“Fantastic!” “Amazing!” “Unbelievably talented!” “Fun, fun, and more fun!”
The reviews are in, and they all say the same thing: You need to go check out Canby High School’s spring musical while you still can! It’s Little Shop of Horrors as you’ve never seen — or heard — it before!
Led by an incredibly talented cast of comedic and voice actors, music by the Canby band, and special effects that will make you go, “Hey, wait a minute. Are you sure high school kids did this??”
We pretty much guarantee it will be the best high school musical you’ve ever seen — and that includes the movie High School Musical. (That’s right: We went there. Suck it, Zac Efron.)
Little Shop of Horrors stars Sean Sheveland as Seymour, Cadence Moore as Audrey, Josiah Keen as Mr. Mushkin, Lee Hepler as a scene-stealing Orin Scrivello and Meridian Lattig as the voice of the ravenous Audrey II. Student direction and choreography by Tatum Pierson. Overall direction by theater adviser Exel Stroschein.
Music by the six golden-voiced “Doo-Waps” (Jessica Beaver, Emi Gunnarson, Susan Nash, Camila Villanueva-Lisboa, Belle Raeburn and Peyton Daugherty) and the incomparable Canby High School Band, under the direction of pianist Becky Stager. Huge props (literally) to the cast, crew and puppeteers, who made this production come alive.
A sub-plot to this real-life play we call life is that Canby’s Troupe 632 has been lobbying the leadership of the Canby School District to use a portion of the new funding through the Student Success Act to hire a full-time theater teacher.
A full-time position would allow the Canby School District to attract and retain the best talent for our young thespians, while also facilitating theater classes at Canby High School, promoting greater diversity and participation in theater and making it possible for CHS to gain greater recognition for its programs through theater competition.
Canby High theater students have made their appeals during public comment at several Canby School Board meetings. But, you know, a few packed crowds at their latest production certainly wouldn’t hurt.
So, show your support for the arts and our hard-working theater students at Canby High School this weekend. Let’s #FillTheFineArtsCenter at these last three shows: 7 p.m. Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, as well. Tickets for sale at the door.
Hear more from the Canby theater kids on Episode 147 of the Canby Now Podcast, “Feed Me, Canby”:
This story was originally featured in our podcast on the Canby Now Community Board. To get your event or other bit of local news included, email the details to us at info@canbyfirst.com.