April 1, 2025 • 28 mins
A 1200-pound puppet in two massive crates. A first-time actor at age 54. A female voice for the traditionally male Audrey II. This is not your average Little Shop of Horrors—and that's precisely what makes it special.
The creative team behind 7th Street Community Theater's upcoming production sits down to reveal how they're transforming this beloved cult musical for their intimate stage. Director Juan Luis Torres and his cast—including Derek Ashley-Macumber (Seymour/Costume Designer), Mark Agers (Mushnik), and Adam Carl-Payton (Orin)—share their personal connections to a show that has captivated theater lovers for generations.
What emerges is a fascinating look at the balance between honoring tradition and introducing fresh perspectives. While audiences will get the professional-quality puppets they expect (arriving in two enormous crates weighing 400 and 800 pounds), they'll also experience innovations like expanded roles for the urchins and thoughtful color theory in the costumes, with greens representing envy and reds symbolizing sin as the plant's influence grows.
The conversation delves into practical challenges unique to community theater: How do you fit a six-foot man-eating plant and a dentist's chair on a tiny stage? How do eight performers master complex harmonies when every voice matters? And how does a theater community rally together to make the impossible possible?
Most touching is Mark's story of auditioning for his very first show at 54, sitting with professional performers at the first table read, and thinking, "These folks have legit skills... this is not just a little fun thing." His journey represents the heart of community theater—a place where passion and dedication matter more than experience.
From inside jokes about troublesome vocal lines to the excitement of "Mother coming home" (their affectionate term for the plant puppet's arrival), the enthusiasm is contagious. As one cast member puts it: "It's a show you're going to want to see twice."
Get your tickets now for what promises to be an unforgettable, intimate encounter with a musical that reminds us why we love theater. Just remember: don't feed the plants!
Weekends April 11th through 26th $20 general admission -- $17 seniors and students
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
That's what's sort of fun about it, right is there's
an absurdity to it all and yetwe're playing these parts that
are just existing in that.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Welcome to Steps to the Stage.
A 7th Street community theaterpodcast.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Hello and welcome to Steps to the Stage, the
community theater podcast, wherewe talk to theater
professionals you know and love.
I'm Marlee Lane, your guesthost, and today, for the next
production, little Shop ofHorrors, we have four very
special guests.
Speaker 5 (00:27):
My name is Derek Ashton-McCumber, I'm playing
Seymour Crowborn, and I'm alsodesigning the costumes for the
production as well.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Oh hey, my name is Juan Luis Torres and I will be
directing Little Shop of Horrorsand set design and finger and
everything.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Hi, I'm Mark Agers.
I'll be playing Mr Mushnik andhanging on tightly as we go.
Speaker 6 (00:51):
My name is Adam Carl-Payton and I am playing the
dentist Oren.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Amazing.
I'm very excited for thisproduction.
I love Little Shop of Horrors,so I would love to start out
with what's your firstinteraction with a movie, the
musical, anything.
So we'll start over here.
What's your first time you gotintroduced to Little Shop of
Horrors?
Speaker 6 (01:11):
Yeah, I kind of grew up a theater nerd, like probably
everyone in this room, and mymom always took us to see shows
and for some reason this wasjust the cult show everyone did
in the 90s, I think.
So I cannot count how manytimes I've seen interesting,
good and bad performances ofthis musical Right, but yeah, I
just knew it growing up as a kidand then obviously the movie
(01:32):
was such a staple and then somany revivals over the years on
Broadway, even off Broadway.
Now it's just kind of cool tosee the legacy continue.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, I don't know if it was the very first, but it
was, I think, close to the firstmusical theater production I
ever saw at a local communitytheater.
It would have been in the 80s,I guess, and it just, you know,
just a fun show, right.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So immediately captured your interest.
Yeah, for me it was one of thefirst shows that wasn't Rodgers
and Hammerstein, right Like.
I grew up with the Sound ofMusic, you know, in Oklahoma,
and then this show when I saw itrandomly on TV I was like what
is this?
You know the rock and theperiod.
(02:13):
I just love everything about it, you know.
And of course, haneer Shrek,the Kid, rick Moranis yeah, it
was just amazing.
And of course, who plays?
Oren the dentist?
Speaker 6 (02:20):
Steve Martin, steve Martin, how could I forget?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
his name Anyway so good and the music, it's just
amazing.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Amazing.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
The movie, of course, was my first introduction to it
and I think I, you know,automatically gravitated to the
storytelling.
And then it was actually thefirst Broadway show that I saw
with this original cast in NewYork, and so it's just always
had a special place in New York,and so it's just always had a
special place, and I've seencountless productions as well
(02:47):
and different interpretations,and just always fall in love
with it.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Yeah, I feel like it's a soft spot in every
theater, kid's heart right Forsure.
It's just like it's like sortof Disney.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
There's like this sort of connection Totally.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
It's easy to grasp, but then also it's like cool and
different.
So, along the lines of all thebeloved productions, there's
lots of big names playing itoff-Broadway right now.
How is anyone can respond.
How is your production kind oftaking on such a beloved and
special thing for theater peopleand you know sometimes that can
be scary for theater people tobe like this is an iconic role
(03:23):
by an iconic actor or an iconicrole even to be direct this show
.
So kind of how is, how is yourexperience with that?
Do you have like a vision tokeep it the same, keep it
different, anything along thosesort of lines?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah.
So let's see, I'm just going tosay, five years ago we were, we
were, we were in the middle.
Weren't you working with?
I think, I think, I I was.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
You were supposed to stage, manage, or something.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Yeah, I know that 25 years ago.
It's so crazy, you know, covid19.
But so, going back to yourquestion, um, we were originally
going to make a puppet and wewere going to do all of that.
This time around, five yearslater, we're renting puppets
from mti, which I'm very excitedbecause I can't even imagine
(04:06):
trying to put the show.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
That's always the big question.
Oh my gosh, what are you goingto do?
Right and so like.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
so it's cool because people are expecting something,
so they're going to get that thepuppet, yes, yes.
What's going to change is,instead of the male traditional
character, we have a female.
That's been cast.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Very cool.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, very soulful.
So we're still going to getthat, that element of just
soulfulness and all of it thatpeople expect, but with a twist
right.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Yes exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
So I'm really excited about that and other things.
We're kind of the urchins arelike in every almost the whole
show.
They are nonstop.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
They are never off stage.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And so in our version .
Speaker 2 (04:47):
We are going to have them even more on stage.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, so you're going to see them even more and a
little bit different.
I don't want to give it away,but we are definitely going to
it's a little special touch.
