Get in line to help feed DeKalb’s largest potted plant, Audrey II. Stage Coach Players continues its 2019 season of plays when Little Shop of Horrors eats its way through DeKalb. The Tony Award nominated horror comedy rock musical opens October 10th and runs through October 20th. The book for Little Shop of Horrors along with lyrics were written by Howard Ashman while the music was composed by Alan Menken.
Co-directed by Ryan Morton and Sara Pajor, the musical focuses on a nerdy florist who finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant that resembles a venus fly trap who demands to be fed. The cast includes Matt Weaver as Seymour, the nerdy orphan working at Mushnik’s Florist while Shannon Becker plays Audrey, his co-worker for whom he harbors a major crush on. Becker was last seen in The Little Mermaid while Weaver is making his Stage Coach debut. On playing Seymour, he said, “The character goes through a long and painful journey, and it is very challenging to convey those emotions throughout the entirety of the show.”
Bernie Schuneman (Urinetown, The Musical) as Mushnik, Abby Cooper (The Little Mermaid), Cortney Jo Newby (It Shoulda Been You) and Jyllan Torres (Hairspray) are the street urchins and Elenia Dokos (Jekyll & Hyde) does the voice of the plant, Audrey II. Rounding out the talented cast is Denny Boynton, Jeff Hall, Kristin Madden, Jim Small, Jen Ketchum, Mike Anderson, Isaiah Panke, Sage McCue and Josie Squires. Korey Miller provides puppet movement for Audrey II.
As there are several pieces to the plant, many hands go into making it come to life. But as Pajor points out, that tends to be indicative of many productions. “It was a reminder that it absolutely takes a village to put these shows together. We have an incredible cast and crew, and I have been so impressed and humbled by the amount of work they’ve put into this show.”
Although a musical about a monster of sorts, Little Shop of Horrors is also a comedy. Songs like “Be A Dentist,” and “Da-Doo,” are not simply memorable, but also funny. “I hope they (the audience) become engrossed with the story that we’re telling, enough to distract them from anything that is going on in other aspects of their lives,” Weaver offered regarding the production.
Performances for Little Shop of Horrors are October 10th through October 12th and October 17th through October 19th with a curtain time of 7:30, along with Sunday matinees on October 13th and October 20th with a curtain time of 2:00. Tickets are $20 each or $18 for seniors and children age 13 and under. To purchase tickets, visit our online website at www.stagecoachplayers.com. You can also call the Stage Coach box office which opens Sunday, October 6th. The phone number is 815-758-1940. Come join us in helping Seymour feed Audrey II.
