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Look out- here comes Audrey II!
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(from left) Crystal (Katrice Head), Chiffon (Taresa Willingham), Seymour (Tim Allen) and Ronette (Tonya Broach) share a song.
Look out! Here Comes Audrey Two!!!
It’s everyone's favorite boy-meets-girl, plant-eats-world phenomenon. From the producers of Hairspray and The Producers, and the songwriters of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, comes a musical comedy masterpiece about a ‘nobody’ kinda guy, the girl he loves, and the man-eating plant that changes their lives forever. Written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and directed by William Roudebush, the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, OH has a monster hit on its hands with Little Shop of Horrors!
Set in the heart of Skid Row, clumsy Seymour works at a run-down Skid Row flower shop for crusty Mr. Mushnik while pining away for his secret love, Audrey. The shop’s sales are in the toilet and Audrey’s boyfriend, Orin Scrivello, is out of control until Seymour’s strange and unusual plant, Audrey II, changes everything.
The cast of this production is full of wonderful voices and charming talent.
Tim Allen encapsulates the heart of Seymour- an awkward underdog with a longing for more. His geeky and fun portrayal mixed with his solid voice make him a strong foundation for the show. Meg Maley brings a sweetness to the timid character of Audrey and her voice is a treat for the ears. The duo of Curt Arnold (operator of Audrey II) and Darryl Lewis (the vocally smooth, sexy and commanding voice of Audrey II) give the blood-craving plant from outer space a believable life. Extra kudos to Arnold for his efforts in puppeteering the challenging monster plant, as anyone who’s familiar with the show knows that it’s one of the more physically challenging costume/technical pieces to master. And let’s not forget Connor O’Brien, who is a scream as the sadistic dentist (Say AH!). Leslie Feagan appears (courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association) as the curmudgeon Mr. Mushnik, portraying the flower shop manager with crust and energy. To round out the main players, the trio of Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon are played by Katrice Headd, Tonya Broach and Taresa Willingham respectively. They have a great blend to their harmonious sound and are adequate storytellers for the show.
Director William Roudebush’s staging gives some surprises along the way and music director Larry Goodpastor leads a competent band into the musical world of Skid Row. Little Shop of Horrors was choreographed by Michael Medcalf, with costume design by Alison Garrigan, lighting design by Gregory Falcione, sound design by Richard Ingraham and set design by Don McBride.
Every technical and performance element of the show draws you into the world of Seymour’s struggle to make something more of himself and to win Audrey’s heart. The overall product is great, leaving audiences to eat up this fun show with as much enthusiasm as Audrey II enjoying its next meal. The final word on this production is biting – go see Little Shop of Horrors at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, OH!
Little Shop of Horrors runs from June 26 – August 2, 2009 (no show on July 4th). Times are 8:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 3:00 pm on Sundays.
Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors (65 and older) and $17 for students (22 and under with I.D.) An additional $3 service fee per ticket is applied at the time of purchase. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 216-521-2540 or visit the Beck Center for the Arts website at www.beckcenter.org.
Do you have a performing arts related event that our readers would find interesting? Contact Kate Klotzbach at kateklotzbach@yahoo.com
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