Masquers to stage ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

SOAP LAKE — Horror and horticulture are in bloom at the Masquers Theater, with the production of the darkly comedic musical “Little Shop of Horrors.”

The play, which opens Oct. 16, is directed by Clifford and Stacy Bresee, who have directed most of the troupe’s musicals over the last decade.

“It’s one I’ve wanted to do for quite a few years,” Stacy Bresee said. “So the opportunity came and we took it.”

The musical, based on the campy 1960 horror-comedy of the same name by Roger Corman, was written by Howard Ashman and Alan Mencken, who a few years later would fuel the Disney Renaissance with films like “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” It premiered on Broadway in 1982 and was adapted for the screen in 1986.

“Little Shop of Horrors” is set on the Skid Row of an American city, where street urchins step over winos on their way to menial jobs and, as one of the songs says, depression is status quo. There we find a failing flower shop run by old Mr. Mushnik (Jeremy Hansen) with his assistants Audrey (Holly Petersen McClure) and Seymour (Taggart Hodges). Audrey is in an abusive relationship with sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello (Grant Te Velde) in the hope of a better life, while Seymour dreams hopelessly of a life with Audrey.

Everything changes when a strange houseplant (Michael Duvall) appears at the shop. Seymour names the plant Audrey II and tries to care for it. But it turns out that the only way to make the plant thrive is to feed it human blood, and Seymour is driven to murder to keep the plant fed. As the plant grows larger and its demands grow gorier, can Seymour and Audrey find the happiness they so earnestly long for?

“(The play) does end differently than the movie, so maybe (the audience) will be surprised by the ending,” Stacy Bresee said. “It’s a secret we’re trying to keep on the down low, if they haven’t seen it.”

The story is punctuated by a sort of Greek chorus of street urchins made up of Crystal (Rachel Bresee), Chiffon (Lydia Harris) and Ronnette (Kylie Youngren). The plant itself is a marvel of puppetry, Stacy Bresee said, growing from a sprout in a pot to a leafy behemoth that takes over the shop.

“Several (other troupes) in the state are doing (the play),” Stacy Bresee said. “So we were able to rent the puppets from Walla Walla. The timing was really good.”

The singers will be accompanied by a live band, Stacy Bresee said. The ensemble is smaller than in past musicals, with a cast of only 13 compared to the 30-plus that the Bresees usually direct.

Hodges and Petersen McClure have worked together before, as Prince Eric and Ursula in Quincy Valley Allied Arts’ production of “The Little Mermaid,” they said, which made the chemistry between Audrey and Seymour come more naturally. They’ve also been family friends offstage for many years, they said.

“(Seymour) is very shy, very nerdy, and every once in a while he has a little burst,” Hodges said. (He) starts to come out of his shell more and more. The plant gives him confidence, being with Audrey gives him confidence, seeing (Orin’s) abuse gives him confidence and he slowly cascades into something (more).”

Petersen McClure said her performance is influenced by past performers in the role.

“The movie Audrey (has) the squeaky voice and (is a) little quirky and weird, and that’s what I grew up loving,” Petersen McClure said. I try to learn how to sing higher-pitched and bring that quirky, airheady sweet (quality). But I try to give her a little bit of depth too, so it shows that she really has deep feelings for people.”

Te Velde, as the vicious dentist Orin, plays very much against type, he said.

“It’s a little bit out of my comfort zone, but I’m able to embrace the character,” Te Velde said. “One way to do it is to think of something that (makes me mad) in another (context) … I go home and try not to let it take over me.”

“In real life he’s a big softy,” Petersen McClure said.

The Masquers weren’t originally planning to do “Little Shop of Horrors,” Stacy Bresee said.

“We had our season lineup already done, but the musical was not coming together as far as time for the director,” she said. “And (Clifford and I) were like, OK, well, we’ll direct again. We were going to take a break, but we’ll direct — if we can do this show.”

‘Little Shop of Horrors’

Oct. 16-Nov. 2

Thursdays and Fridays 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 2 p.m.

Masquers Theater

322 Main Ave. E, Soap Lake

Tickets $20

www.masquers.com

Cast

Seymour Krelborn: Taggart Hodges

Audrey: Holly Petersen McClure

Audrey II: Michael Duvall

Crystal: Rachel Bresee

Chiffon: Lydia Harris

Ronnette: Kylie Youngren

Mr. Mushnik: Jeremy Hansen

Orin Scrivello, DDS: Grant Te Velde

Ensemble: William Allsbrook, Rebekah Bresee, Michaela Greely, Paige Perkins, Darryl Pheasant, Natalie Vieira

    From left: Urchins Ronnette (Kylie Youngren), Chiffon (Lydia Harris) and Crystal (Rachel Bresee) sing about life on Skid Row in the Masquers production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
  

    Audrey (Holly Petersen McClure) dreams of escaping the grungy side of town in the Masquers production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
  

    Taggart Hodges, right, displays a medium-sized Audrey II, the leafy, carnivorous villain of “Little Shop of Horrors,” opening Oct. 16.