Are you ready to be entertained? Can you handle a plant eating people? (Not to worry...Audrey II is on a strict diet of high-protein cast members only.) If you can handle it, Pickleville delivers up "Little Shop of Horrors" this season. But they don't just deliver - they make it a "special" delivery with a strong and energetic cast. Lots of fun to be had here as the Pickleville Players are right on top of this Broadway hit.

Derek Davis and Brittany Worley star in this musical as Seymour and Audrey, co-workers in Mushnik's Skid Row Florist shop. Their lives become crossed as a strange and exotic plant takes hold of their respective futures. Brittany was in especially good voice and handled all aspects of the Audrey character and captivated the audience. Derek was very good as Seymour but what impressed me most about his performance was his facials. Derek was perhaps the tallest actors on stage but I became convinced through his mannerisms in the performance that he indeed was the fragile Seymour.

Jeremiah Harrison plays Mr. Mushnik as a man who strains at being kind but is so close to having that one last raw nerve being frayed, and therefore is delightful. Seymour and Mushnik seem well matched in this casting. Sharli King, Whitney Davis and Sarah Knowles as the soulful trio of narrators bring an energy to the stage and work the songs so well that they pull the audience in from the very first song. Once you are involved in this show you aren't going to escape - that is just the way they do things at Pickleville... a bunch of great talent here and a very enjoyable show.

One last note on the show: Audrey II is dead on, in voice and motion. T.J. Davis handles all the "Feed Me, Seymour" dialog and song, while Andy King has the unenviable task of puppeteer for the show. Both do an excellent job, not missing a beat. Derek Davis also gets into the puppeteer act while Audrey II is still small enough to carry and makes us believe that we are watching two seperate life forms.

"Little Shop of Horrors" is a treat. Done in the intimate setting that Pickleville offers, this is a special offering and should not be missed. The show is so well done that my only question is how the campers sleep in the various Bear Lake campgrounds after the watching the show. Is it just me or does the native flora of the Bear Lake area resemble the Audrey II, just a little? It's probably just me... of course, I didn't camp out up there. Enjoy!

Contributed by Stageashow Member: steveo

I've been asked many times what exactly the Stageashow site does. Although I have answered the question in about the same way every time I am asked, I wonder if my answer is complete. My standard response is: "www.stageashow.com is a site devoted to the promotion of live theatre and staged events".

That is really what I had intended for the site to be, but in reality, it is more. Or at least it can be. But to take that next step, to make the site a living and breathing entity, we need you. Yes, you - the googler who stumbled on the site while following a thread on Theatre, or you - the person who is involved in Theatre to such a degree that you seek a free exchange of ideas and opportunities from within that specialized community. Without your input, your active participation in our forums, your information about local Theatre offerings and auditions - without YOU, stageashow is missing something vital and important - your voice. You have it. You've used it at auditions! Why not share it here. With us. We are probably kindred spirits.

Take the first step now and join this site, its free. Then be brave open a blog then start to write, contribute some content, help us keep our calendar full of quality theatrical productions. In short, get involved. Be positive - for this is a place to encourage new voices in the Theatre while showing respect to those works, players, teachers and patrons that have gone before us. Jump in... the water is fine. Help us make www.stageashow.com the best it can be and second to none.

PALACE PLAYHOUSE MARKS NEW BEGINNING WITH “THE CRUCIBLE”

In a quiet, intimate theatre off the beaten path in Brigham City, Utah a group of young people labor this week, outside of the spotlight, running lines and blocking in eager preparation for the opening of “The Crucible” which will run March 30-31, April 2,3,5,6,7 2007. This is no ordinary troupe of young Thespians. This is “Palace Playhouse”, a group of nineteen high-school age performers and technicians for whom love of theatre is more than just a clichéd thing to say.

The members of the Palace Playhouse troupe have no grades riding on their performance, only the pride of the production to dust off twenty years from now when this show is but a fond memory of a new beginning. But still, they are here. These young people, now community players, are building a show out of a pure love for the Theatre and a desire to see an institution, “Palace Playhouse”, continue on it’s proud 34 year history in Brigham City. These players have caught on to the immortality of live theatre and glimpsed the bonds of friendship and accomplishment that have always united members of Palace Playhouse past and now, thankfully, present.

“The Crucible”, a highly dramatic piece by Arthur Miller, set in Salem during the hysteria of the Witch Trials, offers a chance for this troupe to stretch and grow, promising audiences an evening of crisp dialog and edge-of-your-seat tension. Though a period piece, “The Crucible” offers insights into the dynamics of community and self, which are still applicable today.

If you are lover of quality Theatre in the Northern Utah area and a subscriber to the ideal of supporting the Arts in a day when its importance and funding is dwindling rapidly, I trust that you will be with me in the audience as the curtain rises at 7:30 pm during the run of this Mac Edwards directed show. You won’t be disappointed.

Note: Some parts of this play may not be suitable for children under the age of 10.

Come and see “The Crucible” at the Brigham City Fine Arts Center – 58 South 100 West Brigham City Utah – March 30, 31, April 2,3,5,6,7 at 7:30 pm – Matinee March 31 at 2:00 pm - Reservations: 435.723.0740 - Tickets: $5.00

www.stageashow.com welcomes comments on and reviews for shows we feature, as well as general Theatre discussions in the forums available to members of the stageashow site.