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LHS PRESENTS 'LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS'
 OPENS MARCH 15: Kim Gleeson, left, plays Audrey, Jeff Poe the dentist and Ben Woodruff the shop owner. (Staff photo/CHRIS BAXTER). - JEFF PETERSEN - Staff Writer When you've been cast as a giant man-eating plant, it's all about growing into the role. Especially when you start as a puppet and end up 9 feet tall. La Grande High School senior Micah Anderson faces such a challenge. He will play the plant in the big spring musical, "Little Shop of Horrors." Tickets are on sale now for the La Grande High School Music Department's presentation, which will be staged March 15-17 in the LHS auditorium. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. Seating is reserved. Ticket outlets are Sunflower Books and the LHS main office. When Anderson first heard LHS was doing "Little Shop," a black comedy, he thought it might be too dark and turn people off. Now, about two months into rehearsals, he's convinced people who attend will leave singing some of the show's catchy songs, such as "Suddenly Seymour." "It's a strong cast," he says. "Most haven't done musicals before, but they're doing a great job." One who has done musicals before is Kimberly Gleeson, an LHS senior who plays the lead female role, Audrey. Gleeson previously performed in the LHS spring musicals "Oklahoma" and "Once Upon a Mattress." She says getting into her character is a challenge. "It's a pretty complicated character. She's been abused and had a hard life, and not by choice. It's not what I know. I'm trying to think how she would think." Even though the actors have plenty of chances to see "Little Shop" it was made into two movies, a Broadway show and an animated feature they've been told not to. She says she believes each cast member, whether it's the abusive boyfriend, the shopkeeper with the Russian accent or the Doo-wop girls, fits his or her role well. "In callbacks for audition, it was pretty obvious who should have what part," Anderson adds. He says he's enjoyed being part of the musical despite the huge commitment in hours of rehearsals. "I've enjoyed watching people experimenting with their characters," he says. Gleeson agrees and says interacting with the other cast members and meeting a few new people have been rewarding. Anderson says he has been amazed at all the people it takes, especially behind the scenes, to make sure a big production works. He talks about the accompanist, the stage manager, the choreographer and costume designer, the lights and tech people. "They're the ones who put all the pieces together," he says. Except, maybe, for one the plant. "The plant (costume) is usually something you rent, and only one or two are available nationwide," Anderson says. "The one we were planning on using was either lost of unavailable, so we had to hire people to build the plant." He says James Hasse did most of the construction, Roy Gomez contributed to repairs and detail work and Karen Kevan added fabric and costume design touches. The science fiction black comedy revolves around Seymour (played by Kevin Mollerstrom), a nerdish skid row floral assistant who discovers an exotic plant with a craving for fresh blood. The discovery helps him become a sensation. He hopes it will also gain him the attention of Audrey, the young lady he has eyes for. To his horror, though, the plant, named Audrey II, soon grows into an ill-tempered singing carnivore. Seymour is offered fame and fortune if he is willing to feed the giant man-eating plant's growing appetite. Finally, Audrey II reveals itself as an alien that wants to dominate the world. The 1960 cult classic film by the same name was directed by Roger Corman and featured Jack Nicholson as a dentist's masochistic patient. "Little Shop of Horrors" was also made into a musical (1982), a film again (1986) and later an animated TV series. The musical score of the 1982 show was composed by Alan Menken and features rock 'n' roll, doo-wop and early Motown. Productions included 2003 on Broadway. CAST Seymour ... Kevin Mollerstrom Audrey ... Kim Gleeson Mr. Mushnik ... Ben Woodruff Orin, the dentist ... Jeff Poe The Plant ... Micah Anderson Voice of The Plant ... Steven Baxter Doo-wop girls ... Mary Barrett, Christina DeVillier, Rabecka Muilenburg, Amanda Quebbeman, Meghan Schoenfelder, Whitney Ward Chorus ... Hanna Braun, Evylyn Brown, Emily Butler, Emily Christensen, Dora Cohen, Kayla Condit, Katrina Gomez, Michelle Hanley, Franziska Horch, Shilo Olmsted, Logan Orton, Tamson Ross, Kasey Walker Director ...Sam Jacobson Assistant director ... Annalicia Whittaker Stage manager ... Brittney Heitz Assistant stage manager ... Annalicia Whittaker Choreographer ... Becky Thompson-Hendrickson Orchestra ... Jim Howell |