Yes, we are going to give thema little twist on the story and
really hope the audience catchesit and it's like, oh yeah,
because you know it's again.
It's still sticking to whatpeople expect, but we want to
(05:12):
give them a little something,something.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Always good.
A little something, somethingextra.
I love that.
I love that.
And from like an actor's pointof view, costuming point of view
.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
I think we are definitely going darker too.
You know the show automaticallyhas humor built into it, but I
think, like one of my favoritethings with it is that the
characters aren't playing itdown or playing it too silly,
that it's honest moments andhonest storytelling and that the
(05:42):
way that events transpire isautomatically funny in ways and
also really dark and scary andthere's elements of these
characters that I think we allrelate to in some way or another
, but it just grounds it moreand makes it a little bit
scarier, because I love thatit's.
There's very few like horrormusicals out there.
(06:04):
You know we have Sweeney Toddand just a handful really.
So this is kind of one of thosethat we can play with that as
well.
So for costuming, we're playingwith color story a lot and so
we're keeping things more mutedin the beginning and then as
things brighten up, you mightnotice a difference.
Up you might notice adifference.
(06:28):
And then there's also elementsof like.
To me, like green is envy andlonging, and so we're playing a
lot with that, and then also redas being that sinful color.
So things start happening andwe start seeing a little bit
more of that color storythroughout.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
I love that Amazing.
You have anything.
Speaker 6 (06:43):
Yeah, I mean, obviously the Dentist is such a
well-known character, iconicallycomedic by Steve Martin and so
many other people, and it is amusical comedy but it's
certainly rooted in a black andwhite film.
You know it's such a darkoriginal story and so, going in
with that, I think myself youknow my character is a very
complex person with a lot ofcomplex issues that I think have
(07:06):
come more to light in recentyears and certainly since all of
this kind of was kind of justtouched over, there's some
darker themes and storylines andobviously personal situations,
and we're addressing them asthey're written because I think
it's also special and importantto voice those moments which
help progress the storyline andthe character development within
(07:28):
all of us.
So, like Derek said, I mean,we're really just living true to
the text and performing it asthese humans existed in their
reality and the humor and the,that uncomfortableness and all
of that that transpires from anaudience standpoint is truly
their vision of what we'reliving, not what we're
performing.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Yes, right, amazing, yeah, this is weird little
things.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Horror comedy You're a little weird yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
You have to like grasp yeah.
Alien plant.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
That's what's sort of fun about it, right is there's
an absurdity to it all.
And yet we're playing theseparts that are just existing in
that.
That's a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (08:07):
And the audience is just the fly on the ball
laughing at us, right Exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
I feel like the audience with this show.
They're like we're in it.
There's crazy things happening,but I think lovable characters
really does that For sure.
So also along the lines of yourspecific production.
This is a big production on avery little stage which is
always a difficult thing to do,even acting wise and on the
production side.
So do you have any like how isyour process?
(08:33):
Transforming it to fit in ourspecific 7th Street stage?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Well, interestingly enough, we're on day two on the
stage.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Oh, so yeah, we're really figuring it out in the
moment.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
And it's crazy because you practice it, you
know, and, and, and, and we'relike, oh, we've got this green
room with all this space, yeah,and.
And I've been making sure I'mlike y'all do realize it's not
going to be all this space,right, once we get on stage, but
also just building the set, thevision is there, you know, and
we're like, okay, this square isone by one, but well, there are
flats that take up three, fourinches.
You know what I mean.
And so then, slowly, now youlose five inches of space and
(09:12):
we're like, oh shoot, and allthose five inches add up, and so
in our space we're having tomodify blocking and then, okay,
well, bum, number two.
Why no number two?
Now you're not doing thatbecause there's no room for you
to come through with a trashcart or something you know.
It's just interesting and Ithink everybody's Last night was
fun.
Speaker 6 (09:30):
Yeah, last night was fun.
Like I had time to sit in theaudience and if you're familiar
with this theater, you know howintimate it is and this is the
perfect show for it.
We're a small cast, but it's asmall us so well.
And Derek and I were sittingthere and we're like can you
picture this plant?
It's just going to be like inyour face.
Like these poor audience membersare going to be in the shop
(09:50):
with us.
It's just thrusted so forwardand into the audience.
It's going to be a cool reality, I think, when it all comes
together.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah, yeah, and you know, and so, like you said, our
stage is so small and I don'twant to just have.
I always like the challenge andI'm definitely not only
challenging myself, I'mchallenging my actor.
You know the cast.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
It's a different type of act.
I mean, it's not with a littlebit yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
And then the audience too, because I to me the stage
and lighting and sound they'realso a character that puts
together the show.
So I definitely treat the setas another character in our
production.
Yeah, so I'm excited because Ihope the audience is going to be
like what on this little stage.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Yeah, it's going to be great.
You can feel the excitementbuilding.
I hear a lot about, like youknow, the teenagers talking
about it, so I'm very excited.
Speaking of the set, is thereanything there, anything like
different or you want to expandon it, or kind of like, what was
your process getting to?
Like what's going to work forthis stage and work for my
vision?
Speaker 2 (10:53):
oh man, I, because I grew up performing on this stage
, I I understand the limitationsand and and.
Because of who is helping.
A master carpenterenter is PaulArson Amazing, oh my gosh.
So he's just such an amazingand we have so many people that
I've been able to work with, andevery single person, you know
they.
In the end, we end up decidingokay, we can do this, or, if we
(11:19):
can't, there's always a solutionand we're always meeting in the
middle and I love that.
I love that.
Yeah, sometimes the frictioncreates more creativity.
You know, yes, yes, yes.
So so, yeah, I'm very excited.
Uh, we're getting to do a lotof the initial vision of, of um,
of what we want for this showyeah, I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Is there anything else from an actor's perspective
about your process, about, likefun facts from rehearsal?
How's it been going, reallyyeah.
Speaker 6 (11:47):
Would you like to spill your fun fact?
Sure, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Well, my fun fact is this is my first show ever.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
And I'll say at 54.
So you know it's been a longtime coming, so it's just been.
I mean, for me every minute isa joy.
I don't know, they probablylaugh at me because I'm having
such a good time, but you know,it's been amazing to see, first
of all, how much goes intomaking it work right.
(12:16):
I mean, I think I always had asense of that from the outside,
but seeing it in person isamazing, and I was also.
I haven't shared this withthese guys yet, but the very
first night of rehearsals, youknow, I had an idea about what
it would be like.
And when I got, when Iauditioned and got in, I thought
, okay, good, I can, I can dothis.
