CYPA continues to impress with Little Shop of Horrors
- Marissa Marsh & Joelle Pacheco
- Dec 3, 2018
- 3 min read
On Nov. 8, 9 and 10 CYPA performed their production of the rock/pop musical, Little Shop of Horrors, and needless to say, we were impressed.
If you were anything like us and didn’t hear about this musical before, or if you just missed the shows, here’s the basic synopsis: Seymour is an aspiring florist, and his dreams come true when he finds a new breed of plant life that is unknown. This plant, which he names the “Audrey 2,” gives him all the fame and fortune he wants, and even the girl of his dreams. One small problem with the plant that causes the main conflict of the plot, it only eats blood. Seymour must choose between his dreams and what’s good for the world.
The cast, crew and pit outdid themselves once again with new additions to this production that have never been seen before.
The first thing we noticed was the quality of the music. For this production in particular, the pit was placed backstage and each instrument had its own individual mic. If we didn’t know students were playing, we would’ve thought it was a recording for sure.
The show opened with an upbeat rendition of “Prologue/Little Shop of Horrors” followed by one of our favorite songs, “Skid Row,” which featured solos by seniors Koby Fink and Olivia Neiderer, who played the lead roles of Seymour and Audrey respectively.
This was Neiderer’s first lead in a CYPA production. She executed her part well, and kept us engaged with her impressive vocals and amazing accent.
Neiderer and Fink compliment each other perfectly in their cute and quirky relationship. It was the kind of love story where the audience was waiting for the relationship to take off the whole show. Audrey was with an abusive dentist by the name of Orin Scrivello - D.D.S.. Seymour on the other hand was a sweet, loving guy that wanted nothing but to make Audrey happy and give her the life she deserved away from Skid Row.
Speaking of Scrivello, this character played by senior David Roberts did not fail to make the audience laugh with his witty lines and humorous songs like “Dentist!” Although he played the villain, Roberts was definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Another new feature to this musical was the use of rented props. All of the “Audrey 2” plant props as well as the drop curtain were rented from the broadway production. The plants and the drop looked great on stage and really made the musical come to life. The fact that they were used in an actual broadway production also makes the show unique, and a little extra fun for audience members.
In addition to the main cast, this musical also cast understudies for the two lead roles. Sophomores Alex Arrow and Holly Hinchcliff were the official understudies for Fink and Neiderer, which was a first for a CYPA production. Having to also learn all of the lines, songs and choreography for Seymour and Audrey in addition to their own parts, these two definitely put in extra work that is very commendable. And if you got a chance to see either of them as a lead during a dress rehearsal or the school preview, you were sure to be just as impressed as we were.
“Don’t Feed the Plants” was a cute, interactive ending to a great show. When the ensemble ran up and down the isles, the audience felt fully immersed in the show. Overall, we want to congratulate the cast, crew, tech, pit, directors, volunteers and everyone else involved in the production.
Can’t wait to see more? “Catch” CYPA’s winter musical, “Catch Me If You Can,” Feb. 15, 16 and 17.