Kylie Swanson is murdered by a masked killer after performing the lead on opening night in a musical. Ten years later, her children Camilla and Buddy are working in the kitchen of Center Stage, a financially strapped camp for the performing arts, run by Roger McCall (Meat Loaf). When the camp holds the same musical, Camilla auditions for the lead despite Buddy's objection.
This is a dark comedy musical horror. If some of that doesn't fit well, it is to be expected. Minnie Driver only has a short cameo. The musical is nothing to write home about. The comedy is mostly lacking except for the band. As for the horror, there is a difficulty in that most of the campers are actual kids outside of the older leads. After the first murder, the kids need to run. The only way to do this right is to hide the bodies. There's a reason why most killers do their business before the little campers arrive. This is a try-hard musical theater group and there is a bit of comedic tension from that. I do appreciate somebody trying to do something slightly different. I don't think it works. Instead of a kids' camp, this could be a regional theater with a Waiting for Guffman situation.
This is a dark comedy musical horror. If some of that doesn't fit well, it is to be expected. Minnie Driver only has a short cameo. The musical is nothing to write home about. The comedy is mostly lacking except for the band. As for the horror, there is a difficulty in that most of the campers are actual kids outside of the older leads. After the first murder, the kids need to run. The only way to do this right is to hide the bodies. There's a reason why most killers do their business before the little campers arrive. This is a try-hard musical theater group and there is a bit of comedic tension from that. I do appreciate somebody trying to do something slightly different. I don't think it works. Instead of a kids' camp, this could be a regional theater with a Waiting for Guffman situation.