LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Comes To Big Bear This Month

Come prepared for intrigue and rock-and-roll as The Big Bear Theatre Project gears up to present Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's Little Shop of Horrors with a star studded cast and stellar rock band.

Little Shop of Horrors is directed by Beth Wheat and will run for eight performances from August 22nd through September 1st at the Performing Arts Center in Big Bear, CA.

About the Show

Little Shop of Horrors is a horror comedy rock musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics and a book by Howard Ashman. The story follows a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is loosely based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors. The music, composed by Menken in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Somewhere That's Green", and "Suddenly, Seymour”. Little Shop is a wonderful tale of romance that cautions the price to pay “when you get what you want instead of what you earn”. 

Devon Michaels of Gilmore Girls and more, embodies the tragic anti-hero Seymour opposite award winning Rena Strober of Broadway (Les Miserables (Cosette) and Fiddler on the Roof (Tzeitel), is our delightful and soulfully tragic heroine, Audrey. The cast is rounded out by seasoned comedic veterans Kevin Symons (Parks and Recreation) along with theater veterans Trent Mills and Scott Golden. Little Shop also features a trio of future stars as the “Urchins” - Chiffon, Ronette and Crystal - Erin Walker, Jadyn Lynah and Mystica Mathis. Little Shop of Horrors is produced by Mike Rotman, directed by Beth Wheat with Musical Direction by Mike Walker.

Director Beth Wheat is a Co-Founder, Board President and Managing Director of The Big Bear Theatre Project and has written, produced, acted and directed for the stage, television and film. She has a passion for and experience in creating expansive visions and helping organizations achieve them. Beth believes that making and experiencing art is essential for the health and well being of people and communities. She has performed in and/or directed many productions for The Big Bear Theatre Project and other production companies and non profit organizations. 

Mike Walker (Musical Director/Conductor/Voice of Audrey 2) has enjoyed a long career in the entertainment field. He has worked as a singer, pianist, actor and vocal coach in the United States and in Europe since 1984. Mike's credits as Musical Director include: The Addams Family, Crazy For You, Mamma Mia, West Side Story, SpongeBob Squarepants, Matilda, School Of Rock, Hairspray, In The Heights, Seussical, and more than 100 others.  Directorial credits include Once On This Island, Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado, Hairspray, Willy Wonka, Oliver!, Les Misérables, Children Of Eden, Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida, and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. Upcoming projects include The Producers, The Music Man, and Hadestown.

Producer Mike Rotman is an Emmy nominated television comedy writer, producer, director, and pioneer in new media content and live streaming. Rotman has written, produced, and directed hundreds of hours of television throughout his career including Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher (Primetime Emmy nominee), The Simple Life (Fox), South Park (Comedy Central), and Nanny 911 (Fox). As a TV veteran and new media pioneer, Mike is a popular guest speaker, panelist, and consultant. He has been champion of the Big Bear Lake community since 2014 and eventually formed the company Rustic Retreats of Big Bear. Mike works as Special Projects Director for Big Bear Theatre Project and is a member of the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce.

Rena Strober (Audrey) is a Broadway/TV actress whose voice is also heard on hundreds of animated cartoons & video games. Some favorite Broadway credits include Les Miserables (Cosette), Fiddler on the Roof (Tzeitel)  and Beauty & The Beast (Belle). TV fans know Rena from her recurring roles on Disney' Liv & Maddie and Nicky Ricky Dicky & Dawn, VEEP and Shameless. Rena's award winning Sesame Street album IMAGINE THAT features Jason Alexander, French Stewart and a choir of young blind children that Rena taught while working at the Academy of Music for the Blind. Rena works & lives in Los Angeles while also studying to be a Cantor with the AJRCA and raising an incredible little girl named Izzy. www.renastrober.bandcamp.com  www.renastrober.com

Devon Michaels (Seymour) made his Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated musical Rags and appeared Off-Broadway in venues such as the Lamb's Theatre, the Goodspeed Opera House and The Public (including two NY Shakespeare Festival productions at the Delacorte). A Yale graduate, Devon has directed over 30 plays and short film projects on both coasts, including the critically acclaimed From Bonkers to Botox for HBO's Comedy Festival, multiple one-acts for A Light in Dark Places, a non-profit that uses the arts to raise awareness for suicide prevention, and Right Before I Go, bringing attention to this same cause in five cities. Since relocating to Los Angeles for screen acting, Devon has made guest appearances on numerous TV series such as House, Grace & Frankie, The West Wing and Without a Trace. He's probably best known for his recurring role as Bill on the hit CW show Gilmore Girls. More recently, he played an 1880s doctor in Long Shadows – a dramatic western with Dermot Mulroney premiering soon, and an amoral producer in The Hermit – a horror film starring Malina Pauli Weissman and Lou Ferrigno coming this fall.

