Bruce Campbell brings Bruce-O-Rama event home to Royal Oak

Editor's note: This is part of an extended Q&A with Bruce Campbell that will run in Sunday's online edition.

In addition to appearing in more than 100 movies and TV shows, Royal Oak-born cult actor Bruce Campbell has been an author, a voice artist in video games and the star of his own comic book, and he's even been ordained to perform wedding ceremonies.

So why not add gameshow host to his resume, too?

Enter "Bruce-O-Rama," which comes to the Royal Oak Music Theatre on Sunday. It's a gameshow-style trivia contest where audience members will compete against each other in questions relating to pop culture topics, from horror movies to "Lord of the Rings" to "SpongeBob SquarePants."

Leaders will take the stage, where they'll be quizzed-slash-roasted by Campbell and co-host Steve Sellery, and compete for cash and prizes, as well as the title of top geek. And when that's all finished, Campbell will host a Q&A and a screening of his 1992 cult favorite, "Army of Darkness."

"And everyone, hopefully, goes home happy," says Campbell, talking over Zoom earlier this month before the launch of the month-long, 22-city "Bruce-O-Rama" tour.

The live show calls on the "Evil Dead" star's strengths: having fun with crowds — he's long been a favorite at horror and pop-culture conventions — while simultaneously playing to his cult status and sending himself up.

His long history of conducting fan Q&As at screenings and other events makes him a natural for the show, which draws on his comic and improvisational skills. He jokes that he's handing out prizes and insults in equal measure.

"And nobody gets vetted," says Campbell, 64. "You know, we could get a stiff up there, or we could get a serial killer. It's like, whatever."

Campbell, who attended Western Michigan University after graduating from Groves High School, now lives in rural Oregon. The "Bruce-O-Rama" event comes on the weekend when the latest "Evil Dead" movie — which Campbell executive produced, along with Sam Raimi, Campbell's childhood friend and fellow Metro Detroiter — hits theaters, further extending the legacy of their 1981 low budget classic.

"Evil Dead" made Campbell an icon, and its long tail has lead to "Bruce-O-Rama," a loving celebration of his variety show of a career.

"I'm literally following behind the entertainment truck," Campbell says. "Things will fall off of it as it hits bumps along the way, and I'll just grab it."

agraham@detroitnews.com

@grahamorama

Bruce-O-Rama

7 p.m. Sunday

Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak

Tickets $29.50-$39.50

Axs.com or royaloakmusictheatre.com