C.A.S.T. Presents Little Shop of Horrors

It conquered Hollywood. It conquered Broadway. Now, the talking, singing, blood-sucking plant Audrey II is coming to Anniston as part of the wildly popular musical , presented by CAST Theatre, May 11–13 and 17–20.

A preview performance will be held May 10. The curtain rises at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 10 – 12 and 17-19 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 13 and 20 at the JSU/McClellan Theatre at 100 Gamecock Drive at McClellan.

Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $8.00 for students with discounts available for groups of 12 or more. Admission to all Thursday night performances at CAST is "Pay-What-You-Can." Tickets are now on sale at Noble Bank of Anniston and Oxford, F&M Bank of Anniston, Golden Springs Pharmacy and Crow Drugs of Jacksonville. Due to the popularity of the musical, reservations are strongly recommended.

Little Shop of Horrors is the story of Seymour Krelbourn, a meek Skid Row florist who makes a Faustian pact with a tiny plant in order to win the heart of Audrey, the girl he loves. While Audrey doesn’t notice the romance blooming between them, she does recognize the moneymaking potential of the exotic little plant.

Soon money pours in and Seymour becomes a celebrity, but behind the glamour and fame lies a secret Seymour can’t reveal – this strange and unusual plant’s favorite food is…human blood. As the plant grows, its demands for food grow too, and Seymour starts to suspect that the plant might have an agenda larger than light and soil.

Starring in Little Shop of Horrors are Jeremy Reaves as Seymour Krelborn and Sumer Buckner as Audrey. Jason Skinner will provide the voice of Audrey II. Fred Lawton will appear as Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. and Joseph Giri will play Mr. Mushnik.

Rounding out the cast as the street urchins are Sara Adams (Ronnette), Denise Davis (Crystal) and Laney Gibbs (Chiffon) along with puppeteer Michelle Lawton. Several familiar CAST faces will play towns people and shop customers.

Little Shop of Horrors is directed by CAST Artistic Director Kimberley Dobbs and features scenic design by Jim Robinson of Atlanta. Atlanta musicians Michel Fauss and JR Hawkins – known locally as the musicians behind CAST’s smash hit Boomers – lead the musical accompaniment. Tonya Cser serves as production manager.

Little Shop of Horrors features book and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) and includes such well-known musical numbers as “Somewhere That's Green,” “Suddenly Seymour” and the title song.

Little Shop of Horrors is based on the 1960 Roger Corman film of the same name. The musical had its world premiere at the WPA Theatre on May 6, 1982. It subsequently transferred to Off-Broadway's Orpheum Theatre on July 27, 1982, where it ran for an unprecedented 2,209 performances. In 1986, the popular movie version staring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin hit the big screen, which eventually lead to the opening on Broadway in August 2003.

CAST’s production of Little Shop of Horrors will be performed at the JSU/McClellan Theatre, which is housed in the same building complex shared by Jacksonville State University and Gadsden State University on the former Fort McClellan property. To get to the theatre, enter McClellan at the new Summerall Gate entrance (across from Anniston Middle School); follow Summerall Gate Road past the Anniston Parks and Recreation soccer fields, and turn right on Rucker Street, which is the first road on the right past the soccer fields. The theatre will be on the left at 100 Gamecock Drive.

For reservations, or more information, please call (256) 820-CAST.

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