Cappies Reviews for Little Shop of Horrors

 Los Alamitos performs Little Shop of Horrors

     Little Shop of Horrors is about shy guy Seymour Krelborn, who becomes a big shot when he makes one of his plants literally become larger than life, there's just one problem; In order to make the plant grow, it needs blood, and Seymour has already given it 2 victims. However horrific this may sound, Los Alamitos puts on this production beautifully and does justice to the movie.

     Leading man Keith Ahlstrom who plays Seymour Krelborn shows his acting chops from the first half of the show to the second. Before he acclaimed his fame from the plant he was shy, soft spoken and didn't speak up. He was still soft spoken and shy in the second half but he stood up a little taller and it was clear to see his fame had done something to his confidence, and Ahlstrom managed to make those contrasts very clear. Ahlstrom also displays his range as far as singing abilities go. There were some songs that were deep and hearty but he was able to belt and hit the high notes that made the songs that much more memorable.

     The lighting in the show worked perfectly with the mood of each scene. There is a scene where Seymour and the plant are having an argument, and while they are yelling back and forth the lights in the background flash from blue to red rapidly, adding to the intensity of the scene. Jason Johnson who plays the Voice of the Plant deserves some recognition, his face was not shown throughout the entire production but his voice was felt. During his songs the way he changed his voice from high to low in quick succession gave everything a very eerie feel.

     Normally in a production, ensemble seems to be forgotten, and it seemed it would be the same with this production because it was only six girls. However, these six girls were apparent throughout the show and left something to be remembered by. Hasti Bakian who plays Crystal had a very powerful voice which made her stand out among the ensemble. Another noticeable ensemble member was Cambryelle Getter who played Carmen. She was one of the stand out dancers and her confidence was very clear on stage.

     In the production, accents were used throughout. Although it was slightly difficult to hear the lines and songs through the some of the accents, it was not enough to overpower how well done this production was. Los Alamitos has done it again.

by Noah Sanders of Cypress High School

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Los Al's Production of Little Shop of Horrors is Scary Good!

Los Alamitos' production of Little Shop of Horrors this past weekend was a scary good show!  Taking on their first main stage musical, the advanced drama students did a spectacular job portraying the famous and recognizable characters from the movie and Broadway version.

Keith Ahlstrom, a senior, played Seymour Krelborn and led the show through the wild twists and turns involving his boss, love interest, and the amazing plant he created. Even with the intensity of vocals, Keith did a wonderful job delivering the emotion and story through the songs. He took his character and ran with it, entertaining us with the funny awkwardness and development of his character.

Playing Audrey, the ditsy and unsure girl who comes to love and die for Seymour, was freshman Rylee Burchett. She shined the brightest during the duet "Suddenly Seymour" with Keith, showing off her powerful voice and displaying the fantastic on-stage chemistry between the two. Her accent added to her performance, adding humor to her lines. Being her first high school musical, she was awkward at first but quickly became comfortable and took over the stage.

The comedic relief was provided by Simon Martin, playing the crazy and obnoxious dentist Orin Scrivello. His antics were over the top and the audience interaction he provided only added to his hilarity. The reactions and expressive facials made each of his lines funnier than the one before.

Mrs. Mushnick, played by senior Tara Virgil, grounded all the crazy characters. As the harsh mother who took care of Seymour and owner of the flower shop on Skid Row, we saw most of her character through her movements and stage business, as well as through the songs that progressed the story line.

The Doo-Wop Girls Ensemble acted as narrators to the show, giving us background information through the songs and dances. Hasti Bakian as Crystal led the troupe of Skid Row girls with her strong vocals, and entertained us with their witty comments and sassy attitudes.

The puppet, operated by Alyssa Hahn and Kaylie Harrington and voiced by Jason Johnson, stole the show each time those massive plant jaws were opened. The Audrey II was developed only through its voice, and brought the drama to the comedic musical. The plant itself was huge and scary looking, alst realistic from the audience's perspective, especially when it gobbled up the actors on stage.

