The story of the musical is standard horror fare: a group of friends go camping, the friends - save our hero - turn into horrific zombie-like demons, and our hero fights to survive. But will he? The show's cast was alive and well after the opening-night performance. They, along with the crew and creatives, celebrated the evening in the lobby of New World Stages.

Christopher Bond and Tony Award winner Hinton Battle ("Dreamgirls," "Idlewild") directed the work, which features a book and lyrics by George Reinblatt, music by Frank Cipolla, Bond, Melissa Morris and Reinblatt with music supervision by Cipolla.

The cast of the musical — filled with songs like "All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons," "Hail to the King," "Look Who's Evil Now" and "Do the Necronomicon" — includes Ryan Ward (as Ash), Jennifer Byrne (Linda), Jenna Coker (Cheryl), Renee Klapmeyer (Annie/ Shelly), Amy Shute (female understudy), Tom Walker (Ed/ Moose), Brandon Wardell (Scott), Ryan Williams (Fake Shemp/ male understudy) and Darryl Winslow (Jake).

At left (from top): Ryan Ward and the original Ash from the "Evil Dead" films, Bruce Campbell; co-director Hinton Battle; writers George Reinblatt, Christopher Bond (who also co-directed) and Frank Cipolla; Brandon Waddell; Jennifer Byrne, Jenna Coker and Renee Klapmeyer; Darryl Winslow; Tom Walker and Ryan Williams.

Below: The company of Evil Dead waves goodnight to the opening-night crowd.

photos by Aubrey Reuben