Interview with the Cast:

What were you most excited for the audience to see?

Alexis Reichardt: I was really excited for my specific character to sing Suddenly Seymour because it was Audrey's chance to come out of her shell and gain some confidence

Aidan Brennan: I loved watching Somewhere That’s Green from the wings!

Paxton Brownell: By far my favorite song to watch was Mushnik and Son. Brandon Gearing and Aidan Brennan are so funny together, and they are a perfect father-son duo

Clover Jones: Definitely Suddenly Seymour

Ava Ford: Skid row because It was the entire cast and I had my big solo. 

What is your favorite part of the musical to watch or what is your favorite song to listen to while being performed?

Alexis Reichardt: I love watching Aidan and Jenny perform Git It because I think that it excellently showcases their talents and skills as actors

Aidan Brennan: I loved performing Suddenly Seymour!

Paxton Brownell: The dentist's office scene is so incredibly fun for me. I get to act utterly insane, and all while making Aidan super uncomfortable. It's a win-win.

Clover Jones: Ya Never Know was my favorite scene to perform because the dance number was just so fun to do and you could definitely tell all five of us were having so much fun.

Ava Ford: Dentist because of the costumes and mouth pieces. 

What would be your dream role? 

Alexis Reichardt: My absolute dream role is Anastasia from Anastasia the Musical. I think she's an excellent female lead character and one that would be in my wheelhouse, giving me a chance to work on building up my skills.

Aidan Brennan: I would love to be in Godspell or Urinetown.

Clover Jones: My dream role is Jermey from Be More Chill

Ava Ford: I would love to do SIX and be Catherine of Aragon. 

What are your predictions for the next show?

Aidan Brennan: Godspell!

Clover Jones: I think it's going to be Chicago but I hope it will be Godspell 

Ava Ford: Either Chicago or Godspell. 

Interview with Mrs. McShane and Mr. Kulzer:

What has been your favorite part of working on Little Shop of Horrors this year? How has this experience compared to last year’s musical and previous musicals you’ve worked on?

Mcshane: My favorite part is definitely the students and being able to see my current students work with my past students.  We have a lot of ridiculous jokes in rehearsals and laugh a little too much.  It’s then neat to see that work turn into the incredible show the audience sees.  I would definitely say that this year’s cast made the process a lot more fun as I’m used to working with middle school casts who need more guidance, instead of just “change this, memorize this” and it being done.

Kulzer: My favorite part about working on this year’s show was getting to work with all the students on stage as well as the pit musicians. This was my first time ever conducting a musical like this so in that way this was very different from previous experiences. I learned a lot from pit directing this year that I hope to make use of in the future.

What are some challenges you faced working with the music for this play? How were you able to overcome these challenges?

McShane: The biggest challenge was illness honestly.  I don’t know if we necessarily overcame the challenge or if everyone just did their best to take care of their vocal health through illness with lots of guidance along the way. 

Kulzer: Some challenges for me were getting into the mindset of pit conducting as well as some physical challenges that I did not anticipate. Conducting a pit requires a deep understanding of the show because in order to be able to appropriately manipulate different elements, you need to know how it will affect other things around it. Also, you need to be able to keep track of where everyone is in the music and be able to manage any problems that may arise mid performance. One other challenge that may or may not be worth mentioning is actually how sore my arm got while holding it up and conducting for hours. By the end of the show I feel that my right arm increased its stamina tenfold!

Kulzer: Working on the musical has provided me with an opportunity to work with many students and adults I normally would not find myself working with. Many relationships were created and strengthened through this experience which I am very happy to have. As an orchestra teacher, I find myself far more focused on specific goals that pertain to students who are heavily influenced by me. As a pit director, my job is to lead the pit and stage musicians to realize the director’s vision and goals which was both enjoyable and different from what I do as an orchestra teacher in my classroom. 

All photos are courtesy of Smoking Monkey Pictures. View More Images at: https://smokingmonkeypictures.pixieset.com/littleshopofhorrors/