Right, I've got.
And then I sat down at thattable and everybody started
singing and doing their littleparts and I'm like, oh man, like
(12:40):
this is legit, like this is not, you know, a little fun thing
that I'm doing as a side note.
Like these folks have like legitskills and it was.
You know, it was overwhelmingin a very positive way.
This is a great place andeverybody is super supportive,
which is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
It's amazing.
I've been sharing with people.
You know we have our cast andI'm like y'all'all, our mushnik
first show.
Not only is it your first show,but you jumped in and you're
like I'm gonna do this andaudition for a musical.
I'm like what so?
Not only are you having tolearn the theater language, but
you're also having to learn abook, you're having to learn
(13:19):
music, you're having to learnchoreography.
I mean whoa and killing it andkilling.
Speaker 6 (13:24):
Yeah, yeah, very impressive, very honored.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
I appreciate hearing that truly, because I'm working
hard and I want to make you allproud.
Oh, my gosh Already.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I was very excited when I saw your name on it.
Yeah, and I was, like you know,from the small part in Carrie.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Yeah right, the voiceover, the voiceover.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was like we're here and it's
amazing and I love it.
Well, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I went home after audition and having gotten the
callback and I just told to myson, nico, who's in the
children's theater, and I saidlook, it's a win Like whatever
happens from here on out, it'salready a win.
I got up and I tried.
I got a goal Keeps going yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
And shout out to the girls who aren't sitting here
with us.
But I mean, this is a verysmall cast and we're just a very
small part of it, but the girls, I mean incredible performers,
incredible voices.
It's just been really, really afun process and, yeah, I just
can't wait for you guys to seeit, I know, you know, auditions
were hard.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
I'm not going to lie the urchins.
Yeah, this is people's dreamrole, yeah 100%.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
And you know, part of the process was like okay,
everybody wants to play Audrey,everybody wants to play Seymour,
everybody wants to play Oren,everybody wants to play Mushna.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Hey it doesn't matter , I got it, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
That's right If I was the only one that's fine.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
So like you, only one , that's fine.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
So, like you know, you have the people who made the
callbacks and then I'm like allright, let's get in a room and
we're all gonna read, we'regonna put together groups and
groups so that everybody can seewhy people were cast in the
roles that were cast because Idon't want anyone to leave and
be like, oh, it should have beenme, it should have been me, you
know, and so so it's reallycool.
I really enjoyed the auditionprocess.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Yeah, it was cool to have everybody.
Yeah for these beloved yeahthey are an interesting yeah,
interesting process, but thenyou get the best of the best
usually.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
That's right, that's right but everybody did really
well.
It was such such a joy to tosee a lot of the teens you know
come and audition for theurchins and for every role, like
it was cool.
So we've got riley, who I guessis part of the children's
theater.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Yeah, we have some cool costumes.
There's some teens that arelike adult age now.
I mean, you know, in betweenyoung adult.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Right right, right that is cool.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
They're very excited, yeah.
Speaker 6 (15:34):
They're very talented being older now.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I'm like God, it comes so easy to them yeah right
, yeah, yeah, and that's thehard part, because, I mentioned
earlier, they're in the wholeshow.
Yeah, you got to work hard, Getthe endurance yeah exactly, and
they're singing and dancing andcrossing here and blah, blah
blah.
But anyway, it's such a goodshow, I can't wait, can't wait.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
I can't wait either guys.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
See you like three times, please do.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
Yes, I mean like three times, please do.
Yes.
Um, I mean, we sort of startedtalking about it, but also it's
obviously a musical.
So, like, how's the music going?
Dance choreography any anyinsights into that?
Speaker 5 (16:13):
it's.
It's a lot for everybody tolearn and we have incredible uh
kristin and kristin, uh kristinlove that.
Yes, we have, uh, kristin isour, our assistant director and
choreographer, and then we alsohave Kristen Tucker, who we call
Tucker, is our musical director, and so we all have a ton of
(16:34):
music and lines and choreographyto learn.
It's a big show.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah, it's been good, it's been amazing.
It's a lot of material and verypatient, you know, and
everybody too, you know, becauseyou know you learn your, yeah,
can't forget, uh, um, but it's,it's a lot of work because I
(17:08):
think I think everybody's doinggreat.
I think everyone's doing great.
We got through the like a thirdof the show last night in
blocking and pretty good.
So we're going to try to get itdone as much tonight and
hopefully the show will beblocked by the end of tomorrow
yep, yeah, that's the glue right.
Speaker 6 (17:23):
So we know the, we know the music we, we know the
dance and so that's just part ofthe process and that's the fun
part.
And the scary part is becauseyou're in the car driving home.
You're like what happened?
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Or is this going to be okay, and then you get up the
next morning and you're likeit's going to be fine, but
putting that glue together iswhat this is the fun time, I
think.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
And then we perform and it's like locked in our
heads but it's so neat for mebeing my first time it's so neat
to see it in pieces, kind ofbuilt right Like thinking about
the music and the lyrics and howto do that, and then, oh, now
we're dancing with that.
Oh wait a minute.
Okay, like I'm not, those don'tgo together yet, you know, and
(18:04):
then we're on.
It's fun, yeah, it's a lot.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
It's coming together.
It's the answer, right, right.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
No, I feel it.
I feel it, I feel the creativeenergy here, for, sure it really
is.
I mean, we kind of spoke aboutit before.
But as someone who does a lotof set design and I'm always
like the puppet, like I want tohear more about the puppet.
Oh my gosh, yes, or like howyou got to getting it and like
the renting process.
Speaker 6 (18:25):
It's on the way.
It's on the way.
It's on a truck right now.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
It's on its way.
It should be here Thursdaymorning and it comes in two
crates.
One is 400 pounds.
Speaker 6 (18:34):
Oh my gosh.
The second one is 800 pounds.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
So within those two crates we have four puppets that
are called for the show.
So puppet number one and thenpuppet number two, which is a
Number one is like four inches,I think.
Four inches, four inches, it'sa little bit of four inches.
Speaker 6 (18:53):
They can't see us.
Luckily, Isn't it about onefoot four inches.
That was not four inches.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Probably Okay about a foot and a half, and then
puppet number two is the handpuppet right.
So Seymour gets to puppeteerthat one.
I just told it.
I don't know what you'retalking about.
It comes to life, yeah, andthen puppet number three is a
four by four puppet.
(19:18):
And then puppet number four issix and a half long, and that is
the biggest challenge.
Is that, yes, a where do westore?
It right, right right.
