Review: Lakeside Community Theatre's must see musical, LEND ME A CHAINSAW, is a "perfectly campy, raunchy, melodramatic, musical masterpiece!"

Lend Me a Chainsaw 

By Brian Christensen

Directed by Aaron Schultz

Music Directed by Joey O'Reilly
Produced by Lakeside Community Theatre

Audience Rating: R (adult themes, strong language, sexual content)
Running Time: 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission
Accessible Seating: Available
Hearing Devices Available: Not available
Sensory-friendly Showing: Not available
ASL Showing: Not available
Noises and Visuals to Prepare For:  Screams, flashing lights, images of blood and death, chainsaw
Production Sound/Lighting Level: Comfortable

Reviewed by Eddy Herring

If you are a fan of cheesy, B-movie horror flicks…you know, the ones where you end up laughing just as much as you do jumping out of your skin? Think Friday the 13th meets Scream meets Rocky Horror,
then, you will love Lakeside Community Theatre’s current production of Lend Me a Chainsaw by Brian
Christensen. This perfectly campy, raunchy, melodramatic, musical masterpiece is a must see! With six young sexually charged college students on a road trip to a remote lake cabin for one last party weekend, what could possibly go wrong?

Director Aaron Schultz has assembled a tremendously high-energy cast who can sing, dance, and carry this crazy story without missing a beat. Music Director Joey O’Reilly and the band accompanied this insanely talented group ever so perfectly, showcasing each character’s voice. Daniel Vanegas’ choreography was creative and fun and suited each actor. Kudos to Keegan Arnold for the simple staging and set design that was in sync with the campy vibe of the show. Lighting by Arnold and sound design by Brian Christensen set the perfect tone for each scene, especially some of the special effects that I won’t give away here. Every detail was a tongue-in-cheek perfection!

The three completely oblivious couples crammed in the car are Sam (Dahlia Parks) and driver Kevin
(Cam Hayes), Jess (Noelle Saul) and Nick (Dakota Britvich), and Kat (Lindsey Kay Smith) and Chad (Troy Murray). Each couple has their own special chemistry that adds comical layers to the group dynamics. It is late at night, and they end up with not one, but four flat tires, leading them to the exquisitely creepy mechanic (Shanespeare Alexander) who cannot repair the car until the next day. With nowhere else to go in the middle of the night, they walk to a nearby motel run by the dark and lonely Jo (Hailey Hatfield). Once everyone gets settled into their respective rooms, all Hell breaks loose. 

Each of these actors were stellar in their roles and have really strong vocals that bring loads of laughter to their solo moments. Altogether, they are a force! The energy was through the roof from the outrageous opening number ("Road Trip") followed by a hilarious duet by Saul and Britvich titled "Do You," a true highlight of the show. We are quickly introduced to the range of personalities that make up this motley crew, including the un-redeemingly inappropriate Chad (Murray) who is the outsider to this group of friends. The delivery of Hayes’ one liners and the reactions of Parks, the comedic play between Smith and Murray, and the always-focused-on-sex Saul and Britvich are gold. Add Alexander who knows how to steal a scene with his over-the-top facial expressions and the gothic stylings and stunning vocals of Hatfield, and the set-up for the action is nothing short of perfection. This ensemble hit all the right notes (literally) and all the marks of a ridiculous horror story with enough humor to keep the audience in a constant state of laughter.

Lend Me a Chainsaw was nothing I expected and everything I didn’t know I wanted. I was so impressed with the way this cast navigated this show and held the energy all the way to the end. The writing and lyrics are clever, the songs are catchy, the profanity is abounding, and the humor is non-stop. Please go see this show. There is one weekend left, so get your tickets before it sells out. This show is a masterly crafted, super raunchy, musical parody of the horror genre. If this is your thing, you will LOVE it! I laughed until my face hurt. Tickets are available online at LCT Reservations. The show runs through October 26, with shows Friday the 25th @ 8pm, and Saturday afternoon @ 3pm.

Go See the Show!

Eddy