Mount Si presents ‘Little Shop of Horrors’
November 19, 2008
By Laura Geggel
Some of Mount Si High School’s budding actors are talking in “New Yawk” accents and might be a little skittish of venus flytraps with the opening of the musical Little Shop of Horrors this week.
During a Nov. 14 rehearsal, the volunteer cast sang its heart out as nerdy flower shop assistant Seymour Krelborn, played by junior Blake Johnson, pines after his co-worker Audrey (junior Natalie Copeland) while trying to manage a plant who has a thirst for meat, preferably uncooked.
Dentist Orin Scrivello (Dominic Catanzaro) dances with doo-wop girls Christina Finley, left, and Amy Granthan during a rehearsal for Mount Si High School’s production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Seymour is a geek — complete with argyle sweater and thick-framed glasses — that is unsure of himself almost at every turn. Seymour has reason to be cautious; most of the other characters take advantage of him. His boss Mr. Mushnik (senior Andrew Farnsworth) wants to adopt him to reap the profits of the singing and carnivorous plant. Audrey’s boyfriend, the thug and dentist Orin Scrivello (Dominic Catanzaro), constantly belittles Seymour and Audrey.
Both Seymour and Audrey live on skid row and want to make the big move to suburbia, but Audrey’s bully of a boyfriend keeps the two apart, until Audrey II can’t keep its jaws together.
“It’s dark humor,” Johnson said. “Everyone is used to musicals that end happily, but this is more dark.”
The students, many of them in Drama Director Kim Snavely’s choir, have rehearsed the show four days a week since the beginning of the school year. Together, they have learned to sing with a live band, dance like doo-wop stars, build a set and manage their time between drama and schoolwork.
“A lot of them get together on their own,” Kim Snavely said.
At the Friday rehearsal, Kim Snavely spoke to the students about placement and projection and gave them tips on how to strengthen different scenes.
The students, including Farnsworth, listened attentively. This is Farnsworth’s first show and he said he was doing his best to put himself in his character’s shoes.
“His attitude kind of matches mine; I can be very persuasive when I want,” Farnsworth said. “(Seymour) is going to give me a lot of money if I convince him to be my son.”
Kim Snavely said she knew Farnsworth would make a great Mushnik during auditions.
“He just fit the role perfectly,” Snavely said.
If any students are absent during rehearsals, then Snavely’s 4-year-old daughter Morgan acts as a substitute.
“She’s my fill-in,” Kim Snavely said. “She’s got the show memorized.”
Other actors have more acting experience. Sophomore Ian Christensen, who plays Mr. Bernstein, a businessman who advises Seymour about the business of managing man-eating plants, said he’s been acting since middle school.
“I really like the second act,” Christensen said. “The ending is different from other musicals.”
Copeland agreed.
“I love how it’s not a standard musical,” Copeland said. “It’s off the beaten path. Not everyone knows the songs.”
Copeland said she was thrilled to play the lead love-interest.
“This is what I want to do with my life,” she said.
On top of acting, the students have to keep in time with a live band. Sophomore Mac Mason, who is playing the electric guitar, said Music Director Dean Snavely recruited him to play during a Mount Si football game.
Mason said the music was “pretty easy,” and that he figured the musical would be a good opportunity to let people see him perform.
Students will perform “Little Shop of Horrors,” in the high school auditorium at 7 p.m. Nov. 20-22, with a second Nov. 22 show at 2 p.m. Student tickets are $7 and adult tickets cost $10.
“We’d love to fill the house,” Kim Snavely said. “That’s the only way these shows are funded.”
Reach reporter Laura Geggel at 392-6434 .221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
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