‘Little Shop of Horrors’ performed on B-OHS stage Friday, Saturday
The thespians at Butterfield-Odin Public High School (B-OHS) were onstage in the school’s large gym/auditorium this past Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30, as they presented the horror/comedy/rock musical, Little Shop of Horrors.
Directing her 10th B-OHS production was Lisa Shellum, with Sarah Cartwright as musical director.
The play was dedicated to a member of the Class of 2016, the late Ross Blomgren – their missing friend – “Forever flying and watching over.”
Little Shop of Horrors, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, tells the tale of a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960s “black comedy” or “dark comedy” film, The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman. (Black comedy or dark comedy is a comic work that makes light of serious and/or taboo subject matter. It corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor, and is often controversial due to its subject matter.
The music, composed by Menken in the style of the early 1960s music genres of rock-and-roll, doo-wop and Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, “Skid Row (Downtown),” “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly, Seymour.”
What’s the moral of this musical?
For goodness sake – please DON’T feed the plant!
Cast and crew for the musical included:
Cast
+ Seymour – Ethan Sykes.
+ Audrey – Mackenzie Blickem.
+ Mr. Mushnik – Wong Lee.
+ Doo Wop Girls – Hayley Johnson (Ronette), Vanessa Rodriguez (Chanel), Julie Saunders (Chiffon) and Kylie Fisch (Crystal).
+ Dr. Orvin Scrivello, DDS – Leonardo “Danny” Sanchez.
+ Mrs. Luce, Mr. Martin, Snip and Bernstein – Leonardo “Danny” Sanchez.
+ Mushnik Skid Row Florist Customer – Alma Rodriguez.
+ Voice of the Pod, Audrey II – Kevin Hernandez.
+ Audrey II Puppeteer – Aidan Hiebert. (Audrey II courtesy of BB & G Unlimited of Golden Valley.)
+ Announcer – Kevin Hernandez.
+ Patient in Dr. Orin Scrivello’s Dentist’s Chair – Jordan Dougherty.
+ Patient in Dr. Orin Scrivello’s Waiting Room – Jennifer Perez.
+ Chorus – Sabrina Hanson, Heather Pankratz, Kayla Torres, Jennifer Perez, Elisabeth Pankratz, Alma Rodriguez, Emily Hernandez, Norely Sanchez and Brianna Ringen.
Crew
+ Student Directors, Sound and Curtain – Mercedes Lenning and Madyson Heffele.
+ Sound and Music – Aracely Anaya and Dylan Hovdet.
+ Stage Crew, Lights and Video Production – Tyler Wallert, Devon Aguilar and Jordan Dougherty.
Following is a photo gallery from the production:
KEVIN HERNANDEZ ANNOUNCES the opening of the production. Hernandez also played a Skid Row wino – and the deep bass voice of the pod plant, Audrey II.
THE DOO-WOP Girls provide a setting for the musical with the song, “Little Shop of Horrors.” From left, Chanel (Vanessa Rodriguez), Ronette (Hayley Johnson), Chiffon (Julie Saunders) and Crystal (Kylie Fisch).
CHECKING OUT THE newest “addition” to Mushnik’s Skid Row Florist – Audrey II , at left, in the caring hands of her horticulturalist – and employee of the enterprise – Seymour (Ethan Sykes). Offering their opinions are store employee Audrey (Mackenzie Blickem), center, for whom the plant was named, along with store owner, Mr. Mushnik (Wong Lee), right.
THE DOO-WOP Girls surround Seymour as they question him about his plant friend. From left, Chanel (Vanessa Rodriguez), Ronette (Hayley Johnson, Seymour (Ethan Sykes), Chiffon (Julie Saunders) and Crystal (Kylie Fisch).
SEYMOUR (ETHAN SYKES) urges Audrey II to grow, with the selection, “Grow For Me.”
AND SEYMOUR (ETHAN Sykes) knows exactly what Audrey II is needs to grow and is craving to eat – a few drops of blood – his blood.
SEYMOUR (ETHAN SYKES) get his wish – Audrey II begins stretching out – and he and his plant are getting noticed by the media.
I KNOW SEYMOUR’S the greatest, but I’m dating a semi-sadist. So I’ve got a black eye and my arm’s in a cast. Still, that Seymour’s a cutie. Well, if not, he’s got inner beauty, and I dream of a place where we could be together at last. Audrey (Mackenzie Blickem), left, sings out her thoughts about Seymour – and about her mean current boyfriend, Dr. Orin Scrivello, DDS. Listening earnestly are the Doo-Wop Girls, from left, Ronette (Hayley Johnson), Crystal (Kylie Fisch), Chiffon (Julie Saunders) and Chanel (Vanessa Rodriguez).
AUDREY II HAS become a plant star, making Mushnik’s Skid Row Florist floweringly busy – and a renovation is needed. Mr. Mushnik (Wong Lee), left and Seymour (Ethan Sykes), right, add a new product line. But . . . what’s under the cloth at the left?
WITH A FLOURISH, Mr. Mushnik (Wong Lee), uncovers the suspicious thing to reveal a much, much larger Audrey II.
ENTER INTO THE musical’s storyline – a member of a motorcycle gang, AND a dentist, Dr. Orin Scrivello, DDS (Leonardo “Danny” Sanchez) – and Audrey’s nasty boyfriend.
