The brittle leaves are drained of their bright colors, the bitter winds grow strong and frore, and the Brookfield High School stage curtains open once again on the Drama Club’s performance of their fall musical. Director John LaMendola proudly leads the BHS Curtain Players to another victory with this year’s show, Little Shop of Horrors. This will be the 13th show LaMendola has directed for Brookfield High School and he is “very excited to see the show finally come to life next weekend!” The array of familiar faces performing in this production have been anxiously preparing for their moment in the spotlight, and could not be more excited for their fellow students to see them work their musical magic.
Little Shop of Horrors is an upbeat, comedy-horror-musical about hard times, fame, love, and… plants! Seymour Krelborn (played by junior, Stephen Moores), is a nerdy orphan who is taken in by and works for, Mr. Mushnik (played by sophomore, Justin Weigel) the owner of a rundown flower shop on urban Skid Row. Mushnik castigates Seymour constantly, but what gets Seymour through a rough day at work is his honest, attractive, yet insecure co-worker, Audrey Fulquard (played by senior, Sara Gardner) on whom he has developed a crush. One day, Seymour comes across a strange and interesting new plant that he names Audrey II (played by senior, Alexis Prinz and voiced by junior, Marissa Detlor). Soon after, he discovers that this plant has a very unique, and rather dangerous appetite. As the plant continues to grow, so does Seymour’s worldwide fame and his strong love for Audrey. Seymour battles with himself over whether to continue caring for his malevolent and manipulative plant to impress Audrey or to abandon the fame and put an end to Audrey II all together. What will Seymour decide to do? On November 15th, 16th, and 17th, the BHS Curtain Players will tell all!
The employees of the flower shop are not the only ones tangled into this mess of fame and misfortune. Other characters include Audrey’s sadistic dentist boyfriend, Orin Scrivello (played by senior, Jeffery Owens) who loves the sound of his own voice, and three female street urchins, Ronnette, Crystal, and Chiffon (played by seniors Kelsey Reiff, Jessica Schwartz, and Michelle Brandt, respectively) who are full of spunk and attitude and double as characters within the action of the play as well as storytellers who speak directly to the audience. In addition, the show includes a Greek Chorus made up of senior Kate Matson, junior Melissa McCabe, and sophomores Madison Vettorino, Jordann Wrubel, Kristen Burnell, Danielle Neufeld, Rebecca D’Andrea, Zoe DiPinto, and Daisy Stott. Last--but as Drama kids know--certainly not least, is the Ensemble made up of homeless people, shop customers, and winos: seniors Christian Gilbert, Caetlin Broadmeyer, and Peter Ball; junior Kevin Sayour; and sophomores Amanda Higley, Katrina Brooks, and Scott Brown. The Pit Band consists of a majority of students while the tech crew is led by Alexis McPadden.
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Mr. LaMendola and the BHS Curtain Players have been working day and night to put together a show that they hope will make their audience laugh, cry, and maybe even shiver a little in fright! So come see the gang at Mushnik’s Skid Row Florists this weekend on the 15th at 7pm, the 16th at 7pm, and the 17th at 2pm. Audrey II is starving for your attention.
