Leann Boisvert of Newington, Connecticut Will Play a Role in the University of New Haven's Theatre Program "Little Shop of Horrors"

2012 Apr 18

WEST HAVEN, CT (04/18/2012)(readMedia)--

Leann Boisvert of Newington, Connecticut will play a role in the University of New Haven spring theatre program, "Little Shop of Horrors."

The program will run April 25-28 at 7:30 p.m. and April 28-29 at 2 p.m. at Dodds Theater on the UNH Main Campus at 300 Boston Post Road in West Haven.

The actors and director will take part in a talkback with the audience following the 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, April 28.

"Little Shop of Horrors" by Howard Ashman focuses on a down-and out skid row floral assistant who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon, "Audrey II" grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite.

One of the longest-running off-Broadway shows of all time, this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become a household name. The songwriting team of Ashman and Alan Menken redefined the animated musical film with Disney's "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin."

Tyler Prigionieri, a sophomore from Wolcott, Conn., will play the lead role of Seymour. It is his second performance at UNH as he depicted Angel Dumott Schunard in the musical "Rent," which sold out all six performances last spring.

"My favorite part of acting is the audience's reaction," said Prigionieri, a communication and theater double major, who hopes to work in the film industry after graduation. "Knowing that they came to the show and enjoyed it makes me feel like I've done my job successfully."

The cast also includes Leann Boisvert '15 and Amanda Schumacher '14, who were nominated for Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for their performance in UNH's fall production of the comedy "Stepping Out."

The play is directed and choreographed by Heather Reba, a lecturer in UNH's Department of Communication, Film and Theatre. Coralie Gallet, an adjunct professor in the university's Department of Visual and Performing Arts, oversees musical direction.

Tickets are sold at the door and are $15 general admission, $10 for students/seniors and $5 for UNH students, staff and faculty.

The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920 on the campus of Yale University in cooperation with Northeastern University, UNH moved to its current West Haven campus in 1960. The University provides its students with a unique combination of a solid liberal arts education and real-world, hands-on career and research opportunities. UNH enrolls approximately 6,400, including nearly 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates – the majority of whom reside in University housing. Through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, Tagliatela College of Engineering, and University College, UNH offers 75 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. UNH students have access to more than 50 study abroad programs worldwide and its student-athletes compete in 16 varsity sports in the NCAA Division II's highly competitive Northeast-10 Conference.