'Little Shop of Horrors' Comes to Annandale High School

will be transformed into a “Little Shop of Horrors” for two nights starting on Friday.

The school theater department’s latest production is adapted from the 1960s cult classic film of the same name directed by Roger Corman and will feature music composed by Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman.

George Bennett, artistic director for the AHS theater department, described the play as a “dark, comic, horror musical satire about plants from outer space that come to take over the earth.”

According to the synopsis, the Corman film is about a young florist assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on human flesh and blood. The film later became an off-Broadway musical in 1982 and was the “third longest-running musical and the highest-grossing production in off-Broadway history” when it closed. There was a remake of the film in 1986 and the Broadway show was revived in 2003.

The entire production of around 50 students and staff took about eight weeks to prepare. In addition to the music, choreography is another big part of the play, along with puppetry. That’s right: There will be six to eight puppets used on stage that were created to visually resemble plants in varying sizes.

“It’s kind of fun to see how they do the puppeteering,” said Bennett. “[The show] is difficult work. It’s got some pop/rock '60s-style music. I think everyone will enjoy it."

“Little Shop of Horrors” at Annandale High School, Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in the AHS main auditorium. Tickets are $8 in advance at the school and $10 at the door.

Little Shop of Horrors at Annandale High School

CAST

Audrey.................................................................................. Gwen Levey

Seymore.......................................................................... Steven Aderton

Mushnik............................................................................ Harris Fitzgerel

Plant (Audrey II) Voice........................................................... Andy Riddle

Plant (Audrey II) Puppeteer................................................... Paulina Stehr

Plant (Baby Audrey) Puppeteer.............................................. Lydia Colon

Crystal........................................................................... Deanna Gowland

Chiffon.................................................................................. Suzie Sowa

Ronnette........................................................................... Laura Hackfeld

Orin (Dentist)...................................................................... James Barker

Bernstein............................................................................ Cody Stewart

Snip............................................................................... Madeline Reinert

Wino #1, Wino #2........................................... Mark Slough, Cody Stewart

Ms. Luce.............................................................................. Andy Riddle

Ms./Mr. Martin.................................. Debbie Aderton, Sat. – Cody Stewart

Chinese Man/Radio Interviewer................................................. Kevin Tran

Customer.......................................................................... Skye Lindberg

Chorus..................................................... Mimi Hassan, Anne-Marie Little,

............................ Gabrielle Lewis, Gabi Montes de Oca, Madeline Reinert,

............................... Lydia Colon, Betsy Cohan-Lawson, Shahrazad Abbas

Production Staff

Artistic Director.......................................................... Mr. George Bennett

Staging, Character Development............... the Inimitable Mr. Steven Hirsch

Choreography...................................................................... Tori Gowland

Student Director................................................................ Laura Hackfeld

Stage Manager................................................................... Jenny Jessen

Set Design & Construction......................... Khalid Mohamed, Jaime Gallo,

....................... Lydia Colon, Shahrazad Abbas, Jin Lin, Tech Theatre Class

Lighting............................................................. Jaime Gallo, Kelly Dwyer

Spotlights..................................................... Kevin Nguyen, Wilson Tosta

Sound........................................................................... Khalid Mohamed

Audrey II Puppet construction......................... Ashlly Boger, Paulina Stehr,

............................................................................... Betsy Cohan-Lawson

Stage Crew....................... Danielle Turner, Robert Scheibel, James Barker

.................................................. Cody Stewart, Joon Lee, Beatrice Ohene

Costumes, & her Assistant......................... Jackie Lewis, Christine Nguyen

Make-Up / Hair....................................... Evan Washington, Skye Lindberg

Tickets.............................................................................. FBLA students

House Managers...................................................................... Thespians

Little Shop Band

Piano I................................................................................. Alec Stewart

Piano II..................................................................................... Lilas Dinh

Electric Piano/Keyboard..................................................... Ahyeong Park

Bass................................................................................. Jordan Winkler

Lead Guitar....................................................................... Michael Lavelle

Drums.............................................................................. Austin Costello