Banal is boss in Horrors

In an impressive feat, Hoof 'n' Horn makes the banalities of suburban life and visits to the dentist as exciting as the bloodthirsty carnivorous plants that characterize the rock musical.

In the student-run acting troupe's current production, Little Shop of Horrors, these mundane scenes-bolstered by some surprisingly serious acting chops-are what give the show its compelling edge. An example is the song "Somewhere That's Green," in which Audrey (sophomore Heather Wiese) fantasizes about a life filled with TV dinners and working garbage disposals as dancers perform an ironically kitschy ballet number nearby.

Such moments lend the show a surprising cohesivness, given that the group had little more than a month to pull the musical together. When rights to the group's original choice, Footloose, were denied last minute, they scrambled to put on a different production in half the usual time.

"It's been a five-week process when it should have been an eight- or nine-week one," said director Chelsey Amelkin, a junior.

Yet the short schedule has had some beneficial side effects-namely, ensuring the commitment of the actors who did sacrifice their social lives to stick around.

"It made us even more dedicated to this show," said senior Helen Rankin, who plays one of the musical's dancing narrators. "The people who are in the show really wanted to be in it."

This enthusiasm is most noticeable in strong individual performances. Seymour (senior Matt Colabrese) is a paragon of geeky-yet-titillating befuddlement, while freshman Cameron McCallie instills the Dentist with a maniacal strut that perfectly frames his cringe-worthy barbarism. A cast of similarly strong characters bolsters the show's appeal, glossing over its rougher edges.

-Claire Finch