'Feed me, Seymour'
A giant man-eating plant that takes four students to operate will take over the Huntley High School auditorium this weekend as the theater department presents its new fall musical.
Usually the high school's theater department delights audience members with just a spring musical.
But late last year they decided they'd add a fall musical to their lineup and started casting for "Little Shop of Horrors."
Students started practicing Aug. 3 and will present the show this weekend, Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening.
"It's another opportunity for the students to perform," director Nancy Cross said.
"We chose this show because we wanted a show that could feature a cast of some of our most experienced singing actors -- sort of a varsity musical if you will. And we wanted to use students in positions of leadership in the pit orchestra. We have some very talented musicians."
"Little Shop of Horrors" is a satire of "B" movies, 1950s sci-fi movies and musical comedies, Cross said. It is set in the late 1950s and features upbeat rock and roll music.
It tells the story of a down-and-out skid row floral assistant who discovers an exotic plant that craves fresh blood.
According to Cross, soon the plant grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers the floral assistant fame and fortune as a trade off for feeding her appetite.
"It's generally quite a bit of fun," Cross said.
Sophomore Josh McKenney, who plays Mr. Mushnik, the flower shop owner, said there are many numbers in the show that the students have been working hard on to entertain the audience.
"It'll be funny to watch. It's very serious, but it also has great comedic value. It's more modern than most of the things we've done recently," McKenney said.
The cast is 18 students strong, with the star of the stage the plant -- Audrey II.
Audrey II starts out as a small pod and grows throughout the action of the show, until she is a huge puppet that requires four students to operate, Cross said.
Behind her grand appearance on stage, one student is operating Audrey II's upper jaw, one her lower jaw and several handle the tentacles.
Little Shop will be presented at 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the high school's performing arts center, 13719 Harmony Road.
Tickets are available online at http://www.district158.org/pac/ or at the theater on the day of the show. The cost is $6 and $8.
If you go
What: "Little Shop of Horrors"
When: 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Huntley High School, 13719 Harmony Road
Details: http://www.district158.org/pac/