“They know their music and their lines. My god, I’ve done shows where they didn’t know their lines the week of the show,” said Charlie Krebs, professor of Theatre and Communication here at Lakeland.

Every year, the theater department hosts a play in the fall and a musical in the spring available to students, faculty and staff, family, and the public. This semester, the musical is Little Shop of Horrors, written by Howard Ashman and composed by Alan Menken. Seymour Krelborn, the main character, finds a Venus flytrap and discovers that it likes the taste of blood. Seymour pricks his finger and feeds the plant more blood and as a result, it grows to a very large size. In the end, the plant takes over the world.

“It’s such a fun show. I remember when I went to see it, I really enjoyed the show and I thought it would be fun,” Krebs said.

Although some of the rehearsals were cancelled due to the weather and school closing back in January, the cast and crew have continued to show their dedication and investment to the show.

“Rehearsals are going incredibly well, and the credit goes to how close we are as a cast. This group really feels like a family,” said Emily Sonntag, a junior at Lakeland University. Little Shop of Horrors is Sonntag’s third production and she is excited for its outcome.

Stagecraft students worked to create the different sized plants. “A lot of people rent these puppets, but the prices were exorbitant. The students discussed with me that they wanted to build it themselves. They built a frame, then took bendable hoses, tied them together, made a frame for the top and bottom, and covered it in chicken wire. They then took fiberglass and laid it over the chicken wire. They put rosin on top that melts the glass and covered it in green fabric,” Krebs said.

Professor Davis, the new choir director, taught the students why their characters would sing a song or sing a note. Krebs says that he has enjoyed collaborating with both Professor Davis and Dr. Chancellor, the band instructor, on ideas for next year’s musical.

“The fall play will be about the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. I like to mix it up a little bit. Poe is very dark and macabre and that can be very fun especially around Halloween,” Krebs says.

Little Shop of Horrors premieres in the Bradley Theater, Thursday April 4^th– Saturday April 6^th from 7:30 –8:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 7^th from 2-3 p.m. Tickets are either available online or for purchase in the Lauer Center.