By RICKY J. DUARTE

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then surely, among the great pantheon of theatrical stylings, the unofficial/unlicensed musical parody has its place. Sure, it’s been done before–both well and poorly–but these outlandish, often blue-humored takes on the classic properties we love oftentimes go on to great success, frequently opening additional productions in major cities across the country. Shows like SILENCE! THE MUSICAL (a lampoon of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) wowed us with a caricatured (yet eerily spot-on) Jodie Foster impression, as well as Hannibal Lecter’s heartfelt ballad “If I Could Smell Her Cunt” (yes, really), while EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL provided plastic sheets and rain ponchos to those seated in the theater’s front rows (a.k.a. the “splatter zone”…you can guess why).

RE-ANIMATOR, SCREAM, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and even SAW have seen the spoof treatment, so it was only a matter of time before William Friedkin’s Oscar-winning 1973 horror masterpiece THE EXORCIST would take its turn treading the boards. Well, in the words of Regan MacNeil (or was it Pazuzu?), “What an excellent day for an exorcism […musical].” Enter EXORCISTIC: THE ROCK MUSICAL. After successful runs in New York, LA and San Francisco (and awards for Music & Lyrics from the LA Drama Critics Circle and Best New Musical Off-Off Broadway from BroadwayWorld NYC), it has made its way back to Manhattan, currently inhabiting the Off-Broadway house The Asylum.

To say THE EXORCIST shook the world is an understatement. It incited protests, caused audience members to faint and vomit in theater aisles and made pearl-clutchingly creative use of religious paraphernalia. While the property’s most shocking, vulgar and sexually graphic moments might easily lend themselves to typical low-hanging dirty-joke telling, EXORCISTIC: THE ROCK MUSICAL breaks the mold of typical musical parody, instead opting for a show-within-a-show narrative format that propels it far beyond the audience’s expectations. Don’t be fooled–this show has plenty of nasty, naughty vulgarity to go around (trigger warnings be damned!), but it also offers clever, tongue-in-cheek insight into the themes of the film itself.

The show begins as a staged reading of a new work based on Friedkin’s iconic film. As the show progresses, so does its stages of theatrical development. From workshop phase to opening night, this gimmick allows for pauses for commentary on the film and its legacy throughout, and that’s why this show works. Writer/composer/lyricist Michael Shaw Fisher clearly did more than just read THE EXORCIST’s IMDb trivia page in preparation for this show. His book offers a surprising amount of insight into the movie’s concepts and themes. Literal fourth-wall-breaking scenework analysis both praises the film and calls out its misogynistic and exploitative flaws. The show emphasizes nuances that the film merely implies, such as what exactly Hollywood director Burke Dennings may have been up to in Regan’s bedroom the night of his “accident,” and the no-homo bromance between Father Karras and Father Dyer.

These choices not only offer a new look into the classic film and demonstrate admiration and appreciation for its complexity, but blow them way out of proportion, allowing for incredibly inappropriate jokes. There’s a certain artful cleverness in offering thoughtful thematic examination one moment and raunchy masturbation jokes the next. It may be “low art,” but it’s on the high end.

As for the cast, it’s clear they’re having as much fun up there playing as the audience is having out there watching. Emma Hunton commands the stage as Regan–excuse me, “Megan”–impressively sliding her impressive vocal technique back and forth between a strong, healthy belt and a comedic demonic growl. Opportunities for lewd crowd work abound, particularly in her jazzy, showstopping Act One finale number, the highly hummable “Your Cunting Daughter.”

As Father “Barren,” Jesse Merlin lends his gorgeous classical baritone in sharp contrast to the rocking show-tune score and carries the role of the more seasoned of the two priests with impeccable comedic timing. (No surprise there, as he previously starred as Dr. Lecter in SILENCE! and Dr. Hill in RE-ANIMATOR: THE MUSICAL.)

Filling in the night of this particular performance as Father “Garras,” understudy Richardson Cisneros-Jones shared excellent on-stage chemistry with Megan’s mom, Kate, played by Leigh Wulff. Both are afforded excellent comedic business, particularly Wulff’s lengthy, exaggerated phone call to Megan’s absent father on her birthday. Taking on multiple roles, Steven Cutts as Captain Rowdy/Father Pryor, writer/composer Fisher as Durke Bennings/Detective Linderman and Jamie Lyn Beatty as the Stage Manager/Garras’ mother all get their moments to shine–that the actors are playing both themselves and their EXORCISTIC characters makes it feel more like an ensemble cast. Think a really messed-up production of NOISES OFF.

The show also utilizes a fun device of bringing in a rotating Rolodex of Broadway and television actors to fill in the “Guest Diva” track. At risk of spoilers, the moment is highly reminiscent of another famed staged HORROR SHOW. (The night of this performance, Gabe Martinez, of Broadway’s MOULIN ROUGE, stepped into the demonic heels, and did not disappoint.)

The players make good use of the space, and directors Alli Miller and Chadd McMillan get plenty creative with a video screen and a bed on wheels. The Asylum is a uniquely designed space; depending on how it’s used, its stage can serve as partially in the round or a makeshift traverse/thrust. Clever blocking utilizes every square inch, though unfortunately it gets a little muddled/aimless when everyone is gathered on the small, crowded stage. That said, there’s not a bad seat in the house; just arrive early if you want to be closer to the action.

Ultimately, EXORCISTIC: THE ROCK MUSICAL has more to offer than a lot of parody musicals: genuinely funny jokes, a creative take on the format and memorable music worth listening to the cast recording for–not to mention the stellar, charismatic cast itself. With Halloween season fast approaching, it’s the perfect night out to get into the spirit. Even those who aren’t fans of musical theater won’t help but be possessed by its raunchy charm.

EXORCISTIC: THE ROCK MUSICAL is open now at NYC’s The Asylum through October 4; tickets are available here.