Trent Mills' (Orin) credits include King Triton in the Little Mermaid (McCoy Rigby/KC Starlight) The Monster in Young Frankenstein (La Mirada), Master Class (Arizona Theatre Company), A Christmas Story, The Musical (Center Theatre Group), Shrek in Shrek the Musical (5-Star Theatricals), and Ash in Evil Dead the Musical (National Tour). TV/Film credits include Little America (Apple TV), Tower of God (HBOMax), and Laundronauts starring Ed Asner (iHeartRadio). Trent's band MillStock Wagner will release their 2nd EP this October! Follow along @Gianttrent

Kevin Symons (Mushnik) is an Ovation Award winning stage actor having appeared in numerous productions in Los Angeles, Off-Broadway and regional theaters including recent productions of The Little Mermaid at La Mirada Theatre and The Sound of Music at Musical Theatre West. On television, he is perhaps best known for playing Councilman Bill Dexhart on the hit NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation for four seasons.  Other television credits include series regular, recurring, and guest starring roles on Henry Danger, Best Friends Whenever, This is Us, Teen Wolf, iCarly, Black-ish, Transparent, Castle, Mad Men, Jessie, Wilfred, Darcy's Wild Life, Weeds, Desperate Housewives, United States of Tara, My Name is Earl and Veronica Mars. On film, he most recently appeared in Damien Chazelle's film Babylon opposite Brad Pitt. Other film credits include Vice, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Miss India America and Terminator II.

Mystica Mathis (Crystal) began performing at the ripe age of 14 and went on to participate in several theatre competitions. During her competitions she received the titles of “Best Actress” and “Best Supporting Actress”. She decided to continue pursuing her theatre career after high school and started training at a Hollywood Theatre college. It all paid off when she graduated from AMDA in June 2024 with her Bachelor's Degree in Performing Arts. 

Since Erin Walker's (Chiffon) stage debut at the age of 8, she has worked with numerous theatre companies. Erin as appeared in The Addams Family (Wednesday), Seussical (Sour Kangaroo), Hairspray (Little Inez), Once On This Island (Erzulie), and ensemble roles in Little Women, Les Miserablés, Oliver!, White Christmas, and The Mikado among others. Erin is on staff at Century Community Charter School in Inglewood, where she is an Instructional Aide in the vocal music program.

Jadyn Lynah (Ronette) is a performer from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. Recent theater credits include: Tracy Turnblad (Hairspray), Silly Girl (Beauty and The Beast), Molly (13 The Musical), The Chaperone (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Rafiki in The Lion King. She was a contestant on American Idol season 21 and made it all the way to Hollywood Week. She recently graduated from America School of Dramatic Arts with her BFA. 

Scott Golden's (Customer/Swing) Los Angeles area stage credits include Dinner with Friends and Life x 3 (Coachella Valley Rep), Absolutely Filthy (Sacred Fools), The Behavior of Broadus (Burglars of Hamm), Rio Hondo (Theatre of NOTE) and as Matt in Mr. Burns; a post-electric play in which he was nominated for an Ovation Award. Scott produced the critically acclaimed Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk and Too Heavy for Your Pocket for Sacred Fools Theater Company in Los Angeles where he is a former co-Artistic Director. Scott studied theatre at Florida State University, has voiced many iconic characters (The Kool-Aid Man, Friendly's Fribble) and can be seen or heard in many TV shows, video games, movies and commercials.

More Information

Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center, 39707 Big Bear Boulevard, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315, nestled in a beautiful valley surrounded by national forest and adorned by a jewel of a lake at 6,752 feet.

Little Shop of Horrors will run two weekends 8/22, 8/23, 8/24 (matinee) and 8/29, 8/30, 8/31 and 9/1 (matinee).  Evening shows start at 7:30 PM, matinees - 2:00 PM.

Tickets range from $20 - $30 dollars. Lodging, great food, live music, outdoor recreation and cooler, fresh air await you in Big Bear. Grab your tickets at https://bbtp.booktix.com

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