May • PHOTO BY WILL OKUN
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• PHOTO BY ELOISE WESCOTT
• PHOTO BY VICTOR RIOS LUVIANO
(Left) Cast members celebrate before their first performance. (Middle) The three urchins portrayed by Eva Mills, Madeline Strobel, and Norah Laughinghouse. (Right) Production Director Monique Taylor poses in front of prop Audrey II.
Student talent shined bright in Little Shop of Horrors
By Eden Mae Richman
important, especially to the seniors, because For this year’s musical production, River- due to the pandemic, they were deprived of performances for much of their high school side presented Little Shop of Horrors. The cast and crew performed the show three careers. “So many seniors wanted to times, on the evenings of April do a show before they left,” 21 through 23. "We're Taylor said. The show featured Seymour Devon Cholon, stage manKrelborn (Senior Donnel Esbringing ager and junior graduating tes), an orphan taken in by a together all of early this June, agreed. kind, albeit stingy, floral shop “It’s my magnum owner in Skid Row, a seedy these people a way,” she said. opus in part of the city. In a desperate from different Additionally, due to the attempt to save the failing pandemic issuing a harsh stop shop, Seymour cultivates an walks of life to theater, the show presented exotic plant, Audrey II, named together on this a learning opportunity for after his love interest, which many performers. he soon learns consumes project." “Most of our cast is novice, human flesh. meaning they have never Seymour begins to feed performed in a show before, characters to the plant, includtheater teacher or they’re entirely new to ing Audrey’s evil boyfriend. theater,” Taylor said. As the plant grows, he accuMonique Taylor Opening night had the usual mulates both fame and guilt. slight kinks, from microphone The impressive set depicted feedback to a loud band that the florist shop, the heart of at times drowned out the cast. Yet, the cast which was a massive $2,000 venus fly trap displayed unflappable professionalism. As rented from Cary High School that fully they powered right through, their talent shined. swallowed the characters upon their deaths. One of these exceptional talents was Joseph “The musical is a collaborative project with Walker, playing the evil Dentist Orin Scrivello. the whole cultural arts team,” said production They successfully milked every bit of comedy director Monique Taylor. “We combine chofrom the dentist’s hilarious and sinister solo. rus, theater, visual arts, technical theater, and From energetic, full-body choreography to orchestra. We’re bringing together all of these exceptional vocals, Walker left the audience people from different walks of life together guffawing in their bright and short-lived life on on this project.” stage. The sharp juxtaposition of the shocking This massive production takes place every other year, and this year was especially cruelty of the dentist’s on stage persona with
Walker’s amiable flamboyance off stage only school population,” Taylor said. For Little Shop of Horrors, this means added to the hilarity. Another standout was senior Chris Hammet, casting Adilene Alantis, a Latina actress, who nailed Mr. Mushnik, the Jewish florist for traditionally white character Audrey, shop owner and eventual adoptive father. and white students Norah LaughingHammet mastered a Yiddish New York accent, house, Eva Mills, and Madeline Strobel as which he gracefully blended into his dynam- the trio of urchins, typically depicted by ic solos. I appreciated the many references black actresses. This proved to be a very to Yiddish words I’ve grown up with, like effective choice, because all four actresses boychiks, shticks, mensches, and mishegoss. displayed exceptional vocals that wowed His stage presence was unmatched, and if it the audience. The true tragedy, aside wasn’t publicized in the program, I would have from Audrey’s heart-wrenching death, had no idea that this was his first production. was that due to technical difficulties And of course, the extraordinary talent of with microphones, it was difficult to hear their voices, especially the lead Donnel Estes playing urchins. However, the trios' Seymour Krelborn. This Above all else, charismatic choreography was only Estes’second procompensated for filling in any duction and first musical the incredible auditory gaps. production, yet he carried Above all else, the incredthe show like someone feat of producing ible feat of producing a muwho had been performa musical sical production less than a ing for years. Cholon production less year after the pandemic left remarked that her role as empty, is truly stage manager has given than a year after classrooms remarkable. her the unique opportunity “We were faced with many the pandemic to watch Estes blossom, challenges coming back from from doing a little dance left classrooms the pandemic,” Taylor adevery time he correctly mitted, from limited pools of empty, is truly performed a line in his students to a lack of common first show, Ghosts in the remarkable. periods, the great asset of a Machine, to dominating diversity of perspectives also the stage. proved to be a challenge. In an attempt to best Yet, the cast, crew, and directors perseshowcase Riverside’s talent, the directors vered, and delivered an exceptional and chose to do colorblind casting. “In our school we choose to always go hilarious performance. for diversity to reflect our multicultural