And so not only the six and ahalf one, but the four foot one.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Yeah, four by four yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
So part of the set design was building a platform
where those could be storedduring the show, and then we'll
just basically open the backwall.
It will have like sliding doorsor something, and then we'll be
able to um, to pull out thepuppet, as they're called for.
Yeah, yeah, and our shop opensand closes.
(19:56):
Yes, so that's gonna behappening.
Yes, our own little shop exactly, and so the um, hopefully our
stage hand, our stage manager,is Laurie Deerts Chase amazing,
yeah.
So we plan on having at leastthree stage hands in the back,
and so they're going to be asquiet as possible as we're
changing, scene changes whilethe shop is closed and the show
(20:18):
is still continuing.
And that's what I love aboutthis show the blackouts, they're
really the.
The show just moves.
If you know the show, it justkeeps moving.
Very rare do you have acomplete blackout blew out or
whatever it's exciting, I'mexcited, I'm excited for you
guys to get the puppet and startworking with it.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
It gets all people can talk about.
That's the new element right.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
New cast member.
Seriously, I'm like did.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
I answer right New cast member.
Seriously, Seriously, I'm likedid.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
I answer your question.
Mother is here.
Mother.
When is Mother arriving?
Mother is coming.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
On Thursday, we will get our hands on her.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Yeah, has there been any like do you have a favorite
song that you've worked onalready?
Like what's been a piece of theprocess that you've really
found like, oh, I love this.
I'm excited for people to seethis.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
Well, I think we have a funny joke in one of the
songs where it's just a hardvocal line and again there's
only eight of us, six of ussinging at one time.
So, like, every single vocalline matters, we're not just in
this huge ensemble.
So if you don't stick, to yourline like kristen, no like
immediately yeah, and you'rejust kind of like looking up
(21:34):
sheepishly, like, does she hearthat?
And she's like, but there'sthis one part, uh, in in skid
row, that we just love to messup and we're gonna kill it and
it's gonna be fine.
But uh, then we didchoreography with it and then we
had to, like somebody said, oh,let's start from there.
I was like, oh, that's ourfavorite part.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
Let's layer on hard choreography and a moving door
and our favorite vocal line tosing yeah.
That's just like an inside jokethat I laugh at every time it
comes through the speaker.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
I love it.
Do you have one?
Well, I mean, the ensemblepieces are a lot of fun, right?
So when everybody's just kindof moving around and in that
tight space, it's just it'sintimate and it's a lot of
energy, so that's exciting.
But you know, obviously withDerek getting to do, the Mushnik
(22:25):
and.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Me.
Choreography oh my gosh, it'sgetting there.
It's a great number.
It's got a lot of fun parts toit.
One of my favorites is Skid Row.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Kristen.
She did just an amazing jobjust with the whole show, but
it's been fun to get to know herand see her style and, yeah,
put her own little spin on it.
Yeah, the urchins are amazing.
I love seeing them and whatshe's done with them too.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Yeah, this is a cool part of the show.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Yeah.
They like wrote in and I'm likeI love stuff like that yeah
yeah, and I wanted to make surewe did the Broadway cast, the
Broadway show version of it.
Speaker 5 (23:00):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
So I'm really excited because it just has it's a
brighter.
I think it's yeah.
As a performer, that's the showI wanted.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
That's what I wanted, I'm like we're doing that one.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
Oh, my God, it's like choosing my favorite plant, I
have to say.
Mushnik and Son is selfishlylike such a fun dance number and
a fun number you know to playoff of.
And I love the group numbersbecause it's, you know, getting
to see everybody on that stageand like the finale is kind of
one of those that you know Ididn't think much about, but
(23:33):
getting to put it withchoreography has kind of really
like made a special place in myheart.
I really like that because it islike the first time we get
everybody.
Actually, no, it is the secondtime we get everybody on that
stage the only two times yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
So I would say those two, yeah, skid Row and Finale
is the only time you seeeveryone on stage.
Yeah, yeah, isn't that crazy,yeah.
Yeah, yeah, that's true, don'tthink about it, because there's
so much going on.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Exactly, yeah challenges you've had to
overcome throughout the process.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
I was just going to say that.
Yeah, every five minutesAnybody.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
I feel like I was really worried about the
dentist's chair, which issomething you don't know we
automatically go to the plant.
Oh my God, it's the hardestthing.
But at the same time I was like, oh, you need a dentist's chair
, not yeah, and then our littlestage.
It's like where do we put thatdentist chair, like all these
little things that, um,fortunately, um, we've got it
(24:37):
covered.
Speaker 6 (24:38):
I'm really excited it's such a pivotal piece to
that final scene of oran's,obviously, when you get to the
dentist office and you kind ofsee him in his element, like if
there's no chair, like everyoneknows where they're at.
But it's such a fun scene forus to to act and use that chair
as kind of like a thirdcharacter in that scene.
He's on it, I'm on it where Iperish near it.
(25:01):
Spoiler alert everyonelistening knows yeah, the chairs
is a cool element that youdon't really think about.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Props, Props are huge , oh my gosh.
Upland High School just did theshow not too long ago and
Michelle Richardson, who's partof the Cinecubic Theater life.
She's sent an email right awayand was like if you need any of
them, they're yours.
And we took advantage.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
We literally took.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Yeah, yeah, Almost every single prop, you know.
So it's so prop heavy.
Yes, it's crazy, but it'samazing, I love it.
Yeah, that's been a challenge.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (26:00):
It's feeling like all the elements are coming
together and it's going to funto actually meet the faces
behind the names and see thelongevity of their support here
of the theater.
It's just been a really cooladded bonus to me.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And it really takes a village.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Oh yeah, Julie Moore is our production coordinator.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Just the text messages, the emails.
So much Just the rehearsalspace and sharing that with the
previous show and then the showafter us, and so it's fun.
It's a fun piece of the puzzle.
It's another piece of thepuzzle.
That is crazy, but it's fun.
In the same vein, Exactly Well.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
thank you everybody for chatting with me today.
I'm specifically very excitedfor this show so I was like this
is the perfect guest host forme to be part of.
Do you have any parting wordsof wisdom, or any?
What do you want the public toknow about the show?
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Don't feed the plants .
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Oh you took mine.
Speaker 6 (26:54):
Yeah, I don't know.
It's just fun.
Just come and have fun, we'regoing to have fun, so I mean,
you can't walk out of herewithout smiling, and we do that
every night, so hopefully theaudience gets to do that too.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Yes, it's a show you're going to want to see
twice.
Right, that's that kind of show.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Get your tickets Everybody.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
They're on sale now.
I get to see it ten times andI'm going to love every minute
of it.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Well, thank you so much guys.
