BWW Interviews: Lindy & Greg Pendzick on LITTLE SHOP at CCP

 

Audrey, that flesh-eating plant that has made Little Shop of Horrors both a film and stage hit, sets down roots in Crossville beginning May 19, continuing through August 6, at Cumberland County Playhouse. Directed by John Fionte, with music direction by Ron Murphy and choreography by Leila Nelson, Little Shop stars the wife-and-husband team of Lindy and Greg Pendzick as the blonde and buxom young woman who lends her name to that monstrous plant and her dweeby suitor, Seymour, the budding horticulturalist whose experiments result in some unexpected flower shop carnage.

Back at CCP for another season of delighting audiences, playing several shows in repertory over the summer and finding time to be what one of their co-stars referred to as "a lovely couple," the Pendzicks are clearly Playhouse favorites. My first exposure to the pair was last year when Mrs. Pendzick played Fiona in Brigadoon, while Mr. Pendzick romanced her character's sister in the same show. This season, Greg's already been seen in Camp Rock the Musical and both Lindy and Greg are currently appearing in the hit comedy, Duck Hunter Shoots Angel, which last season won the Broadway World Nashville First Night Award as Outstanding Play in the professional category.

Taking a break from rehearsals for Little Shop of Horrors and performances of Duck Hunter Shoots Angel, Lindy and Greg found time to respond to some questions and to give us some insider info on what to expect in Little Shop and the other shows they'll be juggling as the summer progresses.

Where are the two of you from and where did you go to school?

Lindy Pendzick: I grew up in a small town called Palatka, Florida. It's located in the northeast part of the state about an hour south of Jacksonville. I attended college at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida and received a Bachelor of Music degree in 2003. I then went to The Ohio State University where I earned a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance in 2005

Greg Pendzick: I'm from Milwaukee, originally, where I went to Pius XI Catholic High School. After graduation I was torn between acting and choral music, but after a year and a half as a music major at Carroll College in Wisconsin, I finally picked theater. I auditioned and was accepted into the college of fine arts at Boston University, where I received a BFA in Theater Arts.

Have either of you done Little Shop of Horrors before?

Lindy: No - this is my first experience acting with a man-eating plant.

Greg: I've never done this show before, but I'm thrilled to have the opportunity.  I mean, this is Alan Menken! The man has four Oscars, and who knows how many more nominations, among other awards. For kids of my generation who grew up watching The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc, this is kind of the Holy Grail, in the same way that marching bands love playing John Williams.

What's it like playing opposite your spouse? Any awkward moments?

Lindy: It's great playing opposite Greg! We have instant chemistry, there are no uncomfortable physical moments between us in the show, and the kissing scenes are quite fun. He's such a wonderful performer - he makes my job easy. It seems rare for couples in this business to have the opportunity to work together on a regular basis. I am thankful every day that I get to perform with my talented husband.

Greg: She's the most gorgeous, talented, and transparent actress I know, so naturally, I hate it. All kidding aside, it's lovely playing opposite her. Being with her on stage is much the same as being with her offstage - she's so good that I'm constantly trying to improve.And that's a good thing.

What's your favorite musical number from the show?

Greg: My favorite number from this show is the title song: "Little Shop of Horrors," which I'm not even in. Leila Nelson's choreography is stunning, and the three talented ladies who perform it sound like rock-stars. I love that it's the first number in the show, because it's a great way to get the audience into it, and it sets the bar high for the rest of it. It always makes me smile, and that's the one that I always find myself humming later.

Lindy: Oh - that's a tough one! What I love most about this show is that we hear and see one incredible song after another. Alan Menken incorporated such a wide variety of musical styles in this score, ranging from doo-wop, to salsa, to calypso, to gospel, to R&B and rock. The music never gets boring or monotonous. "Skid Row" involves the entire cast and is such an exciting number. "Dentist" and "Mushnik and Son" have me rolling in the aisles. Of course, I also love "Feed Me (Git It)," with the urchins dancing and Seymour and the plant singing a rock duet - it gets the blood boiling!

What's the biggest challenge to this show for you, personally?

Greg: Well, this goes back to working with your spouse.  Part of my job as an actor is to fully invest in my character's emotional life.  I'm also playing opposite my wife, the person in whom I have, in real life, invested the most.  It can be a difficult web to untangle at times, to keep my emotions separate from my character's.  This is after all, an adaptation of a cheesy 60's B-horror movie, and some pretty terrible things happen to some of the characters.  And even though it happens in a stylized,  operatic, and comedic way, it becomes a pretty perilous tightrope to walk.  I have to believe in what's happening on stage, but I can't believe it too fully, or I'd just lose it in a fit of crying and the show would stop.

