Little Shop of Horrors |
September 17 — October 20This deviously delicious sci-fi musical comedy comes to the Playhouse for the musical theater event of the season with some deliciously devious new twists. Featuring George Salazar (Be More Chill), Mj Rodriguez (Pose), and Amber Riley (Glee) as Audrey II, This Little Shop is unlike any you have seen before.
Created by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin), Little Shop of Horrors has devoured the hearts of theatergoers of all ages for more than 30 years… and yours is next!
“Gloriously reimagined”
Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Music by Alan Menken
Directed by Mike Donahue
2 hours, one 15-minute intermission
Cast
Creative Team
Sarah Kay Peters (Puppet Wrangler)
Peters is a performing artist, artivist, and an ensemble member with Rogue Artists Ensemble. Credits include Zen Shorts (National Puppetry Festival), Hyperbole: Bard (Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Green Show), Candide (Long Beach Opera), Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta, Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin, and Wood Boy Dog Fish (Gary Marshall Theatre)
Tyler Bremer (Puppeteer)
Bremer is an actor, puppeteer, and comedian from Los Angeles. He has performed and puppeteered with the LA theater company Rogue Artists Ensemble in Wood Boy Dog Fish and Señor Plummer’s Final Fiesta. He is also a member of the theater companies Four Clowns and The Attic Collective. theatticcollectivela.com | @tylermcboosh
Kelsey Kato (Puppeteer)
Kato is a recent graduate of UCLA (BA, Theater) and is honored to be working with Pasadena Playhouse for the first time! His deepest gratitude goes out to his family, friends, and the puppetry team on UCLA’s production of The Long Christmas Ride Home (led by Perry Daniel).
Tim Kopacz (Puppeteer)
Kopacz is an MFA graduate of Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company and a proud member of Sacred Fools Theater Company. Recent credits include “Philip” in Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk (Burglars of Hamm), “Lord Aster” in Peter and the Starcatcher (Theater at Monmouth), and “Kazak” in The Sirens of Titan (Sacred Fools Theater Company).
Paul Turbiak (Puppeteer)
Turbiak has appeared onstage all over Los Angeles and beyond. Credits include: Geffen, LATC, Garry Marshall Theatre, Colony Theatre, North Coast Rep, Bootleg, Rogue Artists Ensemble, Actors Co-op, Sacred Fools, East West Players, Independent Shakespeare Company, REDCAT, and Theatricum Botanicum. BA: Gordon College, MFA: CalArts. | paulturbiak.com
Mike Donahue (Director)
Credits include: world premieres of Matthew Lopez’s The Legend of Georgia McBride (Denver Center, MCC Theater [Joe A. Callaway Award, Outer Critics Circle Nomination], and The Geffen [Ovation Award Nomination]);Jen Silverman’s Collective Rage (MCC Theater [Drama League Nomination] and Woolly Mammoth Theatre); The Moors (Playwrights Realm [NYC premiere]); Phoebe in Winter (Clubbed Thumb); Jordan Seavey’s Homos, Or Everyone In America (Labyrinth); and Ethan Lipton’s Red-Handed Otter (Playwrights Realm). Regionally: world premieres of Jen Silverman’s The Roommate (Humana, Williamstown, Long Wharf), Rachel Bonds’ Curve of Departure (South Coast Rep, Studio Theatre), The Wolfe Twins (Studio Theatre), and Swimmers (Marin); Matthew Lopez’s Zoey’s Perfect Wedding and Lauren Feldman’s Grace, or The Art of Climbing (Denver Center); and Shostakovich’s Moscow, Cheryomushki in a new libretto by Meg Miroshnik (Chicago Opera Theatre). Donahue is a recipient of a Fulbright to Berlin, the Drama League Fall Fellowship, the Boris Sagal Fellowship at Williamstown, and a graduate of Harvard University and the Yale School of Drama. Upcoming: world premiere of Kate Cortesi’s Love (Marin) and Anne Carson’s translation of Euripides, The Bakkhai (Baltimore Center Stage).
Will B. Bell (Choreographer)
Bell began his formal dance training at the age of 15 in the Baltimore area and within three years was named a finalist for the “Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Talent in the Arts” scholarship. He went on to receive his BFA in Dance Performance from Towson University, where he worked under Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell (former Ailey principal dancer), Vincent Thomas (VT Dance Director), and Runqiao Du (former Washington Ballet principal dancer). While earning his degree, Bell trained at the prestigious summer programs, The Ailey School (New York) and Lines Ballet School (San Francisco, CA). Recently, Bell’s choreographic work has been set at collegiate institutions such as Towson University, AMDA, and The Studio School. Bell’s work has gone viral, recognized internationally on many major platforms, and been featured in prestigious magazines such as Elle, Nylon, and HuffPost.
