The Theatre Arts Management Shop at Catawba College Shuford School of Performing Arts Presents: MC EPPTHE HOUSE: SPOTLIGHT CATAWBA COLLEGE 2300 West Innes St. Nov/Dec 2013 Vol 20, No. 3 www.catawba.edu/theatrearts Salisbury, NC 28144 TELEPHONE (704) 637-4481 EMAIL THEATREARTS @CATAWBA.EDU Co-Editor: Verity Pryor-Harden Happy Holidays! [email protected] Co-Editor: Pen Chance [email protected] THIS MONTH PREVIOUS PRODUCTION: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Get an inside look at our recent musical, Little Shop of Horrors! Continued on Page 2 DIRECTING 1 SCENES Here from our student directors from this semesters Holly Fuller, Maggie Saunders, Jean White, & Terrell Jones in “Little Shop of Horrors” Directing 1 Showcase! (photo by Tracy Ratliff) Continued on Page 5 DIRECTING 1 SCENES/DANCE ENSEMBLE Have a look at some upcoming end of semester performances! Continued on Page 6 Get an inside look at Dance Ensemble ALUMNUS OF THE MONTH ALUMNUS OF THE MONTH: JODYE CARROLL Meet our Catawba Theatre Alumnus of the Month! Continued on Page 8 Like us on Facebook: /catawbatheatre | Follow us on Twitter: @CatawbaTheatre | Follow us on Instagram: @catawbatheatre THE SPOTLIGHT PAGE2 Litle Shop of Horrors Catawba College’s Shuford School of Performing Arts first musical of Cast & Crew the season will be Little Shop of Horrors. It tells the story of a shy and awkward employee, Seymour, who discovers an unknown plant that brings sudden Seymour: Terrell Jones success to a small, run-down flower shop on Skid Row. But how much will that Audrey: Leanna Hicks fame cost Seymour and the rest of Skid Row? Will Seymour be willing to pay Mr. Mushnick: Caleb Garner the price? Orin, the Dentist: Pen Chance* Little Shop of Horrors opened off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre on July 27, The Trio: Maggie Saunders*, Jean White, 1982. When it closed on November 1, 1987, it was the third-longest running Holly Fuller musical and the highest-grossing off-Broadway production. It won several Voice of Audrey II: Daniel Brown awards including the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award. Also the winner of the Drama Desk The Plant-Puppeteer: Lara Williams* Award for Outstanding Musical, this up-beat rock musical gets your attention Male Swing: Jordan Abbatiello with its light-hearted music but draws you in with the darker story it tells. Female Swing: Michelle Newberger* Seymour starts the action of the story when he presents his latest botanical Director: Joe Hernandez discovery, the Audrey II, named for his attractive female co-worker. When the shop’s owner, Mr. Mushnik, takes Audrey’s advice to put Seymour’s plant on Choreographer: Meredith Fox display, his dying flower shop is brought back to life and thrives. However, we Musical Director: John Stafford soon realize that the the employees of the shop may not be the ones in control. Asst. Director: Allison Andrews* Stage Manager: Forest Fugate The musical offers music by Alan Menken and book and lyrics by Howard Asst. Stage Managers: Sam Erwin, Victoria Ashman. It is based on the 1960 horror film of the same name, directed by Whetzel Roger Corman. - Maggie Saunders ‘15 * Denotes membership in the Alpha Psi Omega Dramatic Honors Society Holly Fuller, Maggie Saunders, Jean White, & Terrell Jones in “Little Shop of Horrors” (photo by Tracy Ratliff) (photo by Tracy Ratliff) Like us on Facebook: /catawbatheatre | Follow us on Twitter: @CatawbaTheatre | Follow us on Instagram: @catawbatheatre THE SPOTLIGHT PAGE3 Broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors. MFA and was a member of the This piece, which he also produced with professional acting company. Ashman, earned him a Drama Desk Ashman moved to New York Award nomination followed by a following his graduation and in 1976, his successful film adaptation and later, a play The Confirmation, was produced at Broadway room. Princeton’s McCarter Theater. As a Despite his many live theatrical founder and Artistic Director of the credits, Menken is best known for his WPA Theater, he conceived, wrote and work over the past two decades with Walt directed a musical adaptation of Kurt Disney Pictures in which he scored Vonnegut’s God Bless You. Mr. Rosewater numerous animated films including The with music by Alan Menken. Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, In 1982, he cpnceived Little Shop Pocahontas, Hercules, Tangled etc… He has of Horrors, again which he wrote and Alan Menken also written music for live-action Disney directed with music by Alan Menken. ...was born on July 22, 1949 in films such as Newsies and Enchanted. The musical, based upon Roger New York City to a Jewish family. His During his time with Walt Corman’s 1960s-era horror film was mother and father, Judith and Norman Disney Pictures, he has won eight immediately successful, and it soon Menken, encouraged his musical studies Academy Awards (only composer Alfred became a New York “must see” playing from an early age and Alan pursued Newman and Walt Disney have received for five years Off-Broadway at the piano and violin as a result. He is more Oscars than Menken. He Orpheum Theater in Lower Manhattan. quoted, saying “"Growing up, I was currently holds the record for the most It was revived on Broadway in 2003 and surrounded by a family that loved wins for a living person and was named a is currently one of the most produced Broadway musicals", says Menken, Disney Legend in 2001. shows in American high schools. "Regularly, we gathered around my Menken and his wife, Janis, a Turning his talents toward film, father at the piano, and as he played and former professional ballet dancer, reside Ashman was essential in the resurgence we sang, the house was filled with the in upstate New York with their two of Disney’s animated musicals including sounds of Rodgers and Hart, the young children, Anna and Nora. films such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty Gershwins, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and the Beast, and Aladdin, all with music Frank Loesser, Lerner and Loewe, and by Alan Menken. all the other great Broadway songwriters. Ashman had been diagnosed As a child, I was introduced to the power HIV positive in 1988 and during the of the American musical through shows work on Beauty and the Beast, had many like My Fair Lady, Fiorello, and The Sound of animators flown to New York to work Music".” He attended college as a pre- because he was too weak to travel. After med student, but later changed direction the first screening of Beauty and the Beast and attended New York University’s in 1991, the animators visited Howard in Steinhardt Studio. the hospital where he was 80 pounds, Following college, Alan nearly blind and almost unable to speak. performed frequently in local clubs and Producer Don Hahn leaned over to worked as a composer of jingles and Ashman and said, "Beauty and the Beast is songs as an accompanist. Before long, he going to be a great success. Who'd have met Howard Ashman in New York in Howard Ashman thought it?", to which Ashman replied 1979 when Ashman, artistic director of with "I would have." Four days later, on the small WPA Theater, was looking for ...was born in Baltimore, March 14, Ashman died following a composer to work with him on a Marlyand on May 17, 1950. The son of complications from AIDS at the age of musical version of Kurt Vonnegut's God Shirley Thelma and Raymond Albert 40 in New York City. Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. Although the Ashman, he graduated from Goddard show was well received, he achieved College in 1974. He also attended -Emily Olszewski ’15 greater success with the 1982 Off- Indiana University where he received his Like us on Facebook: /catawbatheatre | Follow us on Twitter: @CatawbaTheatre | Follow us on Instagram: @catawbatheatre THE SPOTLIGHT PAGE4 BEHIND THE SCENES: Litle Shop of Horrors “Down on Skid Row” “And our fall musical will be…..Little Shop of Horrors”, seriously, cue the angel choir and clash of symbols was basically what was going on inside my head when I heard this information. Little Shop of Horrors has always been one of my favorite musicals. One, because Alan Menken (who writes basically all the music for Disney movies which, yes, I happen to know by heart) wrote the music for this show and Audrey is one of my dream roles…..no really, I have a list of dream roles so I am able to check that off my “Role To- Do List”. This experience has been rewarding and extremely challenging. Being at this school, I have learned many techniques in acting that I never even thought would benefit Leanna Hicks played Audrey in “Little Shop of me until I came here. It’s incredible all the information I never knew! Coming in as a, Horros” at Catawba College possibly, overly-eager freshman who was ready to do anything and everything involving theatre, I hit the ground running. I was given opportunities in the freshman showcase, ten minute scenes and one acts! All of which I loved being involved in, but still I hoped I would be cast in a main-stage show and HUZZAH it happened. Yes, you assumed correctly, the minute I saw that I was cast as “Audrey”; I immediately fell to the ground and wept tears of joy. Over-dramatic? Maybe so, but I am a theatre person so that’s par for the course. I have seen this show many times and have heard the soundtrack many times, so I went in to the first rehearsal really excited and ready to do what I had always seen…..HOLD UP! I soon realized that we were taking this show and making it entirely different.