Showing Off the “Little Shop of Horrors” Cast

You may recognize a handful of the actors who will bring Little Shop of Horrors to life, but many are making their first appearances at SCR. The cult classic runs Sept. 21-Oct. 19 on the Segerstrom Stage.

Emerson Boatwright makes his SCR debut as Seymour. Some of his favorite credits include Young Frankenstein at Performance Riverside and Spamalot at Candlelight Pavilion. Most recently, he understudied in Scissorhands at the Bourbon Room in Hollywood. He appeared on the Theatre for Young Audiences national tours of Peppa Pig Live, Octonauts Live and Pete the Cat. Boatwright’s other regional credits include Sweeney Todd, The Producers, Guys & Dolls and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. You may have also heard his voice in the critically acclaimed game Oxenfree II: Lost Signals from Netflix.

Celeste Butler also makes her SCR debut as Chiffon. As a vocalist, she has toured around the world and worked with such artists as Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Esperanza Spalding and Patric Rushen. She was also a featured contestant on Season 4 of “American Idol” on ABC. She originated and performs as frontwoman Ursa Major in the groundbreaking immersive theater/funk-concert, Brassroots District: Live in the Lot ’73.

Joslynn Cortes (Crystal) makes her SCR debut. Some of her favorite credits include playing Fiber in the national tour of Nick Nutrition and His Wonder Dog Fiber and regional appearances as Estella Hernández in Somebody to Love at Rubicon Theatre Company, Claire in Ordinary Days at Wayward Artists and Anita in West Side Story at Glow Lyric Theatre. Cortes is a graduate of American Musical and Dramatic Academy and teaches voice at Vocal Love.

Joe Gallina (Audrey II Puppeteer) makes his SCR debut. He spent the summer season at Pacific Conservatory Theatre as Movement Director for The Play That Goes Wrong and Puppetry Director for its production of Little Shop of Horrors. Gallina has performed at Utah Shakespeare Festival, Artists Repertory Theatre and Connecticut Repertory, among others, and spent some time clowning in Haiti with Clowns Without Borders. He holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Connecticut and is a graduate of PCPA’s Acting Conservatory.

Holly Jackson (Ronnette) makes her SCR debut. She has appeared in Starlight Theatre’s productions of Aladdin, The Wizard of Oz and Hairspray, as well as A Christmas Carol at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, 13 at Spinning Tree Theatre and Little Shop of Horrors at Faust Theatre. Jackson is a 2024 graduate of Pepperdine University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Screen Arts.

Derek Manson returns to SCR as Dr. Orin Scrivello and others. His previous SCR appearances include Four in Snow White, Russ the Bus in Tiger Style!, Snoopy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and the 2023 Pacific Playwrights Festival reading of Galilee, 34. His Los Angeles credits include Neil Simon’s Musical Foolsat Open Fist Theatre Company, The Big Event at Gangbusters Theatre and Making Paradise at Cornerstone Theatre. Manson’s regional credits include Romeo & Juliet at Alliance Theatre and Amadeus at Sacramento Theatre Company, among others.

Michael A. Shepperd (the Voice of Audrey II/Derelict) makes his SCR debut. His acting credits include Broadway roles in Little Shop of Horrors (as the Voice of Audrey II), Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan, Caroline, or Change and The Whipping Man. Regional credits include Matilda, The Musical, The Producers and Fences, among many others. Shepperd’s award-winning and award-nominated director credits include Blood at the Root at Open Fist Theatre Company, The Boy From Oz at Celebration Theatre and Rotterdam at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. You may have also seen him in various television shows, including “Why Women Kill,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Monk” and “Hot In Cleveland.”

Michelle Veintimilla makes her SCR debut as Audrey. She is fresh off her Kennedy Center debut starring as Carla in Andy Blankenbuehler’s production of Nine. She made her Broadway debut alongside Chita Rivera as Young Claