Little Shop of Horrors

 Looking for more information about this summer's adult community theater musical, Little Shop of Horrors?  We've got you covered! 

Performances August 13th, 14th, and 15th at 7:30pm

St. James High School Little Theater

About Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors is a delectable sci-fi horror musical with an electrifying 1960s pop/rock score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

Seymour Krelborn is a meek and dejected assistant at a floral shop who happens upon a strange plant, which he affectionately names “Audrey II” after his crush at the shop. Little does he know that this strange and unusual plant will develop a soulful R&B voice and an unquenchable thirst for HUMAN BLOOD.

As Audrey II grows bigger and meaner, the carnivorous plant promises limitless fame and fortune to Seymour, as long as he continues providing a fresh supply of blood. Just when it’s too late, Seymour discovers Audrey II’s extra-terrestrial origins and his true drive for world-domination.

Did you know?

The Little Shop of Horrors was first a 1960 American comedy horror film directed by Roger Corman. It gained popularity as a black and white B movie, featuring Jack Nicholson in one of his earliest roles. This original was the basis for the 1982 off-Broadway musical that we'll be performing!

The off-Broadway musical was written by Howard Ashman and the score was penned by Alan Menken. You may be familiar with some of Menken's other works: Disney's The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, to name but a few.

In 1986, Ashman and Menken teamed up with Frank Oz (of Muppets fame) to direct a movie adaptation of their off-Broadway musical. Rick Moranis played the earnest Seymour, Steve Martin hammed it up as the sadistic dentist, and John Candy and Bill Murray had some memorable cameos.

Character Descriptions

Seymour Krelborn (tenor)

Male Lead (Young Adult/Adult) (200+ speaking lines, 13 songs-solo, duet, ensemble).

A menial laborer at Mushnik’s Flower Shop, Seymour Krelborn is the improbable hero of the story. Nebbish-like and insecure, he is naive and put-upon. In spite of his poor social skills, he’s a sweet and well-meaning little man. Seymour is infatuated with Audrey, and even names his beloved plant Audrey II, after her. When it is discovered that Audrey II has an appetite for human flesh, he goes out of his way oblige the plant, believing that he could garner the real Audrey’s affections.

Audrey (mezzo-soprano)

Female Lead (Young Adult/Adult) (100+ speaking lines, 8 songs-solo, duet, ensemble).

The gum-snapping, bleached-blonde secret love of Seymour’s life, Audrey works with Seymour at the flower shop. Lacking any education or self-esteem, she suffers from feelings of hopelessness at her situation in life, including her abusive relationship with her dentist-boyfriend, Orin Scrivello.

Crystal (mezzo-soprano)

Female Supporting (Late Teen) (30+ speaking lines, 12 songs-solo, duet, ensemble).

One of three street urchins who act as Greek Chorus. Young, smart, hip and the only characters who seem to have a grip on reality. Reminiscent of the girl groups of the '60s with lots of Supremes-like choreography. These roles could possibly be doubled up if we have enough interest and talent.

Ronnette (mezzo-soprano)

See Crystal.

Chiffon (mezzo-soprano)

See Crystal.

Mr. Mushnik (baritone)

Male Supporting (Adult/Mature Adult) (80+ speaking lines, 6 songs-solo, duet, ensemble).

The opportunistic owner of the failing Skid Row Flower Shop, where Seymour and Audrey are employed. He is down on his luck, but also money-hungry and manipulative.

Orin Scrivello (baritone)

Male Supporting (Young Adult/Adult) (60+ speaking lines, 5 songs-solo, duet, ensemble).

Audrey’s dentist-boyfriend. A maniacal, motorcycle-riding, black leather jacket-wearing tough-guy. He is tall, dark, handsome, and a sadomasochist. His fondness for his own nitrous oxide proves to be a fatal flaw.

Audrey II (Voice of the Plant) (baritone)

Male Supporting (Adult/Mature Adult) (50+ speaking lines, 5 songs-solo, duet, ensemble). 

A wise-cracking anthropomorphic cross between a Venus flytrap and an avocado with teeth. Purchased by Seymour from Chang’s Flower Shop during a mysterious total eclipse of the sun. Harbors plans for world domination and develops an unquenchable thirst for human blood. Conniving, villainous and street-smart.

*Special Note: This role is voiced by an actor offstage with a microphone while another person is manipulating the puppet's mouth onstage in sync with the talking/singing.  See crew description for requirements of onstage puppeteer if interested in that role.

Ensemble (all vocal parts, including a few which can be "speaking only")

Various actors to play winos, flower shop customers, members of the press, bag ladies, derelicts, and other colorful residents of Skid Row. Ten or so cameos with a handful of speaking lines and/or a brief solo in one of the musical numbers. Ages 12 and older are welcome to join us for the 4-5 larger chorus numbers, some of which have basic choreography. Even if you don't consider yourself a singer, the music is all fairly straight-forward and easy to learn. The more the merrier, so bring a friend or two and join us!

*A quick note on involving younger children: We're willing to be flexible with age but picked 12 as an auditioning cut-off for a few reasons. We like to encourage kids to participate in the children's production in June since there are parts specifically written for that age group. We're happy to cast them in our ensemble if they're participating with you, but some kids grow bored and rehearsals tend to run late into the evening. Children are welcome to attend rehearsals with you anytime they'd like to watch and we'll be sure to have things like coloring books and puzzles available to keep them entertained. Our set building/painting days are also a great opportunity to get the whole family engaged in theater!

