Heaps of fake blood and guts soaked parts of a Toronto audience Wednesday as Evil Dead: The Musical, the silly Canadian stage comedy based on Sam Raimi's cult classic horror films of the same name, had its red carpet gala premiere.

Canadian songstress Sarah Slean, rockers Billy Talent, folk/pop singer Ron Sexsmith and former supermodel-turned-actress Monika Schnarre were among the Canadian celebrities in attendance at the spectacle, which saw the front-row crowd sprayed with an ample amount of red dye.

"My son's a big fan of the movies, and blood and gore — you know, it's my thing," Sexsmith said as he walked into the Diesel Theatre with his family.

The farcical and profane show, which started previews May 1, is having a limited run for a second time in Toronto after a triumphant off-Broadway showing in New York.

Vacation gone gory

The campy musical follows a group of students as their vacation to a cabin in the woods turns into a nightmare, replete with gore, blood, demons and Little Shop of Horrors-style song and dance numbers.

Toronto actor Ryan Ward, who has had the lead role of the hero, Ash Williams, since the show's inception, is also part of the cast in his home city.

"We love it," said funnyman Colin Mochrie, whose son, Luke, was seeing the play for a third time.

"He's a big horror fan. I've worked for the CBC, so horror and I go together really well."

The first row of the audience is called the "splatter zone," and yes, that means they get splashed with fake, washable blood. Those sitting in the area receive plastic ponchos before the show starts, although many opt not to wear them.

'As much as it sounds disgusting, the audience is cheering in hysterics because it's such an absurd thing to watch.'—Jeffrey Latimer, producer of Evil Dead: The Musical

Some diehard fans showed up already decked out in ripped clothes and fake blood — one was even carrying a chainsaw as the lead character does.

Jeffrey Latimer, the show's producer, says: "It's not gross, it's hysterical.

"As much as it sounds disgusting, the audience is cheering in hysterics because it's such an absurd thing to watch."

However, none of the celebrities opted to sit in the messy section.

Sexsmith said he didn't want to mess up his tuxedo jacket and Schnarre was concerned about her leather coat.

George Reinblatt, Frank Cipolla and Christopher Bond — all friends from Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. — originally wrote the show as a small workshop production at Toronto's Transac Club.

That's where Latimer first saw it and suggested a few changes so that those who hadn't seen Raimi's series of films — 1981's Evil Dead, 1987's Evil Dead II and 1993's Army of Darkness — would still understand it.

The show was later seen in Montreal as part of the 2004 Just For Laughs Festival before heading to New York City last fall, where it received rave reviews and was called the next Rocky Horror Show musical. The off-Broadway version ended in February.

The show is co-directed by Bond and Tony Award winner Hinton Battle.

It contains several contemporary references and a lot of swearing, and as Latimer puts it: "There are a few grandparents who are taking their teenagers, but very few. It's not a show for seniors, it's not Forever Plaid, it's not that feel because there's swear words in it. There's lots of swearing.

"It's fun though, it's not malicious, there's not a moment of fear in the show and there's not a lot of sex. It's not dirty in that sense."

Possible run in Korea

Latimer, who has produced live theatre, musical productions and events in Canada for 15 years, says the return of Evil Dead: The Musical to its home country is "amazing.

"I hate to say this, but sometimes in our country we like to get that seal of approval from the Americans," said Latimer, who produced Forever Plaid, which had a national run from 1994 to 1996.

"[After] being celebrated in New York, coming home is a great thing and I think it gives the show a little bit more, I don't know, puts it on a little bit of a pedestal and yet, it's got the same heart it had when it left here four years ago."

Those who can't see the show can purchase the CD.

Latimer said several countries have also shown interest in Evil Dead: The Musical, and a deal has been inked to license it to Korea, possibly by this fall or spring of next year.