end.
