STAGE FRIGHT (2014)

Blending horror and comedy, Stage Fright opens with the vicious murder of opera singer Kylie Swenson (Minnie Driver) by a masked killer, soon after her triumphant opening night in "The Haunting of the Opera" ... before we flash-forward ten years to a bunch of spastic, musical theater-loving kids attending summer theater camp, performing an over-the-top musical number about how theater geeks rock, may or may not be gay.  Kylie's daughter Camilla and son Buddy, raised by their godfather Roger McCall, (Meat Loaf) who owns the camp, now work summers in the kitchen ... until Camilla decides to audition for the lead in the big show, a reworking of "The Haunting of the Opera" set in feudal Japan - giving an excuse for a musical theater hater to don a Kabuki mask and start killing again.  Even with a lull in action between the first and subsequent murders, and an obvious low budget to work with, there is something quirky and very watchable about this oddball horror comedy that actually comes with a few decent jump scares ... and musical numbers! (rated R)  ***

STAGE FRIGHT trailer