Darryl Archibald (Musical Director)
The Color Purple (2015 revival tour and Paper Mill Playhouse); Motown The Musical (Broadway 2016 and national tours); Wicked at the Pantages Theater (substitute conductor); Memphis (Broadway tour); The Lion King (Broadway tour – vocal coach/ assistant conductor); Ragtime (Pasadena Playhouse); Dear World with Tyne Daly (VPAC); Jonathan Dove’s Innocence (Banff Centre and Manhattan Theatre Club); Next To Normal, Beauty and the Beast (McCoy/Rigby); In the Heights (TUTS); Two By Two with Jason Alexander, How To Succeed… with John O’Hurley, The Fantasticks with Eric McCormack, Once On This Island with Ledisi, Li’l Abner with Cathy Rigby and Fred Willard (Reprise); Great Expectations, My Fair Lady, 1776, Camelot, and Forever Plaid (Utah Shakespearean Festival). Orchestrations include: Great Expectations (USF); The Wiz (The Muny); A Hollywood Holiday Celebration (ABC); The Fountain Show and Christmas Trolley Show (The Grove Los Angeles).
John Gentry Tennyson (Accompanist and Conductor)
Tennyson has performed and/or music directed Dianna Ross, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Holiday, The Pointer Sisters, B J Crosby, Odetta, and Queen Esther, to name a few. Tennyson’s work has garnered a 2015 Ovation Award for his contributions to the re-adapted Broadway stage musical Gospel At Colonus (Ebony Repertory Theatre) and a 2016 Ovation Award nomination for his musical efforts for the premiere of Recorded in Hollywood (Kirk Douglas Theatre). Most recently, Tennyson’s creative contributions can be heard in the new movie-musical Revival!, starring Mali, Chaka Khan, Michelle Williams, Siedah Garret, Obba Babatunde, and Harry Lennix. Other credits include: associate music director/pianist for Ragtime (Pasadena Playhouse), associate music director/pianist for Beauty and the Beast (La Mirada Theatre), associate music director for Ragtime (Disney Encore! TV), and musical director for An American Victory (La Mirada Theatre).
Dane Laffrey (Scenic Designer)
Broadway: Once On This Island (2018 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical), Deaf West’s Spring Awakening, Sam Shepard’s Fool For Love. Recent off-Broadway: Hercules (The Public Theater / Delacorte), Dying City (Second Stage), Apologia (Roundabout), Collective Rage… (MCC Theater), Summer and Smoke (Classic Stage), Rancho Viejo (Playwrights Horizons), The Harvest (Lincoln Center Theater), David Greenspan’s Strange Interlude (Transport Group). Recent LA: Jefferson May’s A Christmas Carol, Witch (Geffen Playhouse), Good Boys (Pasadena Playhouse), Quack (Center Theatre Group), Annie (Hollywood Bowl), Sell/Buy/Date (LGBT Center / Geffen Playhouse / Manhattan Theatre Club in NYC), Merrily We Roll Along (Wallis Annenberg), The Christians (Center Theatre Group). Other Regional: The Old Globe, Huntington, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Arena Stage, many others. Dane has been nominated for a Tony Award, 2 Drama Desk Awards, 7 American Theatre Wing Henry Hewes Awards, an Ovation Award, and won a 2017 O B I E for sustained excellence in set and costume design.