Lighting was designed by Evan Cusato and added to the overall mood of the show. When tensions were high a bright red color lit up the stage and in more romantic moments there was a soft pale purple.The execution was on point when emotions flipped on the drop of a hat, timing all of the changes perfectly.

The stage management crew made sure each scene change was seamless and flowed together to make sure the production never halted too long or kept the audience waiting. Jessie Winslow, Stephen Geller, Sabrina Gludt, Shelby Marsh, and kayla Wiggs made sure the show looked as professional as possible and changed each scene with as few complications as possible.

All in all, the show was fantastic, giving real emotion and chemistry between the characters, laughs and drama, as well as strong vocals, dances, and puppetry operation.







by Samantha Young of Cypress High School

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Los Alamito's "Little Shop of Horrors" leaves you wanting more!

Imagine a gigantic human eating plant in your neighborhood constantly hunger for more blood and flesh and a young desperate boy who cannot say no. Well last weekend, Los Alamitos High School discovered the dangers in Seymour's new cheap purchase of Audrey II in their production of "Little Shop of Horrors".

"Little Shop of Horrors" is a comedy horror rock musical composed by Alan Menken and written by Howard Ashman. It takes place in orphan living in an urban skid row where young Seymour Krelborn works at a floral shop that is really close to shutting down and so his boss and soon to be mom, Mrs.Mushnick, Audrey, the love of his life, and him are extremely desperate to save the business at the cost of anything.

Los Alamitos High School was anchored by their high energy and their deep understanding and portrayal of the script. Every member took charge of the stage and created a joyful and likable enthusiasm.

Rylee Burchett (Audrey) has an amazing voice that leaves people wanting more, especially in her performance in "Suddenly, Seymour". She maintains her accent all throughout the show, which is a very tough thing to do, and she accomplishes it beautifully. Keith Ahlstrom (Seymour Krelborn) is applauded for his obvious diversity between the first and second act, starting timid and nervous then developing confidence and strength. In addition, Simon Martin (Orin Scrivello) has excellent comedic timing and does an amazing job making his "laughing to death" look real and believable, in fact, makes it quite humorous.

The ensemble is extremely strong and definitely has some standouts. For example, Cambryelle Getter (Carmen) is really good at dancing, never off a beat or making an error. She leads the cast and is the source of all the energy in the dance numbers. Also, Hasti Bakian (Crystal) is an obvious leader of the Doo-Wop girls. To explain, throughout all the harmonies in the show, she has the strongest and most heard voice and has an outstanding solo.

The lighting is highly respected due to their talents of reflecting the mood onto the lights in the show. They have nice timing and smooth transitions that are much appreciated. Additionally, the costumes deserve a round of applause for their creation of diverse and detailed outcome that helps further the story.



by Jordan Chacon of El Dorado

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Little Shop of Los Alamitos

With this being their first main stage musical ever, Los Alamitos takes on the beast of Little Shop of Horrors with grace and confidence.

All the technical aspects are very well executed.  The lighting (Evan Cusato) does an amazing job of reflecting the tones of the scene.  For example, when Seymour sings the lighting is blue, Audrey II is red, and Audrey is light purple.  It gives great focus and emphasis on what is happening.   The stage crew moves the flower shop set efficiently and smooth.  Props by Miles Austin are creative and well made.  The dentist's gas mask is especially impressive.  Looking like a space helmet, it gives humor the scene and highlights how ridiculous the dentist really is.  The movement of the plant by Alyssa Hahn and Kaylie Harrington did of very good job of keeping in sync with the voice of the plant.

All the main characters of the show are very strong.  Seymour (Keith Ahlstrom) has a great voice and interacts really well with the plant.  He is a really dynamic character who develops nicely.  It is clear that he is nerdy in the beginning but as the show progresses he becomes more confident.  Audrey (Rylee Burchett) has a fantastic voice.  Especially with her thick accent, Rylee does a beautiful job of articulating all of her words.  In "Suddenly, Seymour" she is specifically powerful and emotional.  Orin, the dentist (Simon Martin) is simply hilarious with so much enthusiasm.  Like his character should be, Simon over exaggerated everything which adds humor.  His abusive relationship with Audrey is clear, it is most seen when he is talking to Seymour in the flower shop nicely but then yells at Audrey or when Audrey forgot her coat.  Mrs. Mushnick (Tara Virgil) is a strong embodiment of her character.  She plays that harsh business woman with humor.  She has strong, specific

  body movements which also add humor.

