Area youth groups invited to July 13 ‘Little Shop’ matinee
WINONA, Minn. — Area youth groups are invited to a reduced-price showing of this summer’s Gilmore Creek “Little Shop of Horrors” production. After the show, the groups will have the unique opportunity to meet the professional actors — including the show’s horticultural humorous horror star, Audrey II.
Youth groups of eight or more and their chaperones are invited to the 3 p.m. matinee of Little Shop of Horrors on Sunday, July 13, at Saint Mary’s University’s Page Theatre. Suitable for children 10 and above, Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken is a musical based on the film by Roger Corman and screenplay by Charles Griffith. A down-and-out floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a strange craving for fresh blood. Soon “Audrey II” grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in trade for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature set for global domination! The show —under the direction of Judy Myers — has been described as charming, tuneful and hilarious, with tongue planted in cheek. Anthony Freeman is providing musical direction.
Tickets are $5 each for youth and their chaperones (one adult per eight youth) and are available for purchase through the Performance Center box office, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., by phone (507) 457-1715, or at the box office. These specially priced tickets are not available online.
“We want to provide kids with an opportunity to experience live professional theatre in a beautiful setting,” stated Patrick Grace, general manager of the Performance Center. Grace invites young audiences to bring a bag lunch and enjoy a picnic on the greens of the SMU campus before settling in for an afternoon of song, drama, and summer fun. Study guides for pre- or post-show activities are also available by contacting the box office.
As a special treat, immediately after the show, the actors and Audrey II will meet and greet the audience inside the theatre. Participants can learn the secrets of theatrical plant life, see up close how the puppet works, and ask the actors questions.
The professional actors of Gilmore Creek will present “The Foreigner” and “Little Shop of Horrors” in repertory with the children’s story “The Mouse Expedition” July 10 through Aug. 3. “The Foreigner” and “Little Shop of Horrors” will be staged at Saint Mary’s Page Theatre, and audiences can catch “The Mouse Expedition” at the Valéncia Academy Theatre, located at 1164 W. 10th St.
Tickets are available for any of the Gilmore Creek shows from the SMU Box Office or online at www.pagetheater.org. Tickets to “The Foreigner” and “Little Shop of Horrors” are $20; $18 for seniors or $12 for youth ages 12-18. Family and group packages are available. Tickets to “The Mouse Expedition” are $8.
