By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
On the twenty-first day of the month of September,
in an early year of a decade not too long before our own,
the human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence...
The opening lines of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors” give the audience a taste – so to speak – of what’s in store for them when the curtain goes up here on Friday.
Sitka Fine Arts Camp will present “Little Shop” 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, at the Performing Arts Center. The show is directed by SFAC’s Zeke Blackwell.
But cast members say it’s more than a campy send-up of a ’50s horror film.
“This show is perfect,” said Sam Faustine, a professional musical theater performer, one of five who came to Sitka to be in the show.
“It’s one of the best constructed musicals,” he said. “You have all these different traditional motifs, compositionally, structurally. Amidst all that is wonderful humor and a classic Faustian story: A story about a person who sells his soul to the devil except the backdrop is New York and it’s the 1950s, and the devil is a plant. ... It’s accessible and just so much fun.”
Faustine is reprising the lead role of Seymour, which he played five years ago at San Francisco’s Ray of Light Theatre. Fellow cast members from that show - Jacqueline Dennis (Ronnette), Phaedra Tillery-Boughton (Chiffon), Katrina McGraw (Crystal) and Jessica Coker (voice of Audrey II), also are reprising their roles.
Local cast members include Rhiannon Guevin (Audrey), Christian Litten (Orin and others), Andrew Hames (Mushnik) and Jack Petersen (Audrey II puppeteer and Wino #1).
Blackwell pointed to the mix of out-of-town performers and locals as a highlight in the show.
“Getting to bring that energy from out of town and bring the local knowledge and the local expertise, and meet new people and make art together - and tell a crazy story,” he said.
Blackwell has appreciated the addition of the Greek chorus-like trio for “bringing so much energy and attitude”; and has loved seeing the development of the multiple Audrey IIs.
“These puppets that Jack (Petersen) and his team have spent so much time to bring to life,” Blackwell said. “They’re alien, and beautiful and so expressive and literally larger than life.”
From left, Jacqueline Dennis, Sam Faustine, Katrina McGraw and Phaedra Tillery-Boughton end a scene from the Sitka Fine Arts Camp production of “Little Shop of Horrors” Wednesday night at the Performing Arts Center. The show opens Friday night. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
The actors were cast months ago, but have had only eight days of rehearsal together.
McGraw said one of the ways this production has been a different experience is that the process has been much quicker.
“But it’s actually fun because a lot of us got to come up and do it together,” she said. “I feel like we already have relationships built, so we got to dive more into that. And, you know, we’re in Alaska. It’s beautiful here.”
The band and crew also are a mix of local and out-of-town talent. Music Director Sean Kana, who also plays keyboards, was associate music director for the 2018 pre-Broadway tour of “Ain’t Too Proud.” He is joined by Alicia Jeffrey on synthesizer, Trevor Wiest on guitar, Drew Sherman on bass and Ed Littlefield, percussion.
Rhiannon Guevin, who is the producer as well as a cast member and costume designer, said ticket sales are going well, and she thinks the show will be well-received by Sitka audiences.
“It’s just a fantastic show and I think even if you don’t think you know the music, you probably know at least one of the songs,” she said. “Alan Menken composed ‘Little Mermaid,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ a lot of Disney stuff. So I think people will be pleased by the tuneful-ness of the music. And it’s super fun. And the show’s super-high-energy.”
SFAC’s Elle Campbell is the set and lighting designer, and tech director, joined by dozens of volunteers pitching in on props, sets and costumes. Her students in the YPT tech programs are in the running crew for the show.
Raissa Marchetti-Kozlov, from San Francisco, is the stage manager; Sotera Perez, from Sitka, is the co-costumer and deck boss. Another Sitkan, Bryan Lovett, is the sound technician.
Tickets are available online and at the door, and seating is limited for physical distancing purposes. Proof of vaccination - a vax card or screenshot - is required for those 12 and up. Masks are required at all times.
