BELFAST — What do you get if you cross science fiction, rhythm & blues, puppetry, and horticulture? An ideal storm of hilarity on the Basil Burwell Group Theater stage —residence of the Belfast Maskers and their newest Summer time providing, “Little Store of Horrors”. Tailored from Roger Corman’s low-budget, black and white, darkish horror comedy from 1960, the cult basic musical started its journey off-off-Broadway in 1982, moved as much as off-Broadway, and have become one of the profitable off-Broadway reveals in historical past. From there the musical grew to become successful big-screen movie, a regional and college theater powerhouse, later returned to NYC levels, each on Broadway and in a current off-Broadway revival.
A lot of the present’s success could be attributed to its writing staff. It was one of many first reveals on which Howard Ashman (e book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (rating) collaborated; they went on from there to search out large success on stage and display collectively, discovering important and well-liked acclaim with beloved Disney musicals like “Aladdin”, “The Little Mermaid”, and “Magnificence and the Beast”.
Menken’s 60s-style doo-wop songs drive Ashman’s story alongside and are in succesful arms with Belfast Maskers. Backed by a trio of road urchins (Abby Boucher, Olivia West, and Elaine Landry), who sing the title music, earworms abound. The entire ensemble units the stage early, singing of their aspirations to get out of “Skid Row”. Flower store worker Audrey (Mirabelle Kutsy-Durbin) sings sweetly of getting “..a matchbook of our personal..”—however maybe not together with her psychopath boyfriend Orin (Corey Burns), who in flip croons his origin story in “Dentist”. Lovelorn, mistreated Seymour Krelborn (Andrew Lipman) is the unlikely, and unheroic, hero of the story. Working alongside Audrey on the decrepit flower store run by cranky Mr. Mushnik (James Cook dinner), he discovers an odd plant after a complete eclipse of the Solar (“Da-doo”). It’d deliver all of them the success they should flip their fortunes round — however at what value? Will Audrey and Seymour discover love, will the Skid Row denizens discover a means out, or will this all finish in catastrophe?
Helmed by a director Kim Murphy and Music Director Joani Mitchell, Belfast Maskers’ manufacturing can have the entire frights and the entire enjoyable — with some surprises deliberate for audiences within the (air-conditioned!) intimate theater. Theatergoers hoping for a extra interactive expertise can enter to win an opportunity to stand up shut and private with the present’s fundamental plant-agonist, Audrey II. Mother and father are cautioned to make use of their discretion when bringing youngsters to “Little Store of Horrors”; the “PG-13” materials has some grownup themes and violence.
“Little Store of Horrors” is produced by particular permission of Music Theater Worldwide. The manufacturing opens on Thursday, July 28 with a particular “Preview Night time” efficiency for under $10. For the remainder of the run (Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 till Aug. 7), tickets are $22, however patrons can make the most of a $4 low cost for college students or seniors, and an extra 15 % low cost on six or extra tickets when bought on-line at http://www.BelfastMaskers.com/occasions.
