Lights Up! Theater Company will present the sci-fi horror comedy, love story and rock musical “Little Shop of Horrors!” Dec. 5-8 at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara.
“Little Shop of Horrors” tells the story of Seymour Krelborn, a timid floral assistant, who lives downtown on Skid Row.
Constantly scolded by his boss Mr. Mushnik, and longing to be noticed by his beautiful co-worker Audrey, Seymour discovers a mysterious new plant in town. Aptly naming it Audrey II, Seymour takes the plant back to his run-down flower shop.
As Seymour discovers his plant’s out-of-this-world origins and intent toward world domination, he learns the lesson: “Don’t feed the plants!”
The origins of “Little Shop of Horrors” date back to 1894, with H.G. Wells’s short story “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid” about a man-eating carnivorous plant. Versions have been popping up in fiction ever since, notably in Roger Corman’s B-movie film shot in 1960 (in typical low-budget fashion) in just two days.
“Rocking out in rehearsal to the doo-wop and early Motown songs fueled the process of creating a delicate balance between spoof and sincerity with so much joy,” said director Amy Love. “Our blended cast of veterans and newer actors have loved connecting to the heartfelt core of the story, while going for new heights (and depths) in the horror and camp genre.
“A unique aspect of this production is the opportunity to explore the craft of puppetry; we’ve had the privilege of working with some beautiful professional puppets created by a local artist, and I’ll leave it at that – no spoilers,” she said.
“Something else that’s different for us is mounting a musical in the smaller space at Center Stage Theater,” she said. “I love working at this theater, and the intimacy of the space has germinated some creative staging for a show of this size.
“When you take a diabolical plot to take over the world, true love blossoming between a downtrodden orphan and a hard luck case, and throw in a deal with the devil; you’ve got a glorious mash-up of campy sci-fi, horror and romance that’s got something for everyone. We’ve been wanting to do this show for several seasons, and we’re thrilled to finally be able to produce this beloved staple of musical theater.”
Ticket prices: students/seniors $25, general admission $38, and VIP $65 (includes premier seating, swag bag and a free show video link). Buy tickets here.
