Oh, the 'Horror'! Comedy musical blooms at CSUB
Oct. 19—Feed me, Seymour! Students feed the need of the plant from another planet in "Little Shop of Horrors," which opens this week at Cal State Bakersfield.
Mandy Rees, the show's director and Theatre Program coordinator, said she knew the horror musical was a timely choice.
Always seeking new challenges for her students, she found this show allowed them to explore character work, puppetry and tackle some difficult musical numbers,
In choosing this musical, she credits its terrific score.
She wrote in an email, "For me to be drawn to a musical, it has to have great music ... music I don't mind listening to over and over again."
With lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken — the dynamic duo behind movie hits "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin" — this show boasts some definite earworms.
"Certainly our audiences will walk away with 'Suddenly, Seymour' playing in their heads," Rees wrote. "It's a beautiful song filled with love and vulnerability. On the opposite end, hearing the plant turn aggressive and sing 'Feed Me' is a show-stopping moment."
The show stars Michael Hendrix as shy Seymour Krelborn who's in love with co-worker Audrey (Molly Jiron), currently in a bad relationship with demented dentist Orin Scrivello (Andrew Chaddock).
Everything starts to change for the shop clerk when he brings Audrey II, the strange plant he bought during a solar eclipse, to the struggling shop owned by his boss, Mr. Mushnik (Gabriel Abboud)
A three-girl Greek chorus — played by Gissela V. Zelaya, Maya Blackstone and Alejandra Aguirre — keep the story moving along.
Audrey II's Voice Performer Ty Halton voices the killer plant while Biaggio Moreno and Chom Wisuthimarkul handle the puppet work.
"Our two puppeteers have done a lot of experimentation (and put in a lot of sweat!) to figure out how best to express Audrey II's range of emotions," Rees wrote.
As Audrey II grows through the show, there are four different puppets featured. Since time was an issue, Rees looked into renting puppets and she was able to get her hands on the ones built for a 2015 production at The Empty Space.
Built by Heidi Haarsager and Jesus Fidel, the puppets have also been featured in a Shafter High production.
Behind the scenes, the talented crew included Chris Eicher on scenic and lighting design, costume designer Roger Upton, choreographer Marvin Ramey, music director Katie Knudson and conductor James O'Hearn.
With its mix of genres, this "comedy with a dark underside" has a little something for everyone.
"This show has a lot of heart. Yes, it features a carnivorous plant and a young man who basically sells his soul to it, but we never stop caring for Seymour and rooting for his success."
Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter: @realstefanidias.