The ensemble adds a lot to the show as well.  The Doo-Wop girls are mostly in sync.  Hasti Bakian (Crystal) has a beautiful, demanding voice who stands out among the other girls.  Also, Cambryelle Getter (Carmen) and Macy Boren (Chiffon) are both excellent dancers.

Los Alamitos High School put on a humorous, different type of love story with good executions in every area.


by Leah Milhander of El Dorado

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Los Alamitos of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors performed by Los Alamitos High School is the story of a boy who's life is turned around the a plant that craves blood. The plant manipulates him.

Acting, dancing, and singing are above average. Although this is there first time performing in a high school musical, they are very professional and talented. Keith Ahlstrom as Seymour Krelborn is an outstanding singer and definitely has a talent for acting. Jason Johnson as the Voice of the Plant shows a lot emotion without actually being there on stage. Cambryelle Getter as Carmen is a great and fluent dancer. Rylee Burchett as Audrey is also a great actor and does an outstanding job at holding a high pitched voice throughout the show. Simon Martin as Orin Scrivello also does an amazing job with audience interaction. Overall, these aspects definitely are one of the best.

Costumes, make-up, and hair are decent.  Some parts of the costumes aren't of the time period, and they may be a little to inappropriate for dancing. The costumes are altogether modern clothes. Make-up is normal stage make-up for males and normal female make-up for females. Hair is modern also with some girls having it put up or down. Guys have clean cut parted hair. Altogether, Eligia Gonzalez did an ok job.

Sets, Lighting, and Stage-management are pretty good too. The sets are great with the plant progressively getting larger. The exiting of the shop at certain points is a little awkward because people would walk onto the stage from what would be the fourth wall of the shop. Lighting is powerful. There was a lot of mood lighting which was very interesting. And, stage-management follows the rest. The scene changes were very quick. But, some of the sound was too loud to hear the person singing or speaking. Also, some people were without microphones that should have had them.

Los Alamitos High School rocked the stage with some great dancing and singing.


by Zachary Taylor of El Dorado

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Don't Trust Plants

Usually plants are perceived as pretty, dainty nice things. In "Little Shop of Horrors" written by Howard Ashman and performed by Los Alamitos High School, this plant is the exact opposite.

This musical takes place in a dumpy little town called Skid Row where most people are in pretty bad shape such as being homeless and having a fifth grade education. Seymour Krelborn is an orphan who lives with and works for Mrs. Mushnick. Creating a unique plant, Seymour dubbed it Audrey II, after his co-worker and crush Audrey. The plant creates business for their shop but has a strange diet for fresh blood. Having to kill an abusive dentist and people he loved, Seymour finally decides to give up his success and tries to kill the plant but instead is killed by it.

Overall, the cast and crew held teamwork and togetherness by great interactions and intense emotion in every scene. For instance, many of the scenes consisted of multiple things going on at once but the audience was able to understand everything without being distracted.

Playing as Seymour Krelborn, Keith Ahlstrom became his part by stage presence and his character development. Keith gave his character awkwardness and clumsiness at the beginning but towards the end he held more confidence but still showed insecurity. Rylee Burchett held a clear and understanding accent the entire time when playing Audrey. Her best song was with Keith Ahlstrom when singing "Suddenly Seymour", her voice was very clear and filled with emotions.

For the supporting cast, Tara Virgil who portrayed Mrs. Mushnick held great stage presence and studied her character acutely in the way she walked and held posture. Even though you didn't see him, Jason Johnson voiced the plant Audrey II with great emotion. Being quite the hilarious character, The Dentist who was played by Simon Martin inhabited his character with his voice and movement, interacting with the audience and causing them to laugh.

