Little Shop of Horrors
at Alexandria City High School

Reviewed on April 23, 2022

Sarina Saran
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

What happens when a plant shows its true colors…and it is not green? Alexandria City High School's rendition of Little Shop of Horrors provides the answer to this question as they introduce the audience to the perilous side of nature.

The musical was first produced in 1982 with book and lyrics written by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken. In a rare combination, Little Shop of Horrors is told as a horror comedy with segments of rock songs throughout and offers commentary on the deceptive disposition of the natural world. Seymour Krelborn is an anxious young florist from Skid Row who works with Audrey, a dreamer who longs for a better life, at Mr. Mushnik's struggling flower shop. As Seymour raises a plant named Audrey II that attracts crowds to the shop, he starts to notice an odd attribute of the flytrap. Audrey II feeds on human blood.

In an impressive show of creativity, Alexandria City portrayed Audrey II in several ways as the plant continued to grow throughout the show. Both the actor voicing Audrey II (Isa Valenzuela) and the technician operating each puppet (Cameron Beaujon) worked together cohesively to give the character a defined, menacing personality, moving Audrey II's mouth in sync with each line and lyric and even adjusting the plants posture to showcase different emotions. Even without a physical human presence, the plant struck fear in many.

With inspiring tenderness and care, Stuart Conrad took on the role of Seymour, using stiff postures and flustered hand gestures to indicate the character's nervous tendencies. Conrad also leaned into the sweeter moments between Seymour and each other character with strong vocals and innocent enthusiasm. One such relationship was with Audrey, played by Erin Burns, as she grew closer to Seymour and eventually fell in love with him. Burns' vocal skill was unmatched throughout the show as she had the audience in pin-drop silence during "Somewhere That's Green" with comedic timing that perfectly served to ease the tension created by the storyline. Between Conrad and Burns, "Suddenly, Seymour" was a beautiful display of the actors' talent, with power in each lyric and passion emanating from them both.

Designed by Ella Bruinooge, the set featured a pair of staircases and sliding doors that easily explained each of the different locations in the story, including a dentist's office and other areas around Skid Row. The shop itself was artfully crafted as a rotating platform, with painted designs to match the rundown aesthetic of the town on the exterior and to create a homely and more comforting feel for the interior. Each of these features was further accentuated by the traveling spotlights of various colors as characters migrated across the stage. Operated by Maya Huddle and Yahney-Marie Sangare, these lights were skillfully utilized to highlight actors moving up the staircases, around the shop, or the ever-hungry jaws of Audrey II.

Through their bold imagination and ambitious planning, Alexandria City High School left the audience shocked and awed by this new perspective on nature. For many theatergoers, Little Shop of Horrors took root and invaded the mind, just as any flesh-eating plant ought to do.

Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

In a split second, Alexandria City High School's auditorium became enveloped in leafy vegetation. Ivy extravagantly descended from above as baby cannibalistic plants danced around menacingly and the voices of those recently deceased warned, "Don't Feed the Plants." This wasn't a fever dream, but Alexandria City's stand-out production of Little Shop of Horrors, a cautionary sci-fi tale.

Down in Skid Row, Mr. Mushnik's botanical shop quickly rises to newfound fame as one of his employees, Seymour, uncovers a new species of plant: aptly named Audrey II after Audrey, the co-worker he's crushing on. However, Seymour discovers that this interesting, new plant has a dark secret- its primary diet consists of humans. Trying to reconcile morality with his own personal desires for love and fame, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's musical follows Seymour's corruption as he eventually learns he shouldn't have fed the plant.

Bringing to life the botanical maniac, Stuart Conrad's Seymour was grounded in reality, enhancing the show's darker side and adding an extra fear factor. Following the shift into the more horrific second act, Conrad was much more conscious of his movements, having a tense and closed off posture to reflect the secrets he was keeping. Whenever Conrad was alone, his movements became increasingly jumpy and frantic as he no longer had to hide his crimes. For instance, when attempting to kill his first victim, the Dentist, Conrad appeared to be bouncing around the walls of the small office as he constantly got in and out of the chair and paced. Every ounce of his body was trembling, and his hands were constantly in motion as he tried to quell his inner moral dilemma.

With a refreshing take on a typically timid role, Erin Burns' Audrey was a vocal powerhouse with a voice as bold as her confidence. Burns kept her voice stable, despite the physically demanding nature of the role. In "Suppertime," Burns' beautiful rendition of the song was delivered as she was laying on the ground, dying in Seymour's arms, yet her delicate voice clearly rang throughout the entire theater, while in "Somewhere That's Green" Burns belted her heart out as she gracefully climbed up a staircase in heels. Burns' longing and vulnerability truly shone through in the way she glided across the stage with slow, dream-like movements of her arms and head. Another one of Burns' many vocal achievements was masterfully maintaining her New York 60s inspired accent throughout the entire performance.

