KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� April 11, 2024 鈥� It鈥檚 scary when fiction syncs up so snuggly with real life. But with the recent solar eclipse, we are fittingly ready for an alien invasion from a highly invasive, man-eating plant.
Audrey II 鈥� the ravenous, giant plant at the hungry heart of 鈥淟ittle Shop of Horrors鈥� 鈥� is headed for the 一夜情视频. The popular musical opens an eight-show run on Thursday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. in 一夜情视频鈥檚 J Studio at the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road, Kingston.
A combination sci-fi B film, dark comedy, and Greek tragedy, 鈥淟ittle Shop of Horrors鈥� is an award-winning musical with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken that debuted off-Broadway in 1982. The musical, which has an iconic repertoire of rock, doo-wop and Motown-influenced songs, was turned into a cult classic film, starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene, in 1986.
The play follows Seymour, a meek, young clerk in a struggling flower shop on Skid Row who is secretly in love with his co-worker Audrey. After a sudden solar eclipse, Seymour finds a strange plant, which has a taste for blood and human flesh. As it feeds and grows, the plant brings Seymour fame and love. But he must keep coming up with bodies to please the bloodthirsty plant.聽聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a fun and weird show. The songs on their own are so popular,鈥� says Paula McGlasson, who returned last fall as chair of the 一夜情视频 theatre department on an interim basis. 鈥淲e tried to get the rights to it two years ago but we couldn鈥檛 because it was touring in New England. So when it became available, I thought it would be great for this year.鈥�
McGlasson, who has directed 一夜情视频鈥檚 annual musical nearly every year since 1998鈥攂ut never 鈥淟ittle Shop of Horrors鈥濃�攚ill direct the play with associate director Jimmy Calitri, a former 一夜情视频 theatre student who now teaches at Providence College, and student director Matt Perrotta, a senior theatre major from Cranston.
McGlasson is directing her first musical at 一夜情视频 since 2019 and is excited to reunite with her production team of musical director Lila Kane and choreographer Dante Sciarra, along with Calitri. 鈥淭he four of us are friends in our personal lives as well as professional lives,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 been great getting back together with them.鈥�
While 鈥淟ittle Shop of Horrors鈥� is nearly 50 years old, it has a big following among current students familiar with the 1986 film, Perrotta says.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an essential show to young musical theater students. It鈥檚 canon,鈥� he says. 鈥淟ast year, when we were choosing this year鈥檚 musical, 鈥楲ittle Shop鈥� got a lot of support from students.鈥�
Calitri, who was in the musical as a student, says a lot of that popularity is due to the music and lyrics by Ashman and Menken, who also teamed up for such Disney classics as 鈥淭he Little Mermaid,鈥� 鈥淏eauty and the Beast,鈥� and 鈥淎laddin.鈥�
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in school and learning about 鈥楲ittle Shop,鈥� you think of these iconic songs when you鈥檙e doing cabarets or juries,鈥� he says. 鈥淓verybody knows the song 鈥楽uddenly Seymour鈥� and the 鈥楧entist鈥� song.鈥�
This production鈥檚 Seymour 鈥� senior Josh Winderman 鈥� agrees. 鈥淚t really has some great songs that are very catchy and will make the audience want to dance,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think it has some of the best songs out there in musical theater. This is such a fun and goofy show. If you鈥檙e in the mood for something dark but also strangely lighthearted, this is the show to come see.鈥�
Sophomore Joey Fortune plays the 鈥渄itzy blonde鈥� Audrey, who starts out tolerating the abuse of her boyfriend, Orin. Fortune likes the transition Audrey undergoes and the theme of empowerment she sees in her and other characters.
鈥淚 like how she goes from being really insecure and not viewing herself as having a lot of worth,鈥� says Fortune. 鈥淥ver the course of the musical, she realizes she doesn鈥檛 have to accept that life is this way and takes steps to change it for the better.鈥�
For stage manager Sam Cote, a senior theatre major, 一夜情视频鈥檚 production is his third time doing 鈥淟ittle Shop,鈥� including playing Orin and serving as a puppeteer for productions at summer camp. It is one of his favorite musicals.