In the technical area, the lighting designed by Evan Cusato was very well timed. Plus, the lighting held intense moments and showed colorful emotion, showing red when the plant was talking and blue when Seymour was.

With this performance, everything went smoothly, hilarity was ensued, and the performance quite lovely.


by Calysta Byers of Huntington Beach APA

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Impressive First Performance By Los Alamitos

Los Alamitos High School puts on their first musical in ten years, Little Shop of Horrors, and accomplishes an entertaining performance to watch.

In the Little Shop of Horrors, Seymour brings Mushnick's Flower Shop a new strange plant to display in the window of the shop located on Skid Row to drive in more customers. Only when he accidentally pricks his finger is when he realizes the new plant he names "Audrey 2" needs human blood to survive.

The cast of Little Shop of Horrors seem to put all their efforts into making the musical the best it can be, staying consistent in their energy level all the way to the end.  Even the roles that have no lines stay in character by doing things like nodding along to the music, yet never being a distraction.

Tara Virgil plays Mrs. Mushnick exceptionally well. Virgil strides across the stage with her head held high, and delivers her lines without falter.  It is very clear to see that she is comfortable with her character.  Rylee Burchett as Audrey is a freshman, and this musical is her first main stage performance. However, her acting does not portray that. Burchett captures her character well, and sings powerfully through her solos and duets.

Simon Martin as Orin Scrivello seems to be a perfect fit for the daring character. Unfearful to fulfill his role as the evil dentist, he acts with energy and even interacts with the audience making him captivating.  The doo-opp girls also keep their peppy energy through the show, and deliver some great solos with their powerful voices.

The lighting sets the mood for every act, like a red lighting when the plant starts demanding to be fed, and blue lighting when Rylee Burchett and Keith Ahlstrom sing their duet.  The costuming, especially on the doo-opp girls, is notable.  Like when the doo-opp girls come on stage with red dresses on, each one is designed a little different, but all match well together.  The stage management is also impressive. The moving of the shop set is quiet and quick, and every transition is smooth.

For Los Alamitos first musical in ten years, their production of Little Shop of Horrors is something to remember, though every aspect the show demands.

by Heather McCumber of Huntington Beach APA

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Feed Me Los Alamitos

An adopted boy and his mother, Mrs. Mushnick, are running an unsuccessful flower shop in Skid Row, but the shop suddenly is booming with business when the boy, Seymore Krelborn finds a mysterious plant after an eclipse. Set in 1950, Los Alamintos High School's production gives a hilarious twist to the satirical musical, "Little Shop of Horrors."

Keith Ahlstrom portrays the nerdy Seymore Krelborn perfectly with his geeky dancing and stuttering voice when he talks to his crush, Audrey. Rylee Burchett, although showing obvious nervous fidgeting and stance, sings sweet melodies with a surprisingly understandable accent shines as Audrey. The two did not show strong chemistry, but their harmonies override.

Mrs. Mushnick is effortlessly played by Tara Virgil as she sings "Mushnick and Son" with amusing, fake motherly actions. Articulation is sometimes lost, but strong vocals in each Doo Wop girl dominate. The voice of the plant, Audrey 2, Jason Johnson, depicts the plant flawlessly working with the Alyssa Hahn and Kaylie Harrington moving the plant's mouth together. Last but not least honorable mention is Simon Martin who, without a doubt, is the favorite out of all. As Orin Scrivello, Simon depicts the sadistic, yet knee slapping character when he transitions from bad boy to dentist in the song "Dentist!" which never fails to make the audience cry tears of joy.

Stage Manager, Jessie Winslow, keeps smooth transitions throughout. Also lighting designer, Evan Cusato, and lightboard operator, Joe Rios, made great choices making the lighting show the mood of each setting, plus queuing them faultlessly for fast changes.

Los Alamitos Drama Department's "Little Shop of Horrors" put on a comical production of how Audrey 2 dominated the world.



by Gabby Yang of Irvine High School

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Los Alamitos High School gave an eye catching performance of Little Shop of Horrors with a combination of talented acting, singing, and great technical aspects.

