Music and monsters

The Baltimore Sun

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is back on the big screen -- this time with a new spin.

The character first appeared in the 1992 movie, which spawned a hit TV show and earned her a cult following.

Now, Clinton McClung is screening a singalong called Buffy the Musical in cities around the country. It comes to the Avalon Theatre in Washington this weekend.

The singalong version of Buffy started as a tribute to a single TV episode.

McClung, a self-admitted "Buffy geek," ran a movie theater in Boston a couple of years ago. In November 2004, he thought it would be fun to screen the episode "Once More With Feeling" as a singalong for himself and a few of his friends. Throughout the episode, which aired in the sixth season, characters burst into funny, sad and rocking songs.

"The reason I got the idea of doing a singalong is because I didn't know a single Buffy fan that didn't know all the lyrics and didn't sing them in the shower and didn't have it embedded in their brain already and wasn't itching to let that out," McClung said.

The midnight screening in Boston, which was open to the public, sold out. About 600 people showed up, McClung estimates. Light bulb.

"That was the first sign," McClung said. "I was like, 'Wow, there are a lot of Buffy fans out there, and they're just really looking for a good reason to get together and celebrate.'"

All kinds of people show up at the singalong, McClung said. Buffy fans bring their friends who know nothing at all about the show, and everyone usually has a great time.

"It's not like you have to know all of the characters and know what's going on," he said. "It's more about the fun of being part of this group of people who are just going crazy."

McClung got permission to take the show on the road and started repeatedly screening the singalong in New York City. Some of the same people kept showing up month after month -- sometimes even in costume.

After a while, McClung took a few of the regulars and assembled a makeshift cast of volunteers to lead the crowd through certain numbers. Eventually, he'd like to do the same thing in other cities as well.

Before each singalong starts, McClung hosts what he calls "Buffy-oke." He picks volunteers from the audience and plays scenes from different episodes of the show (with subtitles) and makes them act it out in front of everyone.

"That's always really fun," McClung said. "The best thing to do is pick a guy and make him Buffy, because guys make the best Buffys. They're so good at overselling the drama."

Before the screening, each member of the crowd gets a goodie bag filled with fake vampire teeth (just for fun), a kazoo (to help Buffy hit a high note at one point), party poppers (for one of the racier scenes) and monster finger puppets.

"The songs are infectious," McClung said. "They won't leave your brain."

As of Tuesday, the Saturday show was sold out and there were limited tickets for Friday. So why does a TV show about a vampire slayer have such a large cult following -- enough that a singalong version of it can sell out in theaters?

"I think it's because the writing is so good," McClung said. "I'm not a big fan of television at all. This is one of the few shows that really hooked me."

sam.sessa@baltsun.com

"Buffy the Musical" comes to the Avalon Theatre 11:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday. Tickets are $12. The theater is at 5612 Connecticut Ave. N.W. in Washington. For more information, call 202-966-6000 or go to theavalon.org.

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