Words by Kristen Fogle
Ever since Rick Moranis graced us with his awkwardly perfect
rendition of Seymour in the 1986 movie version, households have been in love
with the shoo-bopping, plant eating good time that is “Little Shop of Horrors.”
The most recent San Diego production of the play came out of
Mission Vista High School, April 11-14, when a spirited group of ninth through
eleventh graders had us humming to old favorites like “Somewhere That’s Green”
and “Skid Row (Downtown).”
Directed by Carol Jones and with musical direction by Becky
Brooks, Brooks shares with me how proud she is of the group. Unlike Vista High—which
has a well known theater program that has been around for many years—Mission
Vista as a school is only three years old, which is why there is not yet a
senior class.
Yet the group boasts some standout students. Jacob Wanningen
gave us all the emotion of a dejected Seymour; Adorable Lexi Turner kept us
entertained with a well practiced character voice as Audrey; Blaine Valencia exercised
the sass needed to deliver the spirited Orin the Dentist; Josh Morrow channeled
his inner businessman as the contemptible Mushnik; and Audrey II (the plant)
had a dynamite belt and soulful spunk that impressed. And let’s not forget the
ensemble and smaller parts as they energetically engaged us in each of their
scenes.
Mission Vista’s theater is spectacular, and not only for a
high school. The place looks as if it accommodates at least 300, is brand new,
and boasts good quality sound (though it faltered a few times during the
production) with mostly successful lighting. The “Little Shop” set was also impressive;
rafters added dimension and extra space for the 25+ person cast, and the Skid
Row flower shop was spacious enough to accommodate, fixated with shabby paint
and “oldish” other components, adding to the decrepit nature of the
bad-neighborhood business. And then there is Audrey II. Four different versions
of Audrey were used to show the growth of the plant—and these weren’t put
together in some craft class either—all were borrowed from UC Irvine, an
excellent choice which added to the professional nature of the set.
Music is where “Little Shop” shines, and though not every
song was pitch perfect (it was opening night after all), the accompaniment was
flawless. Unlike my high school experience (which consisted of karaoke tapes),
these kids had a live piano, guitar, bass, and drums to sing along to.
Hopefully Mission Vista will utilize live music for all their performances as
it really makes the show.
Mission Vista has all the elements in place to make them a
real contender with Vista High in the years to come. With all that energy (and that
amazing space!), I’m excited to see where this newbie troupe will go with
musical theater in the years to come.
For more information
on Mission Vista, please visit www.missionvistahighschool.org
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