The story follows awkward Seymour Krelborn (Keith Ahlstrom) through his journey from a down on his luck florist to a guy that has everything he has ever wanted. But his fortune does not come cheap, because the secret to his success is a man eating plant that promises Seymour anything he wants and more if he just feeds him human blood. Tempted by idea of Aubrey (Rylee Burchett) loving him he helps the plant find his next meal, but this sends him down a dark path he might never get off of.

Keith Ahlstrom gave an entertaining performance of Seymour Krelborn. In the beginning of the musical his subtle but distinct body movements brought to life his awkward personality and provided good contrast with his later more confident posture when he had achieved most everything the plant promised him. Ahlstrom's counterpart Aubrey, played by Rylee Burchett, also gave a great performance. She had an accent that was high and squeaky and her constant and steady delivery of it, even when she was singing, gave her good character. Ahlstrom and Burchett's contrasting characters give the couple interesting chemistry and make them a curious duo. They both had engaging chemistry with each other and it gives the story an even more emotional feel.

Moreover, the thing that made this show so eye catching was the design and flawless execution of the lighting by Evan Cusato. It provided the proper mood for each scene and some times each character. When Keith Ahlstrom and Jason Johnson sang together Cusato provided contrast between the two characters. Whenever Ahlstrom was singing the background light was a light blue to show he is a good hearted character, then it quickly transitions to a deep red color when Johnson is singing his part. As the musical progresses Ahlstrom's singing begins to be cast in the deep red as well, showing how the plant has corrupted him.

Overall the entertaining characters that were brought to life by the actors, and the exceptional technical aspects made Los Alamitos High School's performance of Little Shop of Horrors one to remember.









by JJ Riddle of Irvine High School

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Everyone's Crazy on Skid Row

"Little Shop of Horrors" at Los Alamitos is the story of a financially struggling group of florist workers. When one of them discovers a new, mysterious, carnivorous plant, business is booming.

Ahlstrom shows incredible emotion throughout the performance, never failing to be passionate about his character's mood, whether it be anger or love. This passion assists in defining and distinguishing Audrey II's (the plant's) character. Ahlstrom has a phenomenal singing voice when singing in multiple moods throughout the production.

Orin Scrivello, played by Simon Martin is insane, demented, and an abusive boyfriend. Being a dark character, he still does not fail to add comic relief in times of need. During one musical number, Martin saunters into the audience, talking to them and interacting with them, while still remaining completely in character. He then walks back on stage and pulls it off as if he never left the scene at all, creating a seamless, interactive experience.

Throughout the performance, lighting visualizes mood and tone of certain scenes. For example, scenes depicting the plant's hunger and/or anger often included a reddish lighting, whereas more calm, neutral scenes with Seymour may have been various other colors such as blue or white.

Multiple moving props were involved in carrying out the part of the plant. During the beginning of the show the plant was generally small and had minimal movement. By the end of the show, the plant was large enough to completely engulf a character, opening its mouth wide enough to where a character standing next to it would be just as tall. About four or five different pieces were used to effectively express the different sizes and growth states.

The show was brought together by a combination of visual effects, music, and acting. Los Alamito's performance of "Little Shop of Horrors" was phenomenal and professional both visually and auditorily.

by Megan Brown of Irvine High School

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Los Alamito's rendition of Little Shop of Horrors follows the story of Seymour Krelbourn, a lonely sweeper who uses a newly found plant to gain attraction for the Mushnick Garden Shop. However, the bloodthirsty plant begins to demand more in order to grow, slowly overtaking every aspect of Seymour's life, leading him to commit noxious deeds and his inexorable fall.

Addressing each character directly with much enthusiasm and clarity, Keith Ahlstrom portrays the fastidious yet ambitious Seymour Krelborn. His endearing character faces a wide range of emotions, all of which shone through his performance through various overjoyed and pained expressions in combination with his trenchant vocal inflection. In such a place as Skid Row, he sticks out as one of the less outgoing characters; shrinking away as the more overpowering Orin Scrivello, played by Simon Martin, appears, demanding the audience's attention as he sings of his pain-inflicting dentistry while leaping on and off the stage with much vivacity.