Adding detail and diligence to her work, the set design by Ella Bruinooge played with depth and height to create a real-feeling Skid Row. With a wide range of painted storefronts in the background and towering staircases in the foreground, the shop itself was nicely framed in the center of the stage and was set-dressed to the nines. The store became consumed by flowers as Audrey II brought more success to the business and its ability to be rotated allowed for creative blocking choices based on what was visible through the windows. To create a horrifically astonishing grand reveal, the stage management team and the Little Shop of Horrors Stage Crew collaborated to time various plant-themed reveals. The ivy garlands descended from the ceiling in the blink of an eye and the city-themed banners popped up along the sides of the audience with minimal delay from the lyrics.

Despite the title of the show, putting on such a fright-filling performance was no little feat, and Alexandria City High School's chilling production surpassed it, brimming with detail and tenacity.

McKenzie Phelan
Quince Orchard High School
Submitted for publication to Patch (Fairfax/Alexandria)

Boy meets girl. Boy acquires plant. Plant… eats girl?

That's the story of Alexandria City High School's Little Shop of Horrors. With laughs, thrills, and more than a few chills, this rock 'n' roll musical is as frightening as it is fun.

Little Shop of Horrors, a black comedy musical with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and score by Alan Menken, opened off-Broadway in 1982. Several productions have been mounted since, including a 1986 film starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Green, and a 2003 Broadway revival. The 60s set show follows Seymour Krelborn, a down-on-his-luck botanist whose discovery of a strange and interesting flytrap he names "Audrey II" saves Skid Row Florists from ruin. However, when Audrey II begins to display a craving for human blood, Seymour must decide what - and who - he's willing to sacrifice to keep the plant appeased.

Grounding this larger-than-life production were Stuart Conrad as Seymour and Erin Burns as Audrey, Seymour's crush, and the plant's namesake. Conrad brought equal parts nerdiness and charm to his role, instilling the whimsical character with a sense of depth and gravity during darker moments. His vocal performance, especially in solos like "Grow for Me" was peppered with impressive riffs and runs well-suited to the show's rock-inspired score, giving Seymour an added layer of tenacity. Opposite Conrad, Burns' Audrey was anything but fragile, moving past melodrama to give a confident and unflinchingly honest performance. A consistent dialect, clear vocal tone, and outstanding comedic timing all served to elevate the complex character Burns created. Together, Conrad and Burns developed an easy and endearing chemistry - the couple's use of proximity and harmony in the duet "Suddenly, Seymour" created a heartwarming number that demonstrated both performers' singing and acting chops.

Standout performances also included Naeem Scott as Orin Scrivello, a gleefully sadistic dentist and Audrey's abusive boyfriend. With villainous charisma and self-assured stage presence, Scott's performance was both engaging and terrifying. DeAngelo Palucho played the role of Mr. Mushnik with panache, using humor and flair to bring the character's less-than-warm father figure to life. Palucho and Conrad played well off each other, delivering plenty of laughs during the hilariously upbeat number "Mushnik and Son".

The show's sets were remarkably intricate, placing audiences right in the crumbling heart of urban Skid Row. The centerpiece was the "little shop" itself, which was set on a rotating platform to reveal both its inside and outside as the show required. Sliding barn doors opened to reveal smaller sets, such as a radio station or the dentist's office, within the neighborhood's brick buildings. And not to be missed were the evolving Audrey II puppets, which ranged from a simple hand puppet to a man-eating monstrosity requiring up to three students to operate. The largest Audrey II had a hole beneath it, with a trapdoor for victims to climb through after being "consumed". All these technical elements were supported by a professional-quality stage crew, who pulled off rapid set changes and handled unexpected hiccups while remaining completely invisible to the audience.

While the characters of Little Shop of Horrors want nothing more than to get out of Skid Row, audiences at Alexandria City High School may find that they never want to leave. With a strong cast and top-notch tech, Little Shop of Horrors could just be bigger than hula-hoops.

Zander Kuebler
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Alexandria Times

Do you have a garden? Maybe some house plants? As far as you can tell they aren't seeking world domination, right? Well, after Alexandria City's unnerving production of "Little Shop of Horrors," it can't hurt to give them a second glance…

"Little Shop of Horrors," a black comedy musical by Alan Menken, began as a little-known 1960 horror film directed by Roger Corman. Menken's 60s style musical rendition of the unsettling tale debuted off-Broadway in 1982 and on Broadway in 2003, while a feature film of the musical version debuted in 1986. The story follows a quirky botanist in his disturbing quest for recognition, money, and love, all via a unique plant he's discovered…that happens to eat only human flesh.

The story is piloted by the discoverer of this peculiar plant, Seymour Krelborn, a sweet but lonely orphan who is undervalued by his caretaker and employer, Mr. Mushnik. Alexandria City's Stuart Conrad navigated Seymour's transition from a shy nobody to a determined fame-seeker by modulating his jitters, adjusting his posture, and even developing a glare as the show progressed. This clearly illustrated character arc joined nicely with Erin Burns' confident portrayal of Audrey to form a will-they, won't-they relationship that was both comedic and heartfelt. In their first and only romantic duet together, "Suddenly Seymour," Conrad and Burns delivered chills with their darling facial expressions and goosebump-inducing, harmonic climax.

