LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, musical by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, Zilker Productions, July 12 - August 17, 2013

[performing at the Sheffield outdoor amphitheatre, Zilker Park - click for map]

presents

Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman * Music by Alan Menken
Based on the film by Roger Corman, Screenplay by Charles Griffith

July 12 - August 17

Thursdays - Sundays
Approx. 8:30 p.m.

Beverly S. Sheffield Hillside Theatre in Zilker Park

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

Meet the Cast:

Seymore - Andrew Cannata

Audrey - Taylor Bryant

Mr. Mushnick - Leslie Hethcox

Orin - Tyler Jones

Trio - Coty Ross, Kelly Petlin, Celeste Castillo

Voice of Audrey II - Roderick Sanford

Dancer/Ensemble - Tyler Cullen

Dancer/Ensemble - Rebecca Seferian

Meet the Production Team:

Director - M. Scott Tatum

Assistant Director/Choreographer - Courtney Wissinger

Music Director - John Vander Gheynst

Vocal Director - Molly Wissinger

Artistic Director - Melinda Parr

Set Designer/Technical Director - Aaron Stahlecker

Lighting Designer - Jason Amato

Assistant Lighting Designer/Master Electrician - Patrick W. Anthony

Costume Designer - Carl Booker

Prop Designer - Shannon Richey

Sound Designer - Sam Kokajko

Assistant Technical Director - Ben Shave

Production Stage Manager - Lisa Goering

Deck Manager - Craig Barron

Assistant Deck Manager - Taylor

Assistant Stage Manager - Rae Wyman

Executive Producer - Melinda Parr

Producer - Peter Beilharz

Producer - Austin Sheffield

Producer - Eric Brown

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Reviews from Elsewhere: Cabaret, MacTheatre, McCallum Fine Arts Academy, February 23 - March 4, reviewed by David Glen Robinson

Review published by David Glen Robinson at the Tutto Theatre blog, March 8:

Macademy produced Kander and Ebb’s renowned Cabaret in their new arts center and made of it a giant party, a song festival, a design exhibition and homage to the powerful artists who staged this show in the past.

Perhaps the essential stroke of genius in this play is Kander and Ebb’s setting of it in Berlin, 1931/1932, drawn from Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories. The potential themes on which a production could touch in “Cabaret” range from libertinism, to sexual and religious liberation/oppression to the rise of fascism. Touching on too many of them, depending on one’s resources, can give a production of Cabaret the feeling of a play at war with itself (What are you, Cabaret? Are you a historical romance, an anthology piece on club life, a musical revue, a screed on Nazis or all of these?)

The Royale Court Players [of McCallum Fine Arts Academy] in their youthful enthusiasm succumbed to the play’s temptations and tried a little too much, giving us a two hour and forty minute show with one 15-minute intermission. The attempt, however, was laudable, verging on glorious. At the end, the audience was happy and cheering as it rushed out to the restrooms.

The show was well designed from top to bottom, and primary credit for its success starts with directors Courtney Wissinger and M. Scott Tatum. All of the design elements seemed well coordinated. [. . .]

The action of the play roared across this set. The story of the Kit-Kat Club on New Year’s Eve 1931 and into 1932 is familiar to theatre- and movie-goers alike. The story dances through its many themes, all in lace and feathers, and easily escapes becoming merely the story of the romance between club singer Sally Bowles, played by Annamarie Kasper, and American writer Clifford Bradshaw, played by Connor Barr.

The dynamo of the show is actually the Master of Ceremonies, played by John James Busa in the role immortalized by Joel Grey. Director Wissinger and Mr. Busa addressed the high standard and dominating image of Grey’s characterization wisely by seeking another dynamic. Their efforts were successful. Busa’s Master of Ceremonies combined the punk and goth esthetics, with a flavor of the vampiric. Busa’s Master of Ceremonies was snide, dominating, darkly threatening, seductive and sarcastic. In the end, too, he was tragic and suffering. He borrowed nothing from and owed nothing to Joel Grey. Delightful work, Mr. Busa.

[image: MacTheatre, McCallum Fine Arts Academy]

Read more at the Tutto Theatre blog . . . .

Upcoming: McCallum Musical Theatre to perform at the Capitol, March 7

From the FANLetter for the McCallum Fine Arts Academy, January 13:

Musical Theatre

We are very pleased to announce that McCallum Musical Theatre has been selected to perform at the state capitol on March 7, 2011 at Arts Education Days at the Capitol. McCallum Musical Theatre was selected from all of the outstanding groups that auditioned to represent all of the fine arts programs in Texas. Director Molly Wissinger is programming contemporary and classic musical theatre selections to be performed in the capitol rotunda and also on the south steps of the capitol. McCallum Musical Theatre has the distinction of being the only musical theatre group in the state that was selected to sing. A student-led McCallum Orchestra string quartet will accompany the group.