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Little Shop of Horrors at Lees-McRae July 18 to 24

Story by Anna Oakes Gregory Castoria (left) and Bob Haas play Seymour and Mr. Mushnik in the beloved dark comedy Little Shop of Horrors, playing Friday, July 18, to Thursday, July 24, at the Lees-McRae College Hayes Auditorium in Banner Elk. Photo by Todd Bush

Although Little Shop of Horrors first came to us in the form of a film in 1960, it’s still one of the hippest and most beloved musicals around today. See it again or for the very first time at Lees-McRae College Friday through Thursday, July 18 to 24, at the campus’s Hayes Auditorium.

The musical, directed by Todd Morgan, is part of the Lees-McRae Summer Theatre’s main stage productions. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on July 18, 19, 21, 23 and 24 and 2:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20.

The black comedy stars Seymour, a nerdy, awkward assistant at a Skid Row florist shop who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a craving for fresh blood. Soon, the plant Audrey II—named for Seymour’s lovely co-worker and love interest—grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B singing carnivore who offers Seymour fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination.

“It’s a whole lot of fun,” said Morgan. “[It’s] mostly lighthearted fun … nothing too serious.”

A cast of bold, exaggerated personalities makes the musical a colorful, lively affair. Seymour, played by Gregory Castoria, is nervous, clumsy and shy. His boss and caretaker Mr. Mushnik, played by Bob Haas, is overbearing and cranky. Audrey, played by Anna Lise Jensen, is beautiful and vivacious but suffers from self-esteem issues, and her abusive boyfriend Orin Scrivello, played by Christopher Cooke, is a sadistic dentist by day and a bad-boy motorcyclist by night.

The cast of mostly regional actors all interpret the characters in their own way, Morgan said.

“We talked a lot about not trying to emulate people from the movie,” he said. They may look a little different, too—Audrey, typically a blonde, is played by a six-foot-tall redhead.

The musical numbers from Little Shop play a major part in the musical’s lasting popularity with older and younger audiences.

“There’s a little more rock-n-roll in this show than typical musical theatre,” Morgan said. The songs, composed by Alan Menken, are in the style of 1960s rock, doo-wop and early Motown.

Tickets to the show, rated PG-13, are $24 for adults and $13 for kids. The Saturday, July 19, matinee is $19 for adults and $9 for kids. For tickets or more info, call the box office at 828-898-8709 or click to www.lmc.edu/sites/SummerTheatre/.

Want To Go?

Date: Friday, July 18, to Thursday, July 24
Time: 7:30 p.m. July 18, 19, 21, 23 and 24/2:00 p.m. July 19 and 20
Location: Lees-McRae College Hayes Auditorium, Banner Elk
Cost: $24 adult/$13 kids; $19 adults/$9 kids for Saturday matinee only