Lindy: My biggest challenge has been believing that I could pull off the role of Audrey. I never saw myself as an Audrey type, and I was shocked when I got cast for the part. Stereotypically, Audrey is a large-breasted blonde bombshell belter, not a small-chested brunette, classically trained soprano. However, after working on my belt, doing a photo shoot in full costume, and delving in to the character in rehearsals, I was finally convinced that I could pull her off. Ironically, this role and show has become one of my very favorites! It feels extremely liberating to step outside of my performing comfort zone and do a role so against my type. It has been a wonderful challenge!

What's your favorite song from the show's score?

Lindy: Another tough one! They're all so different and unique! As Audrey, it's an honor to sing "Suddenly Seymour," one of the great classics of the musical theatre repertoire.

Greg: First let me say the show's score is fantastic all around. Our director has said that the show is like a jukebox musical, except they're all original songs. I agree with him - every one of these songs is a hit. I've also always felt that Menken and Ashman have always written great songs for women, and I think it's amusing how similar "Somewhere That's Green" sounds to "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid, especially towards the end. I think my favorite, though is "Suddenly Seymour." I love the motion and excitement of that song, and the gospel strains from the piano really enhance that. The sheet music reflects this, too. Menken and Ashman have abandoned standard music terminology. Where other compositions use musical terms like "poco a poco accellerando," they have written "Really starts to cook." The song cooks. It really moves. It's small and sweet at the beginning and your hearts are racing at the end.  I love it.

Why do you like working at Cumberland County Playhouse?

Greg: There's a lot to love about CCP, not the least of which is the fact that it's one of only a few theaters that still make a point of using a live orchestra instead of canned music. Personally, I love working in a full-time repertory setting. We're always doing four shows at once, so you're constantly learning and honing your craft. There are days coming up soon where we'll be doing Little Shop in the morning, Oklahoma in the afternoon and Chicago in the evening. I love the multi-tasking, and I love working with people who can multi-task like that. Here's a little tip for anyone who comes to see Little Shop: in the opposite direction of the stage, you'll see our TV monitor (it's there so that the actors can see the conductor during the show.)  If you look at the monitor while the band is playing the entre-act, right before the lights come up for Act Two, you'll see Ron Murphy, our musical director, playing piano and conducting with his right hand, and playing the saxophone solo with his left. Now, I think that's just as great as anything you'll see onstage.

Lindy: Working at CCP has made me a better, more well-rounded performer. With a rep schedule, the theater demands versatility in the actors, not to mention physical and vocal stamina. I am thankful for the opportunity to be in so many shows during a season, and for the chance to play contrasting roles. I also appreciate the steady employment that CCP provides. Working with my husband is a huge plus, too. This company allows us to do what we love to do and be together. It's a rare gem in the world of theater!

What other shows will we see you in this season?

Lindy: I am currently performing in My Fair Lady and Duck Hunter Shoots Angel. I will also definitely be in Oklahoma, Chicago and Fiddler on the Roof. I may be in other shows, as well.

Greg: That's hard to say. I'm under contract as a resident company member this season, so that means I'm "as cast" in the majority of the shows. For the next few months, I'll be performing in Little Shop, My Fair Lady, and Oklahoma.  The only other role I have for sure in my contract is Motel the tailor in Fiddler on the Roof. As for the rest of the season, it's all to be decided at a later date.

What are a couple of your dream roles?

Lindy: My dream roles are Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Louise in Gypsy, Polly Baker in Crazy For You, Fantine in Les Miserables and (eventually) Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. However, as I discovered with Audrey in Little Shop, sometimes a dream role is found unexpectedly!

Greg: One thing I do miss working at The Playhouse is Shakespeare. There are a plethora of Shakespeare parts I'd love to play - some of the more prominent ones are Iago from Othello, Hamlet, and Caius Cassius from Julius Caesar. I can also never pass on an opportunity to do Sondheim The first musical I ever did was Into the Woods in high school, and I've been in love ever since. I absolutely loved being a part of A Little Night Music last season, and someday I'd love to play Bobby in Company or Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park with George. I'd also do Into the Woods again in a New York minute. Anything! Heap on the Sondheim!

- Little Shop of Horrors, was the first hit musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who created Disney's Beauty and the Beast. It runs May 19 through August 6 in the Adventure Theater at Crossville's Cumberland County Playhouse. For reservations, call (931) 484-5000.

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