September 28, 1998 Volume 21, No. 3

"Plant" Yourself for Theater Opener

Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s story of a young man, the woman he loves, and his giant man-eating plant opens Thursday, October 1, on Ithaca College’s Clark Theatre stage.

The production of Little Shop of Horrors is the first in a 1998–99 theater season lineup that will feature the comic and the tragic, the classic and the contemporary, the dramatic and the musical.

Directed by Norm Johnson Jr., Little Shop of Horrors is set some 40 years ago in a run-down flower shop on skid row. It is the story of Seymour, a young flower shop employee whose collection of strange and exotic plants includes an interesting specimen that turns out to be a cross between a Venus’s-flytrap, Godzilla, and James Brown. Woven into the story is the infatuation Seymour has with Audrey, a blond-haired bombshell who also works in the flower shop. Both Audrey and Seymour dream of getting off of skid row and living in a little house in the country. Little Shop of Horrors is a musical filled with lots of upbeat music and dark comedy that will leave audience members pondering their existence with smiles on their faces.

Starring in the show will be Steve Pacek ’00 as Seymour, Erin Maguire ’99 as Audrey, Colby Foytik ’99 as Mushnick, Leon Land Gersing ’00 as Orin, Braden Miles ’99 as the voice of the plant, and Marc Petrosino ’99 as puppeteer.

The artistic team for Little Shop of Horrors includes Patrick Hansen, musical director; Mary Corsaro, choreographer; Tom Gleeson ’99, scenic designer; Lily Westbrook, costume designer; Carrie Cappizano ’99, lighting designer; and Andy Dolph ’99, sound designer.

Performances run October 1–3, and 6-10. All performances are at 8:00 p.m., and a 2:00 p.m. matinee performance will also be staged on Saturday, October 10.

Tickets for Tuesday through Thursday evening performances and the Saturday matinee are $4.50 for students; $6.00 for Ithaca College staff and faculty, senior citizens, and Friends of Ithaca College; and $7.50 for the general public. Friday and Saturday evening tickets for those groups are $6.00, $7.00, and $9.00, respectively. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.

The box office, located in the Dillingham Center for the Performing Arts, is open Monday through Friday from noon until 5:00 p.m. For ticket reservations and information, call 274-3224.