Thank you, marley, everybodylistening.
Go buy your tickets now.
This is going to be I feel likethis is going to be the hit,
the hit of the season.
I feel the excitement brewing,I feel the creativity.
So thank you so much fortalking to me.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Everybody, thanks for having us.
Thanks, Marley, yeah thank you.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Thanks for listening to Steps to the Stage, a 7th
Street Community Theatre podcast.
Follow us on your favouritepodcast platform and leave us a
review and a 5-star rating.
You can also follow us onInstagram or Facebook and
subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Special thanks to ChinoCommunity Theatre and Chino
Community Children's Theatre fortheir generous support.
(28:03):
Steps to the Stage was createdby Joey Rice and Kirk Lane.
Logo created by Marlee Lane.
Original music by Devon, yourhost and producer, marcy Pinedo.
Engineer and producer Joey Rice.
Engineer and executive producerKirk Lane.
That's what's sort of fun about it, right is there's
an absurdity to it all and yetwe're playing these parts that
are just existing in that.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Welcome to Steps to the Stage.
A 7th Street community theaterpodcast.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Hello and welcome to Steps to the Stage, the
community theater podcast, wherewe talk to theater
professionals you know and love.
I'm Marlee Lane, your guesthost, and today, for the next
production, little Shop ofHorrors, we have four very
special guests.
Speaker 5 (00:27):
My name is Derek Ashton-McCumber, I'm playing
Seymour Crowborn, and I'm alsodesigning the costumes for the
production as well.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Oh hey, my name is Juan Luis Torres and I will be
directing Little Shop of Horrorsand set design and finger and
everything.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Hi, I'm Mark Agers.
I'll be playing Mr Mushnik andhanging on tightly as we go.
Speaker 6 (00:51):
My name is Adam Carl-Payton and I am playing the
dentist Oren.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Amazing.
I'm very excited for thisproduction.
I love Little Shop of Horrors,so I would love to start out
with what's your firstinteraction with a movie, the
musical, anything.
So we'll start over here.
What's your first time you gotintroduced to Little Shop of
Horrors?
Speaker 6 (01:11):
Yeah, I kind of grew up a theater nerd, like probably
everyone in this room, and mymom always took us to see shows
and for some reason this wasjust the cult show everyone did
in the 90s, I think.
So I cannot count how manytimes I've seen interesting,
good and bad performances ofthis musical Right, but yeah, I
just knew it growing up as a kidand then obviously the movie
(01:32):
was such a staple and then somany revivals over the years on
Broadway, even off Broadway.
Now it's just kind of cool tosee the legacy continue.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, I don't know if it was the very first, but it
was, I think, close to the firstmusical theater production I
ever saw at a local communitytheater.
It would have been in the 80s,I guess, and it just, you know,
just a fun show, right.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So immediately captured your interest.
Yeah, for me it was one of thefirst shows that wasn't Rodgers
and Hammerstein, right Like.
I grew up with the Sound ofMusic, you know, in Oklahoma,
and then this show when I saw itrandomly on TV I was like what
is this?
You know the rock and theperiod.
(02:13):
I just love everything about it, you know.
And of course, haneer Shrek,the Kid, rick Moranis yeah, it
was just amazing.
And of course, who plays?
Oren the dentist?
Speaker 6 (02:20):
Steve Martin, steve Martin, how could I forget?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
his name Anyway so good and the music, it's just
amazing.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Amazing.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
The movie, of course, was my first introduction to it
and I think I, you know,automatically gravitated to the
storytelling.
And then it was actually thefirst Broadway show that I saw
with this original cast in NewYork, and so it's just always
had a special place in New York,and so it's just always had a
special place, and I've seencountless productions as well
(02:47):
and different interpretations,and just always fall in love
with it.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Yeah, I feel like it's a soft spot in every
theater, kid's heart right Forsure.
It's just like it's like sortof Disney.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
There's like this sort of connection Totally.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
It's easy to grasp, but then also it's like cool and
different.
So, along the lines of all thebeloved productions, there's
lots of big names playing itoff-Broadway right now.
How is anyone can respond.
How is your production kind oftaking on such a beloved and
special thing for theater peopleand you know sometimes that can
be scary for theater people tobe like this is an iconic role
(03:23):
by an iconic actor or an iconicrole even to be direct this show
.
So kind of how is, how is yourexperience with that?
Do you have like a vision tokeep it the same, keep it
different, anything along thosesort of lines?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah.
So let's see, I'm just going tosay, five years ago we were, we
were, we were in the middle.
Weren't you working with?
I think, I think, I I was.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
You were supposed to stage, manage, or something.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Yeah, I know that 25 years ago.
It's so crazy, you know, covid19.
But so, going back to yourquestion, um, we were originally
going to make a puppet and wewere going to do all of that.
This time around, five yearslater, we're renting puppets
from mti, which I'm very excitedbecause I can't even imagine
(04:06):
trying to put the show.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
That's always the big question.
Oh my gosh, what are you goingto do?
Right and so like.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
so it's cool because people are expecting something,
so they're going to get that thepuppet, yes, yes.
What's going to change is,instead of the male traditional
character, we have a female.
That's been cast.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Very cool.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, very soulful.
So we're still going to getthat, that element of just
soulfulness and all of it thatpeople expect, but with a twist
right.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Yes exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
So I'm really excited about that and other things.
We're kind of the urchins arelike in every almost the whole
show.
They are nonstop.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
They are never off stage.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And so in our version .
Speaker 2 (04:47):
We are going to have them even more on stage.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, so you're going to see them even more and a
little bit different.
I don't want to give it away,but we are definitely going to
it's a little special touch.
Yes, we are going to give thema little twist on the story and
really hope the audience catchesit and it's like, oh yeah,
because you know it's again.
It's still sticking to whatpeople expect, but we want to
(05:12):
give them a little something,something.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Always good.
A little something, somethingextra.
I love that.
I love that.
And from like an actor's pointof view, costuming point of view
.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
I think we are definitely going darker too.
You know the show automaticallyhas humor built into it, but I
think, like one of my favoritethings with it is that the
characters aren't playing itdown or playing it too silly,
that it's honest moments andhonest storytelling and that the
(05:42):
way that events transpire isautomatically funny in ways and
also really dark and scary andthere's elements of these
characters that I think we allrelate to in some way or another
, but it just grounds it moreand makes it a little bit
scarier, because I love thatit's.
There's very few like horrormusicals out there.
(06:04):
You know we have Sweeney Toddand just a handful really.
So this is kind of one of thosethat we can play with that as
well.
