A Night At TUTS' Little Shop of Horrors: Don't Forget The Bug Spray

Photo by Margaret Downing

TUTS' Audrey with the famed "corpse flower"

​The Theatre Under The Stars acting company is staging its usual summer freebie at Miller Outdoor Theatre. This year's installment is the Broadway staple, The Little Shop of Horrors.
   
Hair Balls decided to check it out, taking the time to also investigate alternate modes of transportation. The Metro light rail makes for a nice and stress-free means of avoiding the rush and the traffic that is an inevitable by-product of the annual summer show. And, as previous experience proved Miller's parking complex to be the incarnation of Hell on Earth, Hair Balls was happy for the change.
  Early arrivals had the dubious honor of listening to the stage crew check each microphone in its turn, not to mention their pick of good spots on the grass. A lot of families turned out for the event, some with dogs included, and theater staff was prepared with a purple Frisbee (and a paper fan) for anyone who wanted one.
   
The night cooled off quickly after the sun dropped under the theater's characteristic hill, but the smell of summer remained, as many audience members had sprayed themselves with Off in anticipation. With as many gnats as showed up for the event, the smell was tolerated with ease.
   
Lines at the concession stand were brutal, and the restrooms were even worse. Intermission saw lines backed up around the theater. Luckily for some, many of the families decided that it was a good time to tuck the kids in for the night, so the crowd at the end of the show wasn't as bad as could be.