However, even with outstanding commitment to character from both leading actors, the concept of the show might've still felt overly unrealistic if not for the design and on-stage execution of the dastardly plant itself (KD Bectel, Tanween Syed, Lyra Jaffe, Kate Schneider, and more). The plant grew in four different stages, beginning with a small potted plant that appeared to move on its own, and ending with a larger-than-life, functioning plant head that successfully "ate" multiple characters while onstage. To top it all off, the plant developed a voice as it grew larger, and Isa Valenzuela embodied the awkward role by adding an eerie yet powerful vibrato to the already fear-inducing plant, particularly in the songs "Feed Me" and "Suppertime."

Surrounding the monstrous plant were similarly detailed, yet effective, technical elements. Alexandria City's set team (Ella Bruinooge, Saul Cizek, and more) made use of barn-like doors to create walls that opened into a dentist's office and radio studio. The set team also set up efficient transitions by designing the central set piece to rotate, allowing it to act as both the inside and outside of the flower shop. In terms of lighting, during moments of intense emotion, Seymour and Audrey were often placed in a spotlight. It is typical to expect some herky-jerky movement to come from lighting choices like this, but Maya Huddle and Yahney-Marie Sangare were able to illuminate the characters clearly and effectively. Finally, many high school productions are plagued by slow transitions that take the audience out of the show environment. Not only did Alexandria City's stage crew work fast, but they maintained the elite attention to detail that was apparent in the other technical choices. For example, as the flower shop grew more profitable, it had new flowers for sale. A small detail, but one that helped keep the audience engaged despite the implausibility of the overarching storyline.

Ultimately, Alexandria City High School's "Little Shop of Horrors" produced a brilliant mix of laughter and fear, leaving everyone wanting to "Seymour."

Elli Vlattas
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Down on Skid Row, anything is possible! Including a bloodthirsty plant who's about to take over the world! Wait. What? Little Shop of Horrors at Alexandria City High School was filled with nerdy gardeners, daydreaming young girls, and maniacally sadistic dentists, which perfectly demonstrated that horror can hide beneath the unsuspecting surface.

Little Shop of Horrors was originally a 1960s horror film, before being adapted into a musical in 1982, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics and book by Howard Ashman. It originally debuted on Off-Off Broadway in 1982, before moving to Off-Broadway. It continues to be produced around the world, including a new 1986 film version.

The production follows Seymour Krelborn, a worker at the nearly bankrupt Mushnik's Flower Shop. After a solar eclipse, Seymour starts to take care of a strange-looking plant, named Audrey II after his human crush: the luckiness-in-love Audrey. But he soon realizes that Audrey II will only eat one thing: blood. In hopes of winning the girl of his dreams, Seymour decides to nurture the plant, but will he be able to keep Audrey II satisfied?

Stuart Conrad starred as the nerdy and charismatic Seymour Krelborn, who just wants to impress Audrey and his dad, Mr. Mushnik (DeAngelo Palucho). Conrad's beautiful vocal ability and control were showcased throughout his different songs, including "Grow for Me" and "Now (It's Just the Gas)". His ability to change his movements from over-the-top and exuberant (in the beginning) to small and timid (in the end) supported the progression of his character which helped influence the production. Erin Burns played the sweet and confident Audrey. Burns' lovely light soprano voice provided a powerful performance throughout her songs "Somewhere That's Green" and "Call Back in the Morning". Her portrayal of serious topics such as domestic violence added to the significant moments throughout the show and contrasted her more comedic turns such as her sudden breaking of the fourth wall. The tremendous connection between Burns and Conrad displayed Audrey and Seymour's leap from loveable friendship to a romantic relationship, especially during their passionate duet, "Suddenly, Seymour"

Isa Valenzuela starred as the maliciously venomous Audrey II, who wants to take over the world, one drop of blood at a time. Valenzuela's stunning vocals added a mysterious and bluesy aspect to their songs such as, "Feed Me (Git It)" and "Suppertime". Even though they were not on stage, Valenzuela's strong vocal quality supported their stage presence – as a large carnivorous plant. Supporting Seymour throughout his endeavors was DeAngelo Palucho as Mr. Mushnik. His acting range was easily demonstrated through his protective nature (while with Audrey) to fatherly and humorous (while with Seymour). The Doo-Wop girls filled the stage with extraordinary harmonies that transported the audience into the run-down streets of Skid Row.

The technical elements excelled alongside the glorious acting. The set (designed by Ella Bruinooge) featured sliding doors and rotating structures that allowed the audience to experience several locations. The utilization of windows allowed for an inside look into the bizarre occurrences in the unsuspecting flower shop. The sound effects (designed by Ilona Boehm-O'Connor, Matias Chase, and MJ Migliore) added small details that complemented the scenes including clocks ticking, phones ringing, and typewriters clacking.

Alexandria City High School's production of Little Shop of Horrors proved the perfect motto: Don't feed the plants!