Danae Iris McQueen (Costume Designer)
McQueen is a costume designer and artisan based in Los Angeles. Pasadena Playhouse debut. Selected designs include Witch (Geffen Playhouse), The Pride (The Wallis Annenberg Center; Ovation Award nomination), Annie (Hollywood Bowl, co-designed with Dane Laffrey), Gidion’s Knot, and From Prague (The Contemporary American Theater Festival; world premiere productions). Upcoming: The Curious Incident… (Greenway Court Theatre). She also builds costumes for television and live events, including Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty tour and Fox’s Emmy-nominated The Masked Singer. Education: MFA in Costume Design from the University of California, San Diego. | danaeirismcqueen.com
Josh Epstein (Lighting Designer)
Pasadena Playhouse: The Fantasticks, Real Women Have Curves. Regional: Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse (dir. Mike Donahue; The Legend of Georgia McBride), Guthrie Theatre, Goodman Theater, South Coast Repertory, Kirk Douglas Theatre, Arena Stage, Trinity Repertory, Long Wharf Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Kansas City Repertory, Geva Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Baltimore Center Stage, Playmakers Repertory, Cincinnati Playhouse, and Paper Mill Playhouse. Epstein is a faculty member at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and the USC School of Dramatic Arts. He is an L A Ovation Award Winner, a Knight of Illumination and Helen Hayes Award Nominee, and a recipient of the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Designers. Epstein received his MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three daughters. | joshepsteindesign.com
Veronika Vorel (Sound Designer)
Local: Cornerstone Theater, Theatre @ Boston Court, East West Players, and I A M A Theatre Co. Select regional sound design credits include Denver Theatre Center, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Ford’s Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Folger Theatre, Olney Theatre, Everyman Theatre, Yale Rep, Signature Theatre (VA), and Kansas City Starlight Theatre. Associate sound design: Manhattan Theatre Club, The Kennedy Center, CENTERSTAGE, Arena Stage, and Geffen Playhouse. Outside of the theater, Vorel is a Senior Sound Designer at Walt Disney Imagineering and has taught undergraduate and graduate students. Training: Prague Conservatory of Music, California Institute of the Arts, and Yale School of Drama.
Sean Cawelti (Puppet Designer & Director)
Cawelti is the founding Artistic Director of Rogue Artists Ensemble, a creator of immersive experiences, and a puppet, mask and video designer for theater, opera, museums and arena tours. He received his BA from the University of CA Irvine and studied puppetry at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Cawelti was honored with a UNIMA Citation of Excellence and the Sherwood Award by the Center Theatre Group. A Los Angeles native, Cawelti was selected by the City of Los Angeles’ Cultural Affairs Department to travel to Brazil to study woodcarving and is a member of USA829. | seancawelti.com
Jill Gold (Production Stage Manager)
Gold is proud to count Little Shop of Horrors as her 39th mainstage production at the Pasadena Playhouse. Her other theatrical homes include McCoy Rigby, the Geffen Playhouse, Reprise, LATC, Sacramento Music Circus, and the Mark Taper Forum. Gold toured the US with Les Miserables, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, City of Angels, and Wicked, as well as Germany and Austria with Sisterella. She teaches Stage Management at Occidental College and Cal Poly Pomona, Advanced Stage Management at UCLA, and co-authored Stage Management by Lawrence Stern and Jill Gold. Thanks to the staff, crew, and especially the Friends of the Playhouse for always welcoming her back!
Dylan Elhai (Assistant Stage Manager)
Elhai is a Southern California-based stage manager, lighting designer, and technical director. Selected credits include: Anne, Singin’ in the Rain, 1776, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 42nd Street, Young Frankenstein, Spamalot, Parade, Shrek the Musical. In addition to musical theater, Elhai also works corporate and live events for B-Line Productions and Break the Floor Productions. She keeps herself busy in her spare time by mentoring and teaching theater workshops to students at her alma mater, Claremont High School, in Claremont, CA. Elhai is very pleased to be working on Little Shop of Horrors.
Telsey + Co (Casting)
Broadway/Tours: West Side Story, Tina, Linda Vista, Beetlejuice, Oklahoma!, To Kill a Mockingbird, Mean Girls, Frozen, Come From Away, Waitress, Hamilton, Wicked, My Fair Lady, Once on This Island, Hello, Dolly!, Anastasia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Off-Broadway: Atlantic Theater Company, Classic Stage Company, MCC Theater, Park Avenue Armory, Second Stage Theatre. Film: The Kitchen, Mary Poppins Returns, Ben Is Back, The Greatest Showman, Into the Woods, Rachel Getting Married. T V : Tales of the City, Fosse/Verdon, NOS4A2, This Is Us, NCIS: New Orleans, One Day at a Time, Rent, commercials. | telseyandco.com
Musical Theatre International
Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theaters from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theater as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists, and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials, and dynamic theatrical resources to over 70,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theater, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway JuniorTM shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary- and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students. MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City with additional of offices in London (MTI Europe) and Melbourne (MTI Australasia).
Talkbacks
Wine Wednesday
Preview week Wednesday, ticket holders are invited to come early and enjoy complimentary wine prior to the show at Pasadena Playhouse.
Date: Sep 18
Location: Pasadena Playhouse Courtyard
Starts at 7:00PM
Ticket Options
Advisory
Pasadena Playhouse does not offer advisories about the subject matter for this production, as sensitivities vary from patron to patron. If you have any inquiries regarding content, age-appropriateness or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that may affect patron comfort, please contact Patron Services during Box Office hours at 626-356-PLAY.
Children under age 5 are not permitted in any performance at Pasadena Playhouse.