So for costuming, we're playingwith color story a lot and so
we're keeping things more mutedin the beginning and then as
things brighten up, you mightnotice a difference.
Up you might notice adifference.
(06:28):
And then there's also elementsof like.
To me, like green is envy andlonging, and so we're playing a
lot with that, and then also redas being that sinful color.
So things start happening andwe start seeing a little bit
more of that color storythroughout.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
I love that Amazing.
You have anything.
Speaker 6 (06:43):
Yeah, I mean, obviously the Dentist is such a
well-known character, iconicallycomedic by Steve Martin and so
many other people, and it is amusical comedy but it's
certainly rooted in a black andwhite film.
You know it's such a darkoriginal story and so, going in
with that, I think myself youknow my character is a very
complex person with a lot ofcomplex issues that I think have
(07:06):
come more to light in recentyears and certainly since all of
this kind of was kind of justtouched over, there's some
darker themes and storylines andobviously personal situations,
and we're addressing them asthey're written because I think
it's also special and importantto voice those moments which
help progress the storyline andthe character development within
(07:28):
all of us.
So, like Derek said, I mean,we're really just living true to
the text and performing it asthese humans existed in their
reality and the humor and the,that uncomfortableness and all
of that that transpires from anaudience standpoint is truly
their vision of what we'reliving, not what we're
performing.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Yes, right, amazing, yeah, this is weird little
things.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Horror comedy You're a little weird yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
You have to like grasp yeah.
Alien plant.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
That's what's sort of fun about it, right is there's
an absurdity to it all.
And yet we're playing theseparts that are just existing in
that.
That's a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (08:07):
And the audience is just the fly on the ball
laughing at us, right Exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
I feel like the audience with this show.
They're like we're in it.
There's crazy things happening,but I think lovable characters
really does that For sure.
So also along the lines of yourspecific production.
This is a big production on avery little stage which is
always a difficult thing to do,even acting wise and on the
production side.
So do you have any like how isyour process?
(08:33):
Transforming it to fit in ourspecific 7th Street stage?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Well, interestingly enough, we're on day two on the
stage.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Oh, so yeah, we're really figuring it out in the
moment.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
And it's crazy because you practice it, you
know, and, and, and, and we'relike, oh, we've got this green
room with all this space, yeah,and.
And I've been making sure I'mlike y'all do realize it's not
going to be all this space,right, once we get on stage, but
also just building the set, thevision is there, you know, and
we're like, okay, this square isone by one, but well, there are
flats that take up three, fourinches.
You know what I mean.
And so then, slowly, now youlose five inches of space and
(09:12):
we're like, oh shoot, and allthose five inches add up, and so
in our space we're having tomodify blocking and then, okay,
well, bum, number two.
Why no number two?
Now you're not doing thatbecause there's no room for you
to come through with a trashcart or something you know.
It's just interesting and Ithink everybody's Last night was
fun.
Speaker 6 (09:30):
Yeah, last night was fun.
Like I had time to sit in theaudience and if you're familiar
with this theater, you know howintimate it is and this is the
perfect show for it.
We're a small cast, but it's asmall us so well.
And Derek and I were sittingthere and we're like can you
picture this plant?
It's just going to be like inyour face.
Like these poor audience membersare going to be in the shop
(09:50):
with us.
It's just thrusted so forwardand into the audience.
It's going to be a cool reality, I think, when it all comes
together.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah, yeah, and you know, and so, like you said, our
stage is so small and I don'twant to just have.
I always like the challenge andI'm definitely not only
challenging myself, I'mchallenging my actor.
You know the cast.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
It's a different type of act.
I mean, it's not with a littlebit yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
And then the audience too, because I to me the stage
and lighting and sound they'realso a character that puts
together the show.
So I definitely treat the setas another character in our
production.
Yeah, so I'm excited because Ihope the audience is going to be
like what on this little stage.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Yeah, it's going to be great.
You can feel the excitementbuilding.
I hear a lot about, like youknow, the teenagers talking
about it, so I'm very excited.
Speaking of the set, is thereanything there, anything like
different or you want to expandon it, or kind of like, what was
your process getting to?
Like what's going to work forthis stage and work for my
vision?
Speaker 2 (10:53):
oh man, I, because I grew up performing on this stage
, I I understand the limitationsand and and.
Because of who is helping.
A master carpenterenter is PaulArson Amazing, oh my gosh.
So he's just such an amazingand we have so many people that
I've been able to work with, andevery single person, you know
they.
In the end, we end up decidingokay, we can do this, or, if we
(11:19):
can't, there's always a solutionand we're always meeting in the
middle and I love that.
I love that.
Yeah, sometimes the frictioncreates more creativity.
You know, yes, yes, yes.
So so, yeah, I'm very excited.
Uh, we're getting to do a lotof the initial vision of, of um,
of what we want for this showyeah, I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Is there anything else from an actor's perspective
about your process, about, likefun facts from rehearsal?
How's it been going, reallyyeah.
Speaker 6 (11:47):
Would you like to spill your fun fact?
Sure, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Well, my fun fact is this is my first show ever.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
And I'll say at 54.
So you know it's been a longtime coming, so it's just been.
I mean, for me every minute isa joy.
I don't know, they probablylaugh at me because I'm having
such a good time, but you know,it's been amazing to see, first
of all, how much goes intomaking it work right.
(12:16):
I mean, I think I always had asense of that from the outside,
but seeing it in person isamazing, and I was also.
I haven't shared this withthese guys yet, but the very
first night of rehearsals, youknow, I had an idea about what
it would be like.
And when I got, when Iauditioned and got in, I thought
, okay, good, I can, I can dothis.
Right, I've got.
And then I sat down at thattable and everybody started
singing and doing their littleparts and I'm like, oh man, like
(12:40):
this is legit, like this is not, you know, a little fun thing
that I'm doing as a side note.
Like these folks have like legitskills and it was.
You know, it was overwhelmingin a very positive way.
This is a great place andeverybody is super supportive,
which is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
It's amazing.
I've been sharing with people.
You know we have our cast andI'm like y'all'all, our mushnik
first show.
Not only is it your first show,but you jumped in and you're
like I'm gonna do this andaudition for a musical.
I'm like what so?
Not only are you having tolearn the theater language, but
you're also having to learn abook, you're having to learn
(13:19):
music, you're having to learnchoreography.
I mean whoa and killing it andkilling.
Speaker 6 (13:24):
Yeah, yeah, very impressive, very honored.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
I appreciate hearing that truly, because I'm working
hard and I want to make you allproud.