BESIDES BEING A mean and nasty person, Dr. Orin Scrivello, DDS (Leonardo “Danny” Sanchez), right – is a terrible dentist who likes to make his patients suffer – while keeping himself happy with nitrous oxide. Singing the song, “Dentist,” along with the dentist himself, are the Doo-Wop Girls, from left, Chanel (Vanessa Rodriguez), Ronette (Hayley Johnson, Chiffon (Julie Saunders) and Crystal (Kylie Fisch).
THE NEW-FOUND success of the florist shop spurs Mr. Mushkin (Wong Lee), left, to adopt Seymour (Ethan Sykes), right, as a son. When Seymour was younger – and all alone – Mr. Mushkin had rescued him from the streets. The new father-son celebrate with the song, “Mushnik and Son.”
WITH THE LITTLE shop now renamed Mushnik and Son Skid Row Florist Shop – Seymour (Ethan Sykes) continues to cultivate a healthy Audrey II.
AND WHAT DOES Audrey II want as she joins Seymour in song? For him to “Feed Me.” The voice of Audrey II was provided by Kevin Hernandez, with Aidan Hiebert serving as the pod’s puppeteer.
WHEN SEYMOUR (ETHAN Sykes), left, goes to the dentist’s office to confront Dr. Orin Scrivello, DDS (Leonardo “Danny” Sanchez), right, over his treatment of Audrey, the good dentist gets the upper hand and forces Seymour into the examination chair.
WHILE PREPPING FOR Seymour’s dental examination, Dr. Orin Scrivello, DDS (Leonardo “Danny” Sanchez), left, displays some of his “tools” to Seymour (Ethan Sykes), right. But first – the dentist needs some extra-strength nitrous oxide so he can really, thoroughly enjoy the treatment.
WHILE WAITING FOR the dentist’s return, Seymour (Ethan Sykes) – and his shadow – come to the conclusion that Dr. Orin Scrivello, DDS, would probably be a good-n-tasty meal to feed to Audrey II.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE dentist (Leonardo “Danny” Sanchez), left, the laughing gas is too powerful, and he does pass (away). Seymour (Ethan Sykes), right, seizes on the opportunity to provide for Audrey II.
THE FLOWER TRADE skyrockets for Mushnik and Son Skid Row Florist, with two phone lines now serving customers. As the phones ring and orders are taken, Audrey (Mackenzie Blickem), left and Seymour (Ethan Sykes), right, join on the duet, “Call Back in the Morning.”
THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE draws Seymour and Audrey closer together, emotions they realize as they sing, “Suddenly Seymour.” At left, Seymour (Ethan Sykes) and at right, Audrey (Mackenzie Blickem).
AUDREY AND SEYMOUR are joined by the Doo-Wop Girls and Chorus.
THE SUSPICIONS OF Mr. Mushkin (Wong Lee), left, in “The Case of the Disappearing Dentist,” pique his interest in the death of Dr. Orin Scrivello, DDS, and he returns to the flower shop in search of clues – blood drop clues. Seymour (Ethan Sykes), at right, attempts to remain calm.
SEYMOUR CONVINCES MR. Mushkin (Wong Lee), that he has hidden the shop’s money and receipts inside the pod known as Audrey II. Mr. Mushkin dives right in to search – never to be seen or heard from again (but Audrey II’s appetite is quelled – at least for awhile).
FAME, FORTUNE, TELEVISION – and LIFE magazine – are all on Seymour’s doorstep – until the Doo-Wop Girls remind him, “The Meek Shall Inherit.” From left, Crystal (Kylie Fisch), Chiffon (Julie Saunders), Seymour (Ethan Sykes), Chanel (Vanessa Rodriguez) and Ronette (Hayley Johnson).
ANOTHER GROWTH SPURT makes Audrey II even larger, and, when Audrey (Mackenzie Blickem), left, comes to water the plant in order to “feed” it – she is snatched. Seymour (Ethan Sykes), right, arrives to free her, but, sadly, her time is limited, and she tells Seymour, “When I die – which should be soon – feed me to Audrey II.”
AND, AUDREY WAS right, it all ended soon. But, before Audrey (Mackenzie Blickem), left, dies, she makes Seymour (Ethan Sykes), right, to indeed promise to feed her to Audrey II. Audrey believes that then she will be a part of the plant and, as Seymour cares for it, she and Seymour will always be together.
A DISCONSOLATE SEYMOUR (Ethan Sykes), right, attempts to make sense of it all – the loss of his Audrey – as well as discovering the fact that Audrey II’s evil plan is to spread cuttings of herself to families across the nation, with thousands in every household – needing to be “fed.”
DETERMINED TO NOT let that happen, Seymour (Ethan Sykes) tries a variety of ways to kill Audrey II, and then resorts to doing the deed himself by taking a sword down into the plant.
BECAUSE OF HIS courage, Audrey II has now “consumed” Seymour (Ethan Sykes) in more ways than one – his time, his attention, his blood – and now himself.
THAT DOES NOT stop the plant pod’s plans, as cuttings are taken by Crystal (Kylie Fisch), and spread to wanting households, ensuring that Audrey II will live on with millions of little Audrey IIs. Remember – if you see a plant such as this – DON’T feed the plant!
