In each of the last five years, Weehawken junior high and high school students have put on elaborate musical productions. Last year’s performance of “Annie” was so widely recognized by the community that the high school auditorium was jammed to capacity, with people actually being turned away at the door. Plays like “Damn Yankees” two years ago and “Annie” last year offered entertainment and fun, but there wasn’t a real difficult challenge in the production. Although both shows were well-done and professional, it’s a little easier to have a cast of baseball players and orphans prancing around the stage than it is having… A man-eating giant-size plant that talks and sings! As you can probably figure out by now, the annual spring play at Weehawken High School is the popular “Little Shop of Horrors,” which will be performed Friday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium. “Little Shop of Horrors” was the former Roger Korman B-movie that featured a young Jack Nicholson as the masochistic dentist, which was later transformed into a Broadway musical, then later a movie musical starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin. The aspiring actors at Weehawken High School take a lot of pride in their work, so the chance to do a challenging play like “Little Shop of Horrors” was widely accepted. “It is definitely a different type of play than ‘Damn Yankees’ or ‘Annie,’ ” said junior Carla Naya, who will portray Crystal in the new production. “The music is complicated. There’s so much music and so much singing, more than any other year. The challenge made us want to do the show even more. The challenge of it was the key. The harder, the better. Personally, I love singing. It’s my passion, so it’s not hard for me. But it is for others. But the play is fun to watch and definitely fun to be in.” John Grossi, who stars as Seymour, agrees. “I think this play provides a bigger challenge than others, especially with the singing,” said Grossi, who had a part in “Damn Yankees” and was Daddy Warbucks in “Annie” last year. “There’s a smaller cast of characters, so that means that there’s an inordinate amount of lines. And I’m in every scene of the play, so that means I have a lot more lines, a plethora of lines, more than anyone else.” Jennifer Canoura is the veteran of the Weehawken stage, now appearing in her fifth production, in the female lead as Audrey. She agreed with the assessment that “Little Shop of Horrors” is far different than any other production the students have done in the past. “It is so much more of a challenge,” Canoura said. “The music is more challenging, the dialogue is more challenging. We had to work with the original script and edit out some things that were inappropriate. The wardrobe is also toned down. Plus, this play has more scene changes and costume changes than we’ve ever had before. It’s much more difficult.” Added Canoura, “But I’ve loved every minute of it. It will be our greatest performance yet.” The actors are enjoying the play, especially watching the plant grow into its three stages. And yes, the plant moves, talks and sings – just like in the Broadway show and the movies. “It’s great,” Naya said. “The plant is like a puppet.” “They’re all very good with the plant,” Grossi said. “I interact well with the plant.” As long as it doesn’t get hungry during the performance. And there are two people who are involved with the gigantic plant – namely Felix Romero, who serves as the plant’s voice and utters the play’s most famous line, “Feed me, Seymour,” and Robert Rosario, who is inside the plant. Romero loves the idea that he will never be seen, only heard, both in dialogue and his powerful singing voice. “I just get to chill out, sitting on a chair, while everyone else is out there on stage,” Romero said. “I get to sing with my Barry White style.” It’s been a labor of love from the faculty as well. Josephine Cilia is the director. George Polazzi worked on the set, including the construction of the giant snapdragon plant. Steve Spinosa is the musical director. “It really is a fun show,” Spinosa said. “It’s almost like a rock opera, with all the music. And the style of music in the play fits the style of music most people like to hear, and because of it, our students will be able to play it. It’s high-energy and the kids pull it off really well.” “There are parts to the show that I have to still laugh, myself, when I’m on the stage in rehearsals,” Grossi said. “I can’t help it. It’s a load of fun.” Naya said that she didn’t mind the long hours of rehearsal at night. “For me, it’s something I love, so it’s not a sacrifice,” Naya said. “I feel blessed to act and sing. I think of it more as an honor than anything. I’m glad I could be a part and it’s all well worth it.” Grossi, who is a senior, said that he meets his last high school production with a bit of trepidation. “Sentimentally, it’s a shame that this is my last one,” said Grossi, who plans to major in physics at an undetermined college in the fall. “I don’t think I’ll ever be involved with something like this ever again. When you do something like this, the cast becomes like a family. It’s put together with toothpicks and paper clips, but it’s been amazing to watch it progress over the years. But nothing can ever compare to what we’ve created. It’s always something different. Even if it’s something I only do on the side, I’ll always have that acting fever.” Grossi said that he’s personally dedicating the performance to Weehawken teacher Eileen Markwalter, who has been ill recently. It was Markwalter’s persistence that brought back the plays to the school. She has not been able to direct this play due to her illness. “She was always such a great support to us, the tie that bound us all together,” Grossi said. “This is the first play she’s not directing and she’s missed.” Grossi is hopeful that the community will come and support the production. “It means a lot when the community comes out to see it, like they did last year,” Grossi said. “Everyone will enjoy this show. I promise.” Transportation is available to and from Weehawken High School if anyone needs to get to the school for the show. Please contact the school at 867-1774 for more information on transportation.
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