By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
The first full performance by the Hays Community Theatre since before the COVID-19 shutdown stymied production for the group is set for this weekend with "Little Shop of Horrors: The Musical."
Performances are set for 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Thomas More Prep- Marian Dreiling Theatre, 1701 Hall.
While the movie version of "Little Shop of Horrors," released in 1960 and remade in 1986, is the most well-known version of the story, director Jenni Rajewski said the musical has a long history.
"It began back in the beginning of the 20th century," Rajewski said. "It's been a short story, it's been a black-and-white movie, then the musical came out, then the (1986) movie with Rick Moranis. Now it is a cult classic."
Through the productions, however, the story remains similar.
"It's about this shy little florist, who discovers this very rare breed of what he thinks is a Venus flytrap, but it turns out that it is a carnivore," Rajewski said. "And in a very Faustian trip, he has to make a deal with the devil and decide if he is going to sell his soul for the money, the girl, all the fame and fortune, or if he is going to hold to his principals and let the plant go."
She said despite the heavy themes, the musical is lighthearted and family-friendly.
"It's so fun," Rajewski said. "It's very upbeat, there is this very weird connection between all of these different cast members and the music is really high energy.
"It's a great show."
While the story will be familiar to those that have seen the movie, Rajewski, said the movie version has a different ending, so attendees will still be able to be surprised.
"So if you have seen the movie, you still need to come to see our show because what you saw is not the ending we are going to give you," she said.
The audience will also be presented with a variety of musical styles during the performance.
"It's got this mish-mosh," Rajewski said. "It's got some R&B, it's got some almost bluesy stuff, there's rock-n-roll, there's a couple of songs, sweetie-cutie songs. It's just this very wide variety of singing. There's no rap, but other than that, I think I can accommodate just about anybody's taste."
While Rajewski is a theater veteran, this is her first show with the Hays group.
"I'm just super excited that they asked me to come and do this and be a part of the Hays Community Theatre team," she said. "It has been an enlightening and exciting experience.
"They work so hard to make sure this community has a theater program available to anybody."
Rajewski said the all-volunteer group was focused on helping as much as possible through the preparations for the production.
"Every single one of these people — every actor, every technician, every stagehand, every pit member — is just there because they want to do this, they want to help out, and they want to be part of this.
"They are just fabulous. I could not believe how well everything just pieced itself together and how willing people were to give up their time and all this energy and work to make this thing happen."
And some of the cast members will be familiar faces, but others are new.
"We've got 11 people in the cast, and they are about as true of a mix as you can get," Rajewski said.
That cast list includes five high schoolers from the area, college students and community members.
The cast is also a mix of veterans and first timers.
"It's just such a wide variety," Rajewski said. "It's just amazing how much they vary and then they come together like this and form this little community of actors."
And with the group coming together for the first production since before the pandemic she said the excitement for the audience and the performers reflects a pent-up desire for artist expression.
"We lost our artistic outlet and for some of us, we lost that thing that levels us, ground us," Rajewski said. "So to come back and have that has just been astounding to see."
Tickets are available online now for $15 at hctks.com or available at the box office each night.
