[Theater] Blue Repertory's Little Shop of Horrors This July

[Updated July 20, 2011] New press release included below with the updated show dates.

I always like supporting school theater groups - you'd be surprised at the level of talent that you just might encounter there.

I've been a fairly regular support of Ateneo's Blue Repertory theater group given how I have friends involved with them along with the fact they put up some great musicals. And it looks like this July they're starting with a pretty awesome one.





Little Shop of Horrors is an Alan Menken - Howard Ashman musical based on the 1960's black comedy of the same name. While I never saw the original movie, I'm sure a lot of you share my appreciation for the 1986 movie musical that starred Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Steve Martin.

Personally, I'm quite curious as to how the group is going to manage the show since the "star" is actually a talking plant with an appetite for meat. But then I bet that was probably one of the most fun parts of the story as well.

For more information about the show and how to get tickets, the official press release can be found after the jump.

DON'T FEED THE PLANTS!
The Ateneo Blue Repertory brings you its 20th Season Premiere, Little Shop of Horrors

In the old days it was all about selling your soul to the devil for fame and fortune. But ever heard of selling it to an evil, man-eating Venus Flytrap from outer space?

With all the pressures in a fast-paced world obsessed with money and beauty, it isn’t hard to imagine that anyone would do absolutely anything to fulfill their dreams – whether through hard work or Faustian deals. But with the allure of earning fast bucks and becoming overnight sensations, shady businesses have become a lot more common.

Even the honest-to-goodness nice guys aren’t immune to this kind of temptation, and Seymour Krelborn is one of them. He is the protagonist of Little Shop of Horrors, a black comedy musical satirizing old-school sci-fi movies and one of the longest running Off-Broadway shows of all time. This July 2011, the Ateneo Blue Repertory presents Little Shop of Horrors as its 20th season’s premiere.

Since its beginnings in 1991, blueREP has delighted local audiences with shows that celebrate the artistry of the Filipino performer. blueREP has a diverse range of shows under its belt having staged musicals like Pippin, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Stages of Love, Bare: A Pop Opera, and Hair.

“For our 20th season, our theme is man's inner struggle, and the clash between the beasts within us and our humanity,” says Ejay Yatco, blueREP’s Artistic Director. “Seymour, the lead character of the play, faces this struggle when he is offered everything he ever wanted but at a great cost. Little Shop of Horrors is the first of three plays this year that will move our audiences to ask the question ‘Who is the man? Who is the Beast?’”

With book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, Little Shop of Horrors is the story of a miserable shopkeeper’s yearning for a better life and a chance at love, all encouraged by a devious plant who manipulates him into quenching its thirst for blood and world domination in exchange for his heart’s desires. Thus, he must choose between right and wrong, all for the sake of a bit of glory.

Directed by Toff de Venecia (director of blueREP’s All Shook Up and Freakshow) and Musical Direction by blueREP’s Artistic Director Ejay Yatco (musical director of blueREP’s Edges), blueREP’s Little Shop of Horrors runs from August 10 - 27 at the Fine Arts Theater, Ateneo de Manila University. Tickets are P199 each. Please contact Mica Fajardo at 09178908795 for ticket inquiries and reservations.