Like a blooming flower the Mainstage performers will be reaching for new heights as the curtain goes up on opening night of Little Shop of Horrors Friday.

Grade 12 student Alex Uhlenberg, left, plays Audrey opposite Grade 12 student Quyen Bui, who plays Seymour. They are downtrodden lovers in the dark comedy Little Shop of Horrors. The Alberta High School of Fine Arts’ Mainstage program is presenting the musical starting on Feb. 5 and running until Feb. 13. photo by Tamara Neely

It’s a transformation the students in the Mainstage program at the Alberta High School of Fine Arts have been practicing since September. Starting on Friday, the cast of 25 will delight the audience with the comedy of how a prickly plant that feeds on human blood helps two downtrodden people find true love.

To help the students step into their characters artistic director James Keary had the students delve into what makes their characters tick. The students not only studied the script notes about who their characters are, they explored all corners of the characters’ personalities.

“We spent a month and a half focusing on details of our character, which, I think, has brought our performance to a really, really high level,” said Grade 12 student Alex Uhlenberg.

She has performed in the Mainstage production for three years and is ecstatic to be one of two performers playing the lead role of Audrey.

Uhlenberg and Grade 12 student Ashley Kendall will be alternating as Audrey during the seven performances between Feb. 5 and Feb. 13.

“I did a lot of background research for this character. I got onto the internet and rented B movies from the 1950s and 1960s. And I researched characters of that time that I think Audrey would have idolized, like Doris Day, Sandra Dee and Donna Reid,” said Uhlenberg.

As a result, Uhlenberg knows her character well and speaks of her like a friend. However, Audrey has been a challenging role for Uhlenberg because Audrey isn’t just a pretty flower. Audrey struggles because she loves a man who is violent towards her and Uhlenberg has had to figure out how to get into the mind of a woman who stays in an abusive relationship.

“It’s a very dark subject to put into a musical,”  said Uhlenberg. “It’s interesting trying to play a victim. She expresses that she’s scared to fall in love with Seymour (the leading male character, played by Quyen Bui and Evan Lobe) because she’s had all these abusive men in her life — starting with her dad. So it would be completely out of where she’s comfortable to be in an equal partnership relationship because she’s always been the scum in the relationship.

“But she’s also willing to fall in love.”

The humour in the story keeps the musical light, despite the heavy themes.

“She’s heartbreaking. She goes through this horrible stuff in her life, yet, she has a very positive outlook on life and she dreams and hopes and she always carries that hope through the show — which is one of the many things I love about this character,” said Uhlenberg.

Arriving at this depth of understanding has been as tricky as it is rewarding.

“One of the challenges has been completely diving into the character and not putting up any boundaries,” said Uhlenberg.

Grade 11 student Evan Lobe experienced the same challenge. He plays Seymour opposite Ashley Kendall’s Audrey. Some days he found it tricky to let go of his own life to start living Seymour’s life on stage.

Erica Gorieyu, left, Evan Lobe, Courtney Florence and Ashley Hoover perform in Little Shop of Horrors. photo by Tamara Neely

“You first clear your mindset of anything that happened in your day and then I put myself in Seymour’s shoes,” said Lobe. “It all depends on how your day panned out. Sometimes it’s hard, because, as an example, if you failed a test you don’t want to do anything. It’s hard to get into character because you didn’t have a good day and you’re not feeling it.

“That’s a lot harder than if you were ready and prepared.”

After five months of rehearsals, including six weeks of in-depth character development, Lobe knows how to be Seymour. Now, he’s feeling anxious and excited about singing in front of the audience.

“I’m so nervous,” said Lobe. “I haven’t really sang in front of big audiences before. So it’s a cool opportunity and I’m really excited about it.”

His role requires hitting some high notes, notes out of his normal range. In order to reach them, vocal director Nicole Hounjet taught him a new way to breathe. He’ll have to keep that in mind when the spotlight is on him and the song is carrying him up towards to the high notes while his friends and family watch his every move.

“You can’t hit a high note if you breathe from your chest. You have to breathe from your diaphragm,” said Lobe.

Lobe and his classmates are the 20^th cast, crew and orchestra to learn about the demands and expectations of producing a live musical through the successful Mainstage program, which celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year.

Little Shop of Horrors will open on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. The gala, which includes dinner, is on Feb. 6. The show continues on Feb. 9, 11 and 12. On Feb. 13 there is a matinee and an evening show.

Ashley Kendall, who plays Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, sings during a rehearsal on Jan. 29. photo by Tamara Neely

Tickets are $15 for evening shows, $10 for the matinee and $45 for the gala. Tickets for the gala must be reserved in advance and reserving ahead is recommended for the other performances, as well. For tickets call 403-540-6574.

tneely@okotoks.greatwest.ca

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