Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow
Halloween might be over, but things are still twisted and eerie at Ethington Theatre.
Grand Canyon University’s theatre program will electrify the stage tonight at 7:30 with a dark and humorous rock musical, Howard Ashman’s 1980 classic, “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“This production has a real purpose and depth to it,” said Klay Wandelear, College of Arts and Media technical director and the play's director. “It is a quintessential sort of deal with the devil narrative. This outside entity comes into your life and starts making it better but then demands a sacrifice from you.
“All of that is couched in this idea of the ‘more is more’ society. You look at that and you think, that’s depressing, but the show does a really good job of making it fun and interesting.”
A geeky flower shop assistant, Seymour (freshman Erick Resendiz), discovers a peculiar plant during an eclipse and brings it to the flower shop to boost the fading business. Lovestruck by a fellow co-worker, Audrey (sophomore Adeline O’Reilly), who is in a relationship with a sadistic dentist, Orin (sophomore Carter Giannetti), Seymour names the plant Audrey II.
Though the shop owner, Mr. Mushnik (junior Caleb Moran), is not impressed at first, the plant quickly becomes the flower shop’s staple as it fascinates the community with its rapid growth and eye-catching beauty.
Captivated by love, vice and greed, Seymour keeps the key to the plant’s growth a secret, which is a demanding need to feed on human blood.
“It’s like if a shlocky 80’s B-horror movie got turned into a musical,” Giannetti said. “I have wanted to be in 'Little Shop (of Horrors)' forever and have always loved the music and the show.
“There was a theatre that did ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ years ago when I did my first show. I saw them at an award ceremony and was like, that is so cool, I want to be that. That was about 10 years ago, and I am so hyped this moment is finally here.”
For many, the rock musical featuring Alan Menken’s popular and catchy music, directed by GCU’s Mark Fearey, is a feel-good, nostalgic classic.
The songs, the scenes and the characters are some of the earliest theatre memories for most of the cast.
“Ever since I heard her (Audrey’s) solo, ‘Somewhere That’s Green,’ I have loved this role,” O’Reilly said. “She is such a deep character and is more than just a pretty face.
“Something I admire about her is she always looks for the best in others and has a smile on her face, even though she is going through so much.”
Senior Ben Sparling lends his voice to Audrey II, a plant brought to life on stage through puppetry.
“Playing a character that you are not inhabiting on stage was daunting at first. But it’s made it a lot more of a creative process. It’s been fun to explore the depths and heights of my voice because when I don’t get to act through my body, I feel like my voice gets enhanced. I have to enhance it because it’s everything I do.”
For the first time since arriving at GCU, Wandelear is directing his first Ethington production.
In collaboration with engineering students, he and the theatre students have built their first large-scale puppet, the popular plant operated by strings. And they have brought back the revolving stage used in previous productions, with different scenery featured on each side.
As for scenic design, the musical is set in a run-down neighborhood, Skid Row, with the bright green flower shop contrasting the helplessness and hopelessness seen and felt by the community.
The vibrant colors, eccentric costumes, high energy and upbeat music create an exhilarating atmosphere onstage that easily captures the audience’s attention while unveiling a story packed with themes theatregoers can reflect on, such as: To what lengths is a person willing to go to realize their desires?
“Seymour had the full shop – exotic grass he would work on – and then he got taken away from that by the new plant with all this greed and money and fame he was getting from the plant,” Resendiz said.
“I think that people often tend to lose themselves in what they want, instead of working to become a person who can achieve that thing easily. It's important to stay true to yourself and not settle."
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected]
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IF YOU GO:
What: "Little Shop of Horrors"
Where: Ethington Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, with more shows coming up at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14-15 and 2 p.m. Nov. 16
Tickets: Click here
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Related content:
GCU News: Ethington season opener urges theatregoers to find beauty in the ordinary
GCU News: GCU announces season of 'Little Shop,' Shakespeare, bluegrass
