'Little Shop of Horrors' comes to CLC's Grayslake campus
Get ready for science fiction mixed with doo-wop music and comedy as the College of Lake County presents "Little Shop of Horrors," starting Friday night at the Grayslake campus.
Based on the cult horror B-movie by Roger Corman, the show was an award-winning, off-Broadway smash that launched the careers of Howard Ashman, who created the book and lyrics and directed the original production, and Alan Menken, who created the music.
The story centers on a down-and-out skid row florist shop, run by Mr. Mushnik, played by Justin Kozerow of Zion, and its nerdy clerk Seymour, played by Mario Mazzetti of Lake Zurich. Seymour is an amateur botanist who has discovered a weird plant in the flytrap family that he names Audrey II. He names the plant after Mushnik's assistant, Audrey, played by Kara Greenberger, whom Seymour is fond of.
Suddenly the florist shop and Seymour's career and love life thrive because of Audrey II, who grows into a huge rhythm and blues-singing carnivore who offers Seymour fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite. Seymour discovers he can only satisfy the plant's appetite by feeding it humans.
Mazzetti said Seymour is really honest and sincere. He simply wants to impress Mr. Mushnik and wants Audrey to love him.
"Everything he does has a good intention with it. But it always has some horrible outcome," he said.
Director Craig Rich said the show not only is filled with great music but also a story with a lesson. The audience sees what happens when Audrey II offers Seymour the chance to make his life better but the consequences Seymour must face to achieve that.
"People have to keep in mind to be true to themselves and true to what their beliefs are," Rich said. "If we take the opportunity to get ahead, we may forget that if you make a decision there are consequences."
Creating the illusion of a carnivorous plant that grows from 1 foot to 10 feet tall is achieved by using four different sized Audrey II puppets. The puppets were built by Chicago-based scene painter and puppeteer Amy Holsman. Operating the two largest puppets in the show will be Dave Vasicek who works inside them. Another actor, Robert Sadlowski, provides the voice.
After the show's run is complete, Rich said the theater department may rent out the four Audrey IIs to other schools, colleges and theater companies.
The cast also features Scott Phelps (Lake Forest) as Orin the Dentist. Stephanie Reuter (Gurnee), Johanna Roden (Winthrop Harbor) and Jessica Smith (Lake Villa) are the trio of Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette; Jennifer Neumann (Antioch), Angela Peterson (Buffalo Grove), Tiffany Pfingsten (Round Lake Beach) and Katherine Wettermann (Lake Forest) make up the women's ensemble, and Alex Kroger (Lake Forest) and Bill Roberts (Libertyville) make up the men's ensemble.
What: "Little Shop of Horrors"
When: 7:30 p.m. July 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26 and 2 p.m. July 20 and 27
Where: College of Lake County's James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake.
Cost: $16 for general public, $13 for CLC students and staff, seniors age 65 and older and JLC season subscribers
Contact: Call (847) 543-2300 or visit the Web site www.clcillinois.edu/tickets.