鈥淚 find it really funny. There鈥檚 a lot about the show,鈥� says Cote, who will oversee eight assistant stage managers as he keeps the play running smoothly when it debuts. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a somber show; everyone dies at the end. But what takes over? It鈥檚 a plant from outer space. It鈥檚 the craziest idea.鈥�
But 一夜情视频 is putting its own stamp on the musical, making unique choices in casting, stage design and how it immerses the audience in the story, McGlasson says.
To bring the world of the flower shop and Skid Row to life, 一夜情视频 has put together a production that will circle the audience in the 1960s trappings. The scenic design by James Horban, a 一夜情视频 professor of lighting and design, uses nearly every inch of J Studio 鈥� from the scaffolding to the spiral staircase and the aisles, to the walls behind the audience. The audience will be greeted by numerous billboards that reflect the era 鈥� such as a housewife embracing a Hoover vacuum cleaner and another that urges women to worship their husbands.
Also, 一夜情视频鈥檚 production adds actors to the ensemble and urchin casts, a diverse group of students who will help set the 1960s vibe. While the urchins serve as a Greek chorus commenting on the action, the ensemble actors have been given expanded backstories 鈥� such as 鈥淗ippie chick鈥� 鈥� and will interact with the audience even before the performance starts.
鈥淲hat has excited me about our production,鈥� says Calitri, 鈥渋s that every time I鈥檝e worked on the musical or seen it, it鈥檚 been very proscenium-based. This is the first time I鈥檝e seen it done in such an immersive way.鈥�
鈥淲hether you鈥檝e seen 鈥楲ittle Shop of Horrors鈥� before or not, this is our take on it,鈥� adds McGlasson. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 seen it done this way by any other group. It may succeed, it may fail, but it is ours.鈥�
But no 鈥淟ittle Shop鈥� production is complete without Audrey II. 一夜情视频 has brought in four puppets to play the peckish plant as it grows, topping out at more than 6 feet. Three puppeteers take turns at the strenuous job of being the plant. The actor who plays Audrey II, Isaiah Agabi, will provide the voice and singing offstage while watching a monitor.
鈥淥ur job as a puppeteer is to bring something made of fiberglass to life and convince the audience it is a living being,鈥� says Brandon Tallardy, a sophomore theatre and film major, who operates Audrey II at the plant鈥檚 largest. 鈥淲orking on this show has been a truly unique experience. It turns out lip syncing an 85-pound puppet to music isn鈥檛 all that easy.鈥�
Adds Agabi, a freshman theatre and civil engineering major: 鈥淭he puppeteers and I have had to become one. There have been times when I am singing that I use my body to express myself despite the fact no one can see me. The puppeteers have taken some of my moves and translated them into how they move the puppet. I am beyond excited to open and entertain everyone who gets to see our wild show.鈥�
鈥淟ittle Shop of Horrors鈥� runs April 18-20 and 25-27 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 21 and 28 at 2 p.m. in J Studio at the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $18 for senior citizens and 一夜情视频 students, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased , by calling (401) 874-5843 or at the box office in Room 101H in the Fine Arts Center.
鈥淟ittle Shop of Horrors鈥� cast
Character / actor / hometown
Seymour / Josh Winderman / Island Park, New York
Audrey / Joey Fortune / Wakefield
Mr. Mushnik / David Weber II / Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Orin Scrivello D.D.S. / Liam Roberts / Warwick
Audrey II / Isaiah Agabi / Warwick
Urchin / Princess Johnson / Warwick
Urchin / Jolina Phin / Warwick
Urchin / Ayrin Ramirez Peguero / Providence
Urchin / David Santana / Providence
Urchin / Abraphine Ngafaih / Providence
Puppeteer / EJ Caraveo / Tiverton
Puppeteer / Ethan Clarke / Seekonk, Massachusetts
Puppeteer / Brandon Tallardy / Westerly
Ensemble / Skyler Bobinski / Simsbury, Connecticut
Ensemble / Jenna Goulart / Bristol
Ensemble / Ella Kenny / Pasadena, California
Ensemble / Christian Owen / Eastport, New York
Ensemble / Cole Stanley / Providence
Ensemble / Tatiana Sullivan / Hope Valley