Portland High School’s Little Shop of Horrors “Wows” Audience in Opening Night Performance

The Portland High School Drama Club may only have had one night to put on their annual musical, but they made the most of it Thursday night by pushing those in attendance back in their seats with an awesome performance. Just hours after the curtain dropped, Superintendent Will Heath, who was in attendance at the musical along with PHS Principal Christine Rockey, announced the closing of all Portland school buildings effective at noon on Friday. Little Shop of Horror performances for Friday and Saturday nights were subsequently cancelled.

Chandra Polasek, Portland High School Drama teacher, told the Beacon that the cast and crew of The Little Shop of Horrors showed a talent in the performance that was “beyond anything I would have ever expected from High School students. They showed incredible skill and responsiveness to each other’s characters that was beyond amazing”. In addition, Polasek told the Beacon that the live “Musicians were excellent!” The live on-stage rock band was led by Mike Sulecki (PHS Music Director) and Jessica Cymbal (PHS Vocal Music Director) with Josh Arleth, a parent volunteer, performing on his drums along with a last minute MSU music major accompanying with a jazz guitar. The Little Shop of Horrors was choreographed by Sara Pohl.

Bryna Adams performed the lead female role of Audrey and Emerson Dibean played the lead male role of Seymour Krelborn with support from Iggly Arleth as Mr. Mushnick. Freshman Preston Dibean performed flawlessly as the voice of the plant. Amelia West was the lead Puppeteer, spending the performance making the man-eating plant Audrey II more real than it had a right to be.

Polasek has been hard at work since Friday morning working with the private theatre vendors of Little Shop of Horrors in an attempt to hold the equipment and copyright privileges until after the Governor directed school recess is over. If she is successful, then the PHS Little Shop of Horrors production will schedule two additional performances before the school year ends. You definitely won’t want to miss these performances if they come back after the break.