‘Little Shop’ to bring comedy and horrors to the stage at Rogers City Theater
Mean and green hits the stage of the Rogers City Theater with the production of Little Shop of Horrors set to debut Friday at 7:30 p.m. The local production will run Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. along with next weekend. Shows on April 18 and April 19 are at 7:30 p.m. with the Sunday matinee set for 2 p.m. Look out! Here comes Audrey II! Little Shop of Horrors is an old-fashioned love triangle between a boy, a girl and a demented man-eating plant, with a penchant for singing the blues.
THE PLOT THICKENS when Seymour, a down?and-out skid row floral assistant discovers his exotic plant has an insatiable appetite for flesh and blood. Man and plant become an overnight sensation, but the florist soon learns the cost of his fame and fortune. Soon ?Audrey II? grows into an ill-tempered, foulmouthed, R&B-singing carnivore that offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing it to be an alien creature poised for global domination. The Audrey II character comes to life using several progressively larger and more fantastic puppets. The puppets, supplied by special arrangement with a professional theater design workshop in Dayton, Ohio, quite literally steal the show. This production features all local talented men and women, and is directed by Karl W. Heidemann.
?I am very excited about this musical,? says Heidemann. ?The cast is fantastic, and unbelievably funny. Their dedication and humor have made the challenge of bringing the various versions of the puppets to life so much easier.?
THE CAST INCLUDES Dan Nordenbrock as Seymour and Heather Nordenbrock as Audrey, his girlfriend (and also Dan?s wife in real life). Ed Perrault plays their shop-owner boss, while Wes Eagleson plays the demented dentist (and several other parts). Telling the story is a ?Greek Chorus? of three talented singers, Meghan Harp, Donna Klein and Lisa Rhea, who emulate a 60?s style female vocal group. And finally, the task of bringing Audrey II to life is superbly performed by puppet manipulator Charlie Harp with Karl W. Heidemann as the voice of Audrey II. One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become a household name, thanks to a highly successful film version and a score by the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Mencken, who redefined the animated musical f
IN ADDITION TO the original long-running 1982 off-Broadway production and subsequent Broadway production, the musical has been performed all over the world A film version of the musical was made in 1986 and was directed by puppeteer Frank Oz. It starred Rick Moranis as Seymour, Ellen Greene as Audrey, and the booming voice of Levi Stubbs of Motown Records? Four Tops as the voice of Audrey II. Crew includes stage manager Laura Mendyk, musical director Donna Klein, choreographer Meghan Harp, and costumes by Val Schalk and Mary Hazlett.
Andrea Shadbolt will be the light board operator while Steve Paull handles the soundboard. The lighting crew consists of Mike Marx, Alison Marx, David Shadbolt, and Andrea Shadbolt.