Oh, my gosh Already.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I was very excited when I saw your name on it.
Yeah, and I was, like you know,from the small part in Carrie.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Yeah right, the voiceover, the voiceover.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was like we're here and it's
amazing and I love it.
Well, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I went home after audition and having gotten the
callback and I just told to myson, nico, who's in the
children's theater, and I saidlook, it's a win Like whatever
happens from here on out, it'salready a win.
I got up and I tried.
I got a goal Keeps going yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
And shout out to the girls who aren't sitting here
with us.
But I mean, this is a verysmall cast and we're just a very
small part of it, but the girls, I mean incredible performers,
incredible voices.
It's just been really, really afun process and, yeah, I just
can't wait for you guys to seeit, I know, you know, auditions
were hard.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
I'm not going to lie the urchins.
Yeah, this is people's dreamrole, yeah 100%.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
And you know, part of the process was like okay,
everybody wants to play Audrey,everybody wants to play Seymour,
everybody wants to play Oren,everybody wants to play Mushna.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Hey it doesn't matter , I got it, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
That's right If I was the only one that's fine.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
So like you, only one , that's fine.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
So, like you know, you have the people who made the
callbacks and then I'm like allright, let's get in a room and
we're all gonna read, we'regonna put together groups and
groups so that everybody can seewhy people were cast in the
roles that were cast because Idon't want anyone to leave and
be like, oh, it should have beenme, it should have been me, you
know, and so so it's reallycool.
I really enjoyed the auditionprocess.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Yeah, it was cool to have everybody.
Yeah for these beloved yeahthey are an interesting yeah,
interesting process, but thenyou get the best of the best
usually.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
That's right, that's right but everybody did really
well.
It was such such a joy to tosee a lot of the teens you know
come and audition for theurchins and for every role, like
it was cool.
So we've got riley, who I guessis part of the children's
theater.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Yeah, we have some cool costumes.
There's some teens that arelike adult age now.
I mean, you know, in betweenyoung adult.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Right right, right that is cool.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
They're very excited, yeah.
Speaker 6 (15:34):
They're very talented being older now.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I'm like God, it comes so easy to them yeah right
, yeah, yeah, and that's thehard part, because, I mentioned
earlier, they're in the wholeshow.
Yeah, you got to work hard, Getthe endurance yeah exactly, and
they're singing and dancing andcrossing here and blah, blah
blah.
But anyway, it's such a goodshow, I can't wait, can't wait.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
I can't wait either guys.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
See you like three times, please do.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
Yes, I mean like three times, please do.
Yes.
Um, I mean, we sort of startedtalking about it, but also it's
obviously a musical.
So, like, how's the music going?
Dance choreography any anyinsights into that?
Speaker 5 (16:13):
it's.
It's a lot for everybody tolearn and we have incredible uh
kristin and kristin, uh kristinlove that.
Yes, we have, uh, kristin isour, our assistant director and
choreographer, and then we alsohave Kristen Tucker, who we call
Tucker, is our musical director, and so we all have a ton of
(16:34):
music and lines and choreographyto learn.
It's a big show.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah, it's been good, it's been amazing.
It's a lot of material and verypatient, you know, and
everybody too, you know, becauseyou know you learn your, yeah,
can't forget, uh, um, but it's,it's a lot of work because I
(17:08):
think I think everybody's doinggreat.
I think everyone's doing great.
We got through the like a thirdof the show last night in
blocking and pretty good.
So we're going to try to get itdone as much tonight and
hopefully the show will beblocked by the end of tomorrow
yep, yeah, that's the glue right.
Speaker 6 (17:23):
So we know the, we know the music we, we know the
dance and so that's just part ofthe process and that's the fun
part.
And the scary part is becauseyou're in the car driving home.
You're like what happened?
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Or is this going to be okay, and then you get up the
next morning and you're likeit's going to be fine, but
putting that glue together iswhat this is the fun time, I
think.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
And then we perform and it's like locked in our
heads but it's so neat for mebeing my first time it's so neat
to see it in pieces, kind ofbuilt right Like thinking about
the music and the lyrics and howto do that, and then, oh, now
we're dancing with that.
Oh wait a minute.
Okay, like I'm not, those don'tgo together yet, you know, and
(18:04):
then we're on.
It's fun, yeah, it's a lot.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
It's coming together.
It's the answer, right, right.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
No, I feel it.
I feel it, I feel the creativeenergy here, for, sure it really
is.
I mean, we kind of spoke aboutit before.
But as someone who does a lotof set design and I'm always
like the puppet, like I want tohear more about the puppet.
Oh my gosh, yes, or like howyou got to getting it and like
the renting process.
Speaker 6 (18:25):
It's on the way.
It's on the way.
It's on a truck right now.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
It's on its way.
It should be here Thursdaymorning and it comes in two
crates.
One is 400 pounds.
Speaker 6 (18:34):
Oh my gosh.
The second one is 800 pounds.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
So within those two crates we have four puppets that
are called for the show.
So puppet number one and thenpuppet number two, which is a
Number one is like four inches,I think.
Four inches, four inches, it'sa little bit of four inches.
Speaker 6 (18:53):
They can't see us.
Luckily, Isn't it about onefoot four inches.
That was not four inches.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Probably Okay about a foot and a half, and then
puppet number two is the handpuppet right.
So Seymour gets to puppeteerthat one.
I just told it.
I don't know what you'retalking about.
It comes to life, yeah, andthen puppet number three is a
four by four puppet.
(19:18):
And then puppet number four issix and a half long, and that is
the biggest challenge.
Is that, yes, a where do westore?
It right, right right.
And so not only the six and ahalf one, but the four foot one.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Yeah, four by four yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
So part of the set design was building a platform
where those could be storedduring the show, and then we'll
just basically open the backwall.
It will have like sliding doorsor something, and then we'll be
able to um, to pull out thepuppet, as they're called for.
Yeah, yeah, and our shop opensand closes.
(19:56):
Yes, so that's gonna behappening.
Yes, our own little shop exactly, and so the um, hopefully our
stage hand, our stage manager,is Laurie Deerts Chase amazing,
yeah.
So we plan on having at leastthree stage hands in the back,
and so they're going to be asquiet as possible as we're
changing, scene changes whilethe shop is closed and the show
(20:18):
is still continuing.
And that's what I love aboutthis show the blackouts, they're
really the.
The show just moves.
If you know the show, it justkeeps moving.
Very rare do you have acomplete blackout blew out or
whatever it's exciting, I'mexcited, I'm excited for you
guys to get the puppet and startworking with it.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
It gets all people can talk about.
