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Musician Gives Voice To Audrey II in 'Little Shop'
June 18, 2008
By JOSEPH SITARZ
Index-Journal Features/Accent Editor
Greenwood, SC - Hack Bartley is used to being front and center, so his experience in this year’s Festival of Flowers Greenwood Community Theatre production is something totally new to him.
- “Little Shop of Horrors” opens tonight with Bartley tackling the role of Audrey II, the blood-craving plant created by Seymour in the musical by screenwriter Charles B. Griffith, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.
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- Bartley is best known for his time as a member of Greenwood’s own Swingin’ Medallions and as the frontman for the award-winning Hack Bartley and Shuffle.
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Hack Bartley spends some quality time with Audrey II, the star of Greenwood Community Theatre’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” (Staff photo by Joseph Sitarz) | None of that prepared him for what he’s going through as opening night approaches for “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“I’m in uncharted waters,” Bartley said. “It’s different than when I’m on stage and performing and singing and everything.”
Even with that in mind, Bartley is glad he decided to do the musical.
“I’ve never done a play before. I get to sing songs. I’m the voice of the plant. It’s been a lot of fun. I’m having a lot of fun doing it. I didn’t think I would,” he said.
To provide Audrey II’s voice, Bartley isn’t visibly on stage, but he’s not too far from the action. He’s off on the side of the stage behind the curtain, where he can do his vocals and have easy access to the band. He sits not too far from where the different growth stages of Audrey II rest.
“This way, I’m in the background and just doing the voice for the plant. I don’t have to do any visual acting,” he said.
I just have to read lines. Everything is voice,” Bartley said, who speaks as Audrey II while Isaac Young is the puppeteer who puts the life into the plant.
The two have been working hard to match the plant’s movements on stage to the vocals, and vice versa.
“Basically where I sit, I can see him,” Bartley said of keeping an eye on Young in the plant suit. “When he opens the mouth, I can see it. Isaac is inside the plant and has gotten the whole script memorized. He’s following me as much as I’m following him. Bam. Bam. Bam. Things happen very quickly.”
That fast-paced action is something he likes, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
“There’s a lot of stress in rehearsals,” Bartley said. “We play 100 times better than we rehearse. I think that’s typical of most musicians. Most musicians are better players.”
Anyone who has ever seen Bartley on stage knows he speaks the truth when he says he never does something the same way twice.
“I’m more comfortable stepping out on stage and just doing a show. I rarely do the same thing the same way two times in a row,” Bartley said. “I’ve been chastised by my peers over the years for not doing it the same way.
“I want to do it better than I did the last time. It just might be a phrase or one line, but I’m always trying to do it just a little bit better,” he said, adding it plays into the spontaneity of the band’s shows.
“For me and my band, we’re much better at just spur-of-the-moment things and more off-the-cuff stuff. If someone comes up and requests something, we’ll take a shot at it. Hopefully we pull it off and make everyone happy.”
Right now, this gig is a one-shot deal.
“Plays would be very difficult for me to do,” Bartley said. “I’m not very good at repetition. I’m glad I’m doing this. After this, it’s not in the cards.”
“Little Shop of Horrors” has a rich history. It debuted in 1960 as a movie directed by Roger Corman. It moved to off-Broadway in 1982 and to the big screen in 1986. It had a short life on Broadway in 2003. It’s been on tour nationally and has been performed around the world. It’s become a favorite production for community theaters and high schools.
While the performance might be on the GCT stage, Bartley is modeling Audrey II off the movie plant. Bartley, who has never seen the film, was given a CD of the movie soundtrack and immediately liked the music.
“There’s some really good R&B stuff on it,” Bartley said.
The 1986 movie used Levi Stubbs, a member of the Four Tops, as the voice of Audrey II. The movie was directed by Frank Oz, of Muppets fame, and starred Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Vincent Gardenia.
“I love the Four Tops. Levi Stubbs is one of my favorite singers of all time,” Bartley said, adding that besides Stubbs, he includes Sam Cooke and David Clayton Thomas, of Blood, Sweat and Tears fame, among his favorite singers. “Those are right at the top of my list.”
Besides the title song, “Little Shop of Horrors” has the songs “Suddenly Seymour,” “Skid Row (Downtown),” “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Feed Me (Git It).” “Feed Me (Git It)” is a prime example of why Bartley was asked.
“It’s ballsy and bluesy. It’s a straightforward blues thing,” Bartley said. “I love it.”
By the time the curtain rises tonight, Bartley was hoping to have watched the movie -- at least once.
“Everybody in the band has seen the movie except me,” Bartley said. “I made a promise to watch it. I think not seeing the movie is hindering me tremendously.”
There was little question in the mind of Byars, GCT marketing director and “Little Shop of Horrors” musical director, who he wanted as the voice. But Byars prefaced the request by asking Bartley if he could hire Shuffle. Then came the offer to have Bartley do Audrey’s voice.
After all, Bartley was going to be the voice for the songs, so why not the talking voice, too?
“David just called and asked if they could hire the band. I said sure,” Bartley said, noting Shuffle is composed of Bartley, Ken Kittle, Paul Hamilton and Duane Terry. Kittle is the band’s musical director for the show.
“I looked at the dates and we didn’t have anything going on. It’s kind of like a job. We’re the music for the show,” Bartley said.
The band is on stage the entire show, up on risers behind the flower shop set.
“We’re there to support the actors with music,” Bartley said. “These guys are some of the best players that I’ve ever stepped on stage with. This music is just fun, fun music.”
GCT’s production is directed by artistic and executive director Bess Park. Drew Shafer plays Seymour, Mary Lyle Smith is Audrey, David Ouzts plays Orin, and Steve Gossett is Mr. Mushnik, the owner of the floral shop.
The Dueling Doo-Wop Girls are Tracie Luquire, Sarah Goforth, Kelli Mullinix, Jaleesa Holloway, Beonka Edwards and Jal’eesa Bone.
Bartley said he has been surprised by the caliber of the performers.
“Bess did a good job casting,” Bartley said.
“Little Shop of Horrors” opens tonight. Shows are 8 p.m. today through Saturday, with 2 p.m. matinees Saturday and Sunday. Greenwood Community Theatre is at 110 Main St., Uptown Greenwood.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $15 for students with ID and $10 for children 11 and younger.
For information, call 229-5704, e-mail tgct@greenwood.net or visit http://www.greenwoodcommunitytheatre.net.
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