Marlborough residents to star in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Marlborough-based MOONSTRUCK THEATER COMPANY, in association with Amazing Things Art Center of Framingham, is pleased to present the Tony Award winning musical Little Shop of Horrors, opening Friday, October 18, and running for seven performances through October 27. Performances will take place at Amazing Things Art Center, 160 Hollis St., Framingham, MA.

Little Shop of Horrors tells the tale of Seymour Krelborn, a floral assistant on Skid Row who purchases an exotic plant with a shocking secret. As Seymour leverages his newfound fame to woo his lovely coworker, Audrey, he also battles for control over the increasingly persistent perennial. This hilarious show is a both a loving send up of 1950s B-movies and a cautionary tale about the power of greed. Immortalized on film by Ellen Greene and Rick Moranis, with music by Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Newsies) and book & lyrics by Howard Ashman, Little Shop of Horrors is a theatrical experience like no other--just in time for Halloween!

Little Shop of Horrors features Marlborough residents Shannon Hinkley as Crystal, a street smart urchin who acts as part of a trio of narrators, Jonathan McCauley as Mushnik, the down-on-his-luck owner of the nominal flower shop, and Nick McKinnon as the Radio Announcer, Skip Snip, and a host of other characters.

Shannon Hinkley has participated in theater for almost 20 years, and most fondly recalls the first time she performed in Little Shop of Horrors 15 years ago. “This is the perfect show for the Halloween season!” Hinkley says, “It's a great combination of creepy, funny and campy with some very catchy music mixed in. Anyone who is a fan of 1950s sci-fi horror movies is sure to love this show!” When not performing, Shannon works full-time as a client service Relationship Advisor for Silicon Valley Bank out of Newton, MA.

Jonathan McCauley is performing for the fifth time with Moonstruck Theater Company, after spending the last four seasons playing Ernst Ludwig in Cabaret, Glen Guglia in The Wedding Singer, Mr. Myers in Fame, and Mr. McQueen in Urinetown. “Little Shop of Horrors has something for everyone,” says McCauley, “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll shriek, and you’ll have a heck of a good time.” Originally from Ohio, Jon is also a trained opera singer.

Nick McKinnon, a theater orchestra musician since the age of 12, was very familiar with the show before auditioning. “People have seen Little Shop of Horrors before, in either one of its musical forms or movie variations, and yet you can't help but get drawn to its characters and get engaged by the music every time,” says McKinnon “Moonstruck's cast and artistic crew have worked very hard to create top-notch productions year after year, and Little Shop… will be no different!” Off-stage, Nick is electrical engineer, working on military radars, and a competitive ballroom dancer.

The production is directed by Marlborough’s own Caroline Fonseca who has been performing all her life and founded Moonstruck Theater Company 8 years ago. “Little Shop of Horrors is a favorite that I've always wanted to do!"

Fonseca wants to ensure her audiences that this fun is a clever mix of thrills, chills and laughter, and is getting into the spirit of the show with special character meet-and-greet and costume contest events. “We've got this hugely funny and talented cast performing 1950s rock n' roll music like they're in some spooky silly movie with a talking venus flytrap--and it's going to be right around Halloween! I think cast and audience are going to have a lot of fun every night!” When not performing, directing, and producing, Caroline works as the Coordinator for the Dept of Visual & Critical Studies at the School for the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University.

Special Events:

MEET AUDREY II – Sunday, October 20th, 2pm performance

COSTUME CONTEST – Saturday, October 26th, 8pm performance