The final show in the critically acclaimed 2018 Broadway At Music Circus season is the series premiere of the hit musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors, which features a cast of Broadway veterans and is based on the campy 1960s cult horror film.
Go behind the scenes of the production below as performers Jared Gertner and Sarah Litzsinger take over our Instagram account to show you what it takes to put on the show, twice!
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The show's music, by master composer Alan Menken (Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, Aladdin), is in the style of 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, and includes several well-known tunes such as "Suddenly Seymour," "Somewhere That's Green" and the title song. The plot follows nerdy floral shop worker Seymour, who would do or give anything to gain the love of his co-worker Audrey. The depth of his desire is tested when a strange and menacing addition to his floral shop brings him sudden and unexpected popularity. Performances of Little Shop of Horrors are Tuesday, August 21 through Sunday, August 26 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion.
Jared Gertner returns to play Seymour after making his Broadway At Music Circus debut last summer as LeFou in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Gertner has appeared as Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon on Broadway, on the first national tour and in London, and in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway and in San Francisco and Boston, as well as in roles for film and television and at regional theaters throughout the country. Sarah Litzsinger plays Audrey in her first appearance at Broadway At Music Circus. Litzsinger's Broadway shows include Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Belle), Les Misérables, Oliver! and Amour, and the national tours of Evita (Eva Perón) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (The Narrator, opposite Donny Osmond). Ken Page returns to voice Audrey II, having last appeared at Broadway At Music Circus in 2009 and 2003 as Old Deuteronomy in Cats. Page voiced Oogie Boogie in the popular film The Nightmare Before Christmas, played Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls on Broadway and at the Hollywood Bowl, and also appeared on Broadway in It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, Ain't Misbehavin', Cats and The Wiz.
Michael Kostroff, playing Mushnik, appeared in Broadway At Music Circus's 2016 production of Nice Work If You Can Get It as Cookie. Along with extensive film and television work including recurring roles in HBO's The Deuce, Netflix's Luke Cage and five seasons with HBO's The Wire, Kostroff's Broadway and touring credits include The Nance, Max Bialystock in The Producers and Thénardier in Les Misérables. Jamison Stern is playing Orin et al. in his Broadway At Music Circus debut, having previously appeared on Broadway in By Jeeves and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and with the national tours of Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour/Orin) and Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere).
Zonya Love, playing Crystal, has appeared at Broadway At Music Circus in Les Misérables, Kiss Me, Kate, The Wizard of Oz, Show Boat, and last summer as Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act. Love also played Celie in the original Broadway production of The Color Purple, Effie White in Dreamgirls at TUTS, and appeared in the first national tour and Off-Broadway productions of Avenue Q. Destinee Rea, playing Chiffon, appeared on Broadway in Amélie and in the national tour of Junie B. Jones, as well as performing at Feinstein's/54 Below with the 10th Annual Joe Iconis Christmas Extravaganza and in regional productions of Dreamgirls, The Wiz and The Music Man. Zuri Washington, in the role of Ronette, has extensive New York, regional and touring experience, having performed in a number of shows including Rent, Bring It On: The Musical, Memphis, Sister Act and Ghost The Musical.
Jordan Beall, serving as the puppeteer operating Audrey II, is making his Broadway At Music Circus debut this summer, appearing in all six shows in the season; in addition to film and television work, he has performed at regional theaters all over the country. Sacramento-based master puppeteer Richard Bay is Puppet Designer for Little Shop of Horrors, having worked on several previous Broadway At Music Circus productions; he has been designing sets and directing shows for more than 30 years and is known widely for his imaginative productions that effectively incorporate both puppets and live actors.
The Director for Little Shop of Horrors is Glenn Casale; Choreographer is Robbie Roby; Musical Director is Dennis Castellano.
Broadway At Music Circus is produced under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director/COO Scott Klier and Artistic Consultant Glenn Casale. Broadway Sacramento President/CEO is Richard Lewis.
Tickets for Little Shop of Horrors start at $45, and are available by phone at (916) 557-1999, online at www.Tickets.com, or in person at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street in Sacramento. Evening performances are Tuesday through Saturday, August 21 - 25, at 7:30 p.m.; matinee performances are Thursday, August 23 and Saturday, August 25 at 2:00 p.m., and Sunday, August 26 at 3:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.BroadwaySacramento.com.
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