Melvin Gray of Henderson, NC To Perform as Puppeteer in William Peace Theatre's Production of Howard Ashman's "Little Shop of Horrors" November 13-16, 2014.

2014 Nov 4

RALEIGH, N.C., November 4, 2014 - William Peace University, a private four-year university located in downtown Raleigh, is delighted to announce its Theatre Company will perform Howard Ashman's cult-classic, horror/sci-fi/comedy, "Little Shop of Horrors." The play is directed by visiting Broadway director, Michael Bush. Show times run from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with the exception of Matinee shows on Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets range $15 for adults; $10 for senior citizens, Alumni, and faculty and staff; and $5 for students and children. Seating is general admission.

"Little Shop of Horrors" is a laugh-out-loud musical featuring a flesh-eating plant from space, a man who gets more than he bargains for, and rousing doo-wop music reminiscent of the 60s. The musical follows Seymour Krelborn, a floral assistant on Skid Row, who purchases a mysterious and exotic plant with an insatiable need for human flesh. As Seymour seeks the affection of his buxom coworker, Audrey, he battles for control over his progressively bloodthirsty plant, Audrey II, who quickly grows beyond what Krelborn imagined, turning into a foul-mannered, R&B singing, uncouth carnivore. Though Krelborn gets his 15 minutes of fame, he soon realizes he bit off more than he could chew with Audrey II.

Melvin T. Gray, Jr., a Henderson, NC native and a Class of 2016 B.A. Theatre major, is one of the puppeteers for "Little Shop of Horrors" and will also play a citizen of Skid Row. Gray has performed previously in several William Peace Theatre Company productions, including "Much Ado About Nothing" as the villain Conrade, in "Spring Awakening" as Ernst, in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" as Deputy, and has held lead roles in the student-led and student-directed Dramtic Irony Club productions of Henrik Ibsen’s "Hedda Gabler" as Jorgen Tessman and "Living Dead in Denmark" as Horatio. Earlier this summer, Gray performed as Dave Lawson in Bare Theater’s "Let Them Be Heard." He is also a three-year veteran of the University’s Glee Club, the William Peace University Singers, and performs regularly with the troupe throughout the Triangle.

"Being born and raised in North Carolina, and having spent most of my adult life working professionally on and off Broadway, I jumped at this opportunity to direct Little Shop of Horrors for William Peace University," said Visiting Theatre Director Michael Bush. "I am filled with gratitude that I have been able to spend my life working professionally in the theatre and that I have been taught so much by so many great artists, and I feel it's time for me to pass it forward. Working with this talented bunch of students and faculty has given me that and more."

"Little Shop of Horrors" features a cast of talented student actors, new choreography from Amy White, M.F.A., Assistant Professor of Theatre and Musical Theatre, a pit orchestra directed by faculty member Matt Hodge, M.F.A., alongside faculty member Michael Santangelo, M.M., and accompanied by Drew Lile on guitar, John Simonetti on bass, and Dale Baker on drums.

Ticket costs for the general public will be $5-$15. Tickets for shows can be purchased online at www.peace.edu/events.

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About William Peace University: William Peace University is located in the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina. It was founded in 1857 as Peace Institute, offering education for boys and girls in primary grades and to women from high school to college. Peace, an all-women's college, became a four-year baccalaureate college and graduated its first bachelor's students in August of 1996. Exclusively an all-women's institution for its first 152 years, Peace began offering coeducational evening courses through the William Peace School of Professional Studies in 2009. In 2011, Peace College transitioned to William Peace University and began admitting male students to its day program in fall 2012. Its mission is to prepare students for careers in the organizations of tomorrow. On average, more than 90 percent of the university's graduates are placed in jobs or graduate school within one year of graduation. For more information, please visit http://www.peace.edu.