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| Photo Provided By Stratford Festival. Taken By David Cooper |
It’s been a busy week in nearby Stratford Ontario. Earlier in the week we attended the opening
night festivities for Billy
Elliot at the Stratford Festival theatre, but we found out there was a
“growing” buzz in Downtown about a larger than life show at the Stratford Avon
Theatre. The Opening Night of Little
Shop of Horrors was one for the nostalgia books. This musical brings you back to the 60s era
and feeds your soul with that Motor City Sound.
The show opens outside the dilapidated Mushnik Flower Shop, a florist
without a flourishing business. In fact,
even the sign outside is in need of repair.
There three singers sing the show’s
theme that foreshadows the events soon to follow. Inside the shop we find Mr. Mushnik awaiting
the arrival of his staff member Audrey, who longs to live a domestic life in
the suburbs and soon after Seymour, an orphan that Mushnik took in to help take
care of the flower shop. Seymour has grown into a bumbling botanist and upon
learning that the lack of sales is forcing the shutdown of the business, he and
Audrey introduce a new plant to the store’s display window and it has an
immediate impact. Mushnik sees how the
instant advertising ploy of a new plant species can make his sales sprout and insists
that Seymour keep it alive at all costs.
This sets the stage for the flower store to become a Little Shop of
Horrors.
While Seymour is busy bargaining with the plant to grow, a mishap
with some pruning shears results in the discovery that the plant has a taste
for human blood. Seymour begins secretly
providing the plant with his blood and as the plant grows bigger and stronger
so does Seymour’s popularity and financial stability. This makes Mushik’s sales peak and Audrey’s
interest in Seymour begins to peak as well.
When he can no longer provide the plant the quantities it requires
Seymour is forced to do some soul searching.
He can either let the plant die and take with it his recent success or
keep himself in demand with both Mushnik and Audrey by selling his soul to the
plant.
This musical has notes of horror, hilarity and heart-warming
scenes that brings the audience back to the soul decade. I even did my best to dress the part.
The show keeps everyone eagerly awaiting to see if the plant
is to become a growing concern to those involved.
We think Little Shop of Horrors at the Stratford Avon
Theatre would make a wonderful PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT.
We also think that families will enjoy the ridiculousness of
the blood thirsty plant. For us it conjured
up memories of the Muppets
when Big Mean Carl who would devour the other characters in the show or
really anything that was within his grasp.
If your kids love those scenes then chances are, they will love this too!
Find Your Way to the Stratford Festival
The Stratford Festival Theatre is less than an hour from Kitchener
Waterloo by car, but don’t fret if you don’t have a vehicle. They
have introduced a round trip shuttle that picks up and drops off in front on
Angie’s Kitchener on Erb St. in Waterloo. The $19 price for the
shuttle service is in addition to the price of the performance tickets. For
those a little further from the area there are also shuttles from Toronto and
Vaughn ($29 for shuttle service from these areas). Get all the info
at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/whatson/busbooking
Grab
Your Tickets Before They Are Gone
Once the word gets out it may be difficult to get tickets, but
right now there are several promotional prices available for this must see
musical!
Save on performances from now until June 24 by visiting https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/spring
New for this year, the Stratford Festival Theatre has introduced
the BRAVO ZONE with tickets for $41 which includes the fees! Also be
sure to check out their 2-for-1 Evenings deal that will happen all season long
and we know our readers are often looking for deals on tickets for their kids. Find
the $18.50 kids promo info at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/DiscountsAndDeals/Deals/Kids-Tickets
Don’t see a deal that best suits you yet? Then visit the Little
Shop of Horrors ticket page at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Little-Shop-of-Horrors/BuyTickets
and under the SAVE ON YOUR TICKETS listing you can see all the ticket deals
available in their drop down menu or by calling the box office toll free at
1-800-567-1600
For more info about the Stratford Festival be sure to visit these
links
Website: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratfest
Instagram: https://instagram.com/stratfest
Let us know about the show! Are you going to see Little Shop of
Horrors at the Avon Theatre in Stratford? We want to know what your thoughts
were. Leave a comment below!
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