That's the new element right.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
New cast member.
Seriously, I'm like did.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
I answer right New cast member.
Seriously, Seriously, I'm likedid.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
I answer your question.
Mother is here.
Mother.
When is Mother arriving?
Mother is coming.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
On Thursday, we will get our hands on her.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Yeah, has there been any like do you have a favorite
song that you've worked onalready?
Like what's been a piece of theprocess that you've really
found like, oh, I love this.
I'm excited for people to seethis.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
Well, I think we have a funny joke in one of the
songs where it's just a hardvocal line and again there's
only eight of us, six of ussinging at one time.
So, like, every single vocalline matters, we're not just in
this huge ensemble.
So if you don't stick, to yourline like kristen, no like
immediately yeah, and you'rejust kind of like looking up
(21:34):
sheepishly, like, does she hearthat?
And she's like, but there'sthis one part, uh, in in skid
row, that we just love to messup and we're gonna kill it and
it's gonna be fine.
But uh, then we didchoreography with it and then we
had to, like somebody said, oh,let's start from there.
I was like, oh, that's ourfavorite part.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Yes.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
Let's layer on hard choreography and a moving door
and our favorite vocal line tosing yeah.
That's just like an inside jokethat I laugh at every time it
comes through the speaker.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
I love it.
Do you have one?
Well, I mean, the ensemblepieces are a lot of fun, right?
So when everybody's just kindof moving around and in that
tight space, it's just it'sintimate and it's a lot of
energy, so that's exciting.
But you know, obviously withDerek getting to do, the Mushnik
(22:25):
and.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Me.
Choreography oh my gosh, it'sgetting there.
It's a great number.
It's got a lot of fun parts toit.
One of my favorites is Skid Row.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Kristen.
She did just an amazing jobjust with the whole show, but
it's been fun to get to know herand see her style and, yeah,
put her own little spin on it.
Yeah, the urchins are amazing.
I love seeing them and whatshe's done with them too.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Yeah, this is a cool part of the show.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Yeah.
They like wrote in and I'm likeI love stuff like that yeah
yeah, and I wanted to make surewe did the Broadway cast, the
Broadway show version of it.
Speaker 5 (23:00):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
So I'm really excited because it just has it's a
brighter.
I think it's yeah.
As a performer, that's the showI wanted.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
That's what I wanted, I'm like we're doing that one.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
Oh, my God, it's like choosing my favorite plant, I
have to say.
Mushnik and Son is selfishlylike such a fun dance number and
a fun number you know to playoff of.
And I love the group numbersbecause it's, you know, getting
to see everybody on that stageand like the finale is kind of
one of those that you know Ididn't think much about, but
(23:33):
getting to put it withchoreography has kind of really
like made a special place in myheart.
I really like that because it islike the first time we get
everybody.
Actually, no, it is the secondtime we get everybody on that
stage the only two times yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
So I would say those two, yeah, skid Row and Finale
is the only time you seeeveryone on stage.
Yeah, yeah, isn't that crazy,yeah.
Yeah, yeah, that's true, don'tthink about it, because there's
so much going on.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Exactly, yeah challenges you've had to
overcome throughout the process.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
I was just going to say that.
Yeah, every five minutesAnybody.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
I feel like I was really worried about the
dentist's chair, which issomething you don't know we
automatically go to the plant.
Oh my God, it's the hardestthing.
But at the same time I was like, oh, you need a dentist's chair
, not yeah, and then our littlestage.
It's like where do we put thatdentist chair, like all these
little things that, um,fortunately, um, we've got it
(24:37):
covered.
Speaker 6 (24:38):
I'm really excited it's such a pivotal piece to
that final scene of oran's,obviously, when you get to the
dentist office and you kind ofsee him in his element, like if
there's no chair, like everyoneknows where they're at.
But it's such a fun scene forus to to act and use that chair
as kind of like a thirdcharacter in that scene.
He's on it, I'm on it where Iperish near it.
(25:01):
Spoiler alert everyonelistening knows yeah, the chairs
is a cool element that youdon't really think about.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Props, Props are huge , oh my gosh.
Upland High School just did theshow not too long ago and
Michelle Richardson, who's partof the Cinecubic Theater life.
She's sent an email right awayand was like if you need any of
them, they're yours.
And we took advantage.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
We literally took.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Yeah, yeah, Almost every single prop, you know.
So it's so prop heavy.
Yes, it's crazy, but it'samazing, I love it.
Yeah, that's been a challenge.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (26:00):
It's feeling like all the elements are coming
together and it's going to funto actually meet the faces
behind the names and see thelongevity of their support here
of the theater.
It's just been a really cooladded bonus to me.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And it really takes a village.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Oh yeah, Julie Moore is our production coordinator.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Just the text messages, the emails.
So much Just the rehearsalspace and sharing that with the
previous show and then the showafter us, and so it's fun.
It's a fun piece of the puzzle.
It's another piece of thepuzzle.
That is crazy, but it's fun.
In the same vein, Exactly Well.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
thank you everybody for chatting with me today.
I'm specifically very excitedfor this show so I was like this
is the perfect guest host forme to be part of.
Do you have any parting wordsof wisdom, or any?
What do you want the public toknow about the show?
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Don't feed the plants .
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Oh you took mine.
Speaker 6 (26:54):
Yeah, I don't know.
It's just fun.
Just come and have fun, we'regoing to have fun, so I mean,
you can't walk out of herewithout smiling, and we do that
every night, so hopefully theaudience gets to do that too.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Yes, it's a show you're going to want to see
twice.
Right, that's that kind of show.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Get your tickets Everybody.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
They're on sale now.
I get to see it ten times andI'm going to love every minute
of it.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Well, thank you so much guys.
Thank you, marley, everybodylistening.
Go buy your tickets now.
This is going to be I feel likethis is going to be the hit,
the hit of the season.
I feel the excitement brewing,I feel the creativity.
So thank you so much fortalking to me.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Everybody, thanks for having us.
Thanks, Marley, yeah thank you.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Thanks for listening to Steps to the Stage, a 7th
Street Community Theatre podcast.
Follow us on your favouritepodcast platform and leave us a
review and a 5-star rating.
You can also follow us onInstagram or Facebook and
subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Special thanks to ChinoCommunity Theatre and Chino
Community Children's Theatre fortheir generous support.
(28:03):
Steps to the Stage was createdby Joey Rice and Kirk Lane.
Logo created by Marlee Lane.
Original music by Devon, yourhost and producer, marcy Pinedo.
Engineer and producer Joey Rice.
Engineer and executive producerKirk Lane.
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