Crew Descriptions

In addition to the director (Katie Wojtalewicz), we have the following positions covered: Pianist (Kimberly Redmond), Set Designer/Carpenter/Stage Manager (Barry Wojtalewicz), Costume Manager/Seamstress (Deb Wojtalewicz), and Production Assistant (Taylor Engel). We're still recruiting volunteers for the positions below. None of these roles, with the exception of the puppeteer, will be expected to attend until our last couple weeks of rehearsal. If you're interested in one or more of these crew positions (or have some questions first), send us an e-mail here or drop in during auditions to speak with the director. 

Puppeteer

See "Audrey II" in the character description section for some background on these plant puppets. There are four separate puppets used in the play to reflect the rapid growth of Audrey II. A puppeteer is needed for three of them. The first is a simple hand puppet manipulated from under a counter where the puppeteer is hidden. The third iteration is the most demanding, as the puppeteer is required to sit on stage in a giant "pot" while inside the plant puppet from the waist up. The puppeteer manipulates the mouth from inside with both arms while syncing with the offstage voice, requiring both upper body strength and stamina from the puppeteer. In the final version of the puppet, the puppeteer manipulates the creature from behind a wall with a giant lever balanced on a wooden fulcrum as characters get "swallowed" through its mouth.  

This role is very important to the show and we're looking for someone who's both strong enough and willing to dedicate some time to getting the mechanics down to operate the puppets smoothly.  If you'd like to see a video of the puppets we're using in action, click here. We already have these puppets in our possession, so there will be plenty of opportunity to get familiar with Audrey II and work with "The Voice" in rehearsals!

Keyboardist

Guitarist

Bass Guitarist

Percussionist

Light Board Operator

Spotlight Operator

Sound Board Operator

Additional Stagehands

Set Builders/Painters

Hair/Make-Up Stylists

And if there are any talents you have that AREN'T listed here, just ask! We love help! 

Audition Information

Auditions for Little Shop of Horrors will be held at St. James High School's Little Theater on Monday, June 8th, and Tuesday, June 9th, beginning at 7:00pm.  You're welcome to come anytime between 7:00 and 9:00pm on either night to complete an interest form with your contact info, scheduling conflicts, and previous experience (though no previous experience is required). After completing your form, we may have you read a few lines (if you're auditioning for a speaking part), and sing a bit so we can get a sense of your vocal range. If you're a non-singer or only trying out for an ensemble role, we won't force you to sing by yourself--there's room in our cast for anyone who auditions and we want you to feel comfortable onstage!

On that note, for anyone who's interested in auditioning but either can't make the two scheduled nights or needs to meet individually, you can e-mail us here to request a different appointment during that week. While we'd prefer that you try to come on Monday or Tuesday, we understand that you may have a scheduling conflict or feel anxious about the group auditions and do better with a one-on-one format. Again, if you usually shy away from auditioning but this flexibility makes you more likely to try out, we're happy to make it work!

Those who want to be considered for principal roles may be asked to sightread some music from the show, so we'd encourage you to get a little familiar with any of the outstanding Little Shop of Horrors soundtracks out there (easily found on iTunes and YouTube). We don't expect you to know the music (and you don't need to provide your own), but this will give us a feel for how you fit the role. We will contact you to schedule a call back later that week or the following week should the need arise. Otherwise you can expect to hear from us through e-mail about casting decisions during the week of June 15th.

We are planning an initial meeting and read-through on Monday, June 22nd at 7:00pm in the St. James High School choir room where we'll hand out scripts and practice tracks on CD. We're aware that's the week of Railroad Days and that Fourth of July follows the week after, so only some of the principal characters will be scheduled for rehearsals in those two weeks following the initial meeting.  Most cast members won't be expected for rehearsals until the week of July 6th, so you can get some summer under your belt by the time we need you!

A Message from the Director about Rehearsals

You're a busy person, so I want you to know my philosophy about scheduling rehearsals. First, I won't make you come when you're not needed. I prefer to break down the scenes into distinct sets so we're using our time efficiently and getting the most out of practice. As a general rule, rehearsals are scheduled Monday through Thursday from 7:00pm until 9:00 or 10:00pm. They're specific, highlighting exactly which characters are needed, often in half hour increments so you know when to be there and when you can expect to leave. I may make some exceptions and offer Friday or weekend catch-up rehearsals while volunteers are there working on the set, though this will not be expected of anyone. Ensemble members will typically only be scheduled one or two nights per week until we approach the last week or two of rehearsals and start running through entire acts.

I know that people aren't accustomed to dedicating so much of their time to one activity, so I'm prepared to share you with the many obligations in your life and can accommodate a number of scheduling conflicts. In return for this flexibility, I ask two things: 1) The closer we get to performance week, the more important it is that you be there. If you know that you'll be gone for multiple days in August, run this by me to be sure your absence wouldn't interfere too much with your (or your fellow cast members) performance. 2) I will make it easier for you to practice outside of rehearsal, but I'm counting on you to put it to good use. I will be creating practice CDs for everyone with both the original soundtrack and an accompaniment-only version of their songs, which gives you an easy excuse to sing along on your commute or while cleaning the house. If you can get familiar with these outside of rehearsal, it tends to make practices that much more efficient and fun for everyone.  We can do the same for any choreography by creating practice videos. Again, learning your lines follows the same logic. If you put in the time to study your script outside of practice, you'll get that much more out of rehearsals. If you can't make the time, I understand--but then I'd just ask that you take advantage of working on them at rehearsals with a buddy when you're not needed on stage.

Theater is for everyone. Really. We'd love to have you join us for what's sure to be a remarkable show! We've lined up some amazing puppets that were originally built by the Guthrie Theater and featured recently on PBS. For those who are already familiar with Little Shop of Horrors, you know just how fantastic it is! And for the unacquainted, allow me to introduce you...