Rylee Burchett thrives as the tremulous Audrey, using her soft yet strong vocals and accent in combination with Krelborn's to emphasize the duo's love in "Suddenly, Seymour", where the two slowly melt into each other and hope to begin a new life together. In the duet, Audrey learns to love the girl she is without all of her makeup and hopes that together, they might find a place to live, perhaps somewhere that's green, far from Skid Row.

Mrs. Mushnick, performed by Tara Virgil, is a hard woman, caring only of her shop, and slowly grows more prideful through the show, as she puffs out her chest and keeps her fists clenched. Her strong vocals command her employees as they meekly follow orders with silent reactions, realizing her position on stage.

 The stage management, led by Jessie Winstow, flawlessly moves the set pieces into position, ready for another scene in the little shop. Additionally, the movement of the plant itself, done by Alyssa Hahn and Kaylie Harrington, perfectly matches the tempo and articulation of the voice, beautifully sang by Jason Johnson, whose voice brought out the more sinister nature of the plant. Lighting, done by Evan Cusato, brought out the contrast between the plant and Seymour, as red and blue flashed in between their lines.

With their various talents, the cast and crew of Los Alamitos came together and created a fantastic show to remember.


by Zoya Ansari of Irvine High School

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Little Show of Talent

On the rugged street of Skid Row, outside Mushnick's Flower shop a boy named Seymour tries to save the store with his exotic plant, who just happens to live off of human blood. As this exotic plant keeps on growing, so does its hunger for humans. Los Alamitos's take on the musical Little Shop of Horrors shows the audience that fame and love aren't worth your or others' lives.

Seymour played by Keith Ahlstrom moves around stage as the dorky character who's in love with Audrey, another worker in Mushnick's Flower shop. Audrey played by Rylee Burchett and Seymour display strong vocals in songs such as "Suddenly Seymour". Although the actor's chemistry falter at times, the duos individual characters show strength and dedication. The exotic plant, titled "Audrey II" was very neatly operated by Alyssa Hahn and Kaylie Harrington, and voiced by Jason Johnson. The group does very well to stay in sync with the movement of the plant's mouth and the plants speaking. Johnson also does very well with strong singing vocals and a very haunting voice to portray the hungry plant.

Orin Scrivello portrayed by Simon Martin leaves the audience in fits of laughter as he runs about the stage, and the audience, being the scary dentist. Martin displays Strength in his singing and in his acting as he switches between cracking jokes and yelling at Audrey with ease. The show receives scenes of comic relief from Tare Virgil as Mrs. Mushnick as well. The actress struts around stage in a frumpy manner portraying the frazzled store owner. Her consistent accent and uplifting humor drives much of the show.

The ensemble fills the stage throughout the show. The upbeat group, although not the strongest vocally, are filled with energy and charisma as they sit as a street bum or offer Seymour a contract. As well as the ensemble as a whole the Doo-Wop girls, a group of 6 rebellious school drop outs serving as the chorus to help move the story, are filled with energy. Hasti Bakian as Crystal stood out for her powerful singing solos. The group of girls continues to engage the audience with their strong dancing and sharp movements.

The show's technical does a lot to add to this fun musical. The props team led by Miles Austin dresses the stage in a necessary way. The shop's flower arrangements are a nice addition to the set, and develop to grow with the plot. The lighting, designed by Evan Cusato, and operated by Joe Rios, is executed in a lovely way. The mood set by the lighting gives emotion to the scene accenting the actors well.  With the combined talents of cast and crew, Los Alamitos' production of "Little Shop of Horrors" serves its audience an entertaining and lively performance.


by Jessy Nelson of Laguna Hills High School

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Don't Feed the Plants at Los Alamitos

A quirky boy, a sadistic dentist, a naïve sweetheart, and a gang of girls who spend their time annoying a down on her luck flower shop owner, it must be Los Alamitos's production of Little Shop of Horrors. The story of how a man eating plant changes the lives of the citizens of Skid Row is brought to life by wonderful actors, creative designs, and a hard working stage crew.

Keith Ahlstrom portrays Seymour as the young want-to- be botanist with is quirky voice, a shyness onstage that later grows to confidence as his plant friend grows bigger and his love for Audrey grows stronger. Rylee Burchett as the sweet and naïve Audrey is adorable with the high pitched squeak that is so iconic of her character. Her genuine nature fills the stage as she cowers from her biker boyfriend, and busies herself in the flower shop on Skid Row. The plant who goes by a similar name of Audrey II, is voiced by Jason Johnson, whose power and style are unique and delightful.

The owner of Mushnick's flower shop is Mrs. Mushnick, who the talented Tara Virgil portrays as the greedy, and grumpy owner Mrs. Mushnick is. As the flower shop faces problems Virgil brings laughter with her hunched shoulders, and constant grimace. As Audrey II brings the store its fame Virgil brings out the power the success has over Mrs. Mushnick. Mirroring Virgil's comic abilities is Simon Martin, and his version of the sadistic boyfriend Orin Scrivello. Our worst dental visit nightmares are all rolled into a leather jacket and a helmet of Nitrous Oxide, and goes by the name of Orin Scrivello. Martin's over exaggeration of body movements, arms flailing, body convulsing, as Orin dies from suffocation, are hysterical.

The show's technical designs and execution are strong and apparent throughout the show. The costume designs, done by Eligia Gonzalez, and the prop coordinator, Miles Austin, show how Audrey 2 has changed Skid Row, taking the drab and dingy to vibrant and exciting. Matching the different moods of each character Evan Cusato uses his light design to enhance each seen, using soft pinks in moments of romance, and a powerful red in order to show the pure evil of the Audrey II.


by Sabrina Thompson of Pacifica High School

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A spectacle with teeth

Your typical horror story, Little Shop of Horrors is not. Unlike standard horror stories, that makes the audience gasp and shriek in horror, Little Shop of Horrors is rather a comedy with a horror story woven into it. Whether it's the dancing hobos, the over-the-top mad scientist, or the ditziness of a girl who just wants a "normal life", the comedy of Los Alamitos High School's Little Shop of Horrors is what is making everyone want to buy that golden ticket.

A story about a man who just wants to make things right, ends up making things terribly wrong. A story about a woman who wants to escape her life and live quintessentially but who ends up being eaten by a giant plant. Little Shop of Horrors has an interesting plot, you might say. Los Alamitos High School's first musical, Little shop of horrors is an astounding start to a line up of musicals to come.

As the audience takes their seats and the lights dim, the streets of dumpy Skid Row come alive with beggars and bums. The whimsical Audrey (Rylee Burchett)  tip toes onstage, with a pencil dress and netted tights, to find the tenacious Mrs. Mushnick (Tara Virgil) awaiting her arrival. Seymour (Keith Ahlstrom) wanders on stage, clutching his nerd glasses and stooping over, a geekiness that later dynamically changes into a masculinity but who is riddled by his own self doubts and fears. The mechanically explicit works of audrey two (Alyssa Hahn and Kaylie Harrington as the mechanics) was creepy in it's own green self and was even more chilling after adding the voice (Jason Johnson) , consistent in it's singing and acting.

The lights dim as Audrey flawlessly tackles "Somewhere thats Green" and never once looses her accent. As the now troubled Seymour stands angrily fighting with the 6 foot tall plant, Audrey two, the lights turn red, expressing the anger in his words as well as the plants accentuating presence.

The simplicity of the 1960's costumes is what makes for a great show, and is what keeps each character consistent with the setting of the low class urban town. Although some costumes were not exactly time era appropriate, Los Alamitos High School played off the rock musical's grungy look with flying colors.

A musical chock-full of eerie comedy and talking plants, Los Alamitos High School's Little Shop of Horrors will unhesitatingly entertain and enthrall.


by Josie Bachman of University High School