They should cut a record.
Energy was high last night at Hoof `n' Horn's opening of their winter musical, "Little Shop of Horrors.''
"It shows a lot of what people will do for money, for fame, for love. We also learn that if a character will ride on their own merits, then they'll benefit more, because, as they say, `the meek shall inherit the earth,' but really the meek are gonna get what's coming to them!" said Trinity freshman Mickey Conlon, the show's director.
A fairy godmotherish plant promises to bring Seymour (Trinity junior Dana Kling) his dreams, then devours his reality.
Kling's Seymour is an innocent, trembling, believably boyish character who drew moans of sympathy from audience members whose hearts went out to him in his struggles with love and fortune.
"It's very entertaining, it's different because it combines a lot of styles; it's not your ordinary run-of-the-mill no-plot thing," said Trinity junior Ginny Pike, musical director of the show. "It's sort of like a family show. Usually when you say that people of all ages will enjoy it, your three-year-old will like it the most. But that's not the case here--It has that Disneyesque feel."
The show is Happy Days brought forward--complete with the Fonz, played by Trinity junior Bill Robertson, who is incredible from the moment he steps on the stage.
1950s innocence is combined with a '90s attitude, as projected through the "Shoop Shoop" girls (Trinity senior Leah Dietz, Trinity sophomore Jordin Greene, and Trinity junior Shelli Sweeney). They flow through the show aware of what is going on, acting like consciences for the characters, forcing a boy out of his shell and a woman out of an abusive relationship with a "semi-sadist."
Sweeney was amazing in her debut performance with Hoof `n' Horn. Her voice soared and filled the theater.
Trinity freshman Matthew Farver's choreography was strong and unified, pulsing with the undertones of Evan Zullow's base and Marion Wright's drums. Passion and rhythmic sensations added an extra dimension to the purity of the '50s characters.
"It's clever--I think it'd be a lot of fun to put on," said Tony Brown, professor of practice of public policy studies. "It looks like everybody's having a good time. At least I am."
This cast was superlative, from Trinity senior Jamie Smith's breathy Betty Boop voice to the never-ending puppetry skills of Nate Harshman. The actors brought audience members from chills, to sympathy, to shock, and finally to amused smiles that lingered on their faces. They received two curtain calls and a much-deserved standing ovation.
Said Trinity sophomore Carrie Arnett, "It rocked my world."
"Little Shop of Horrors" continues in Sheafer Lab Theater tonight through Jan. 22 and Jan. 25-29, 8 p.m. (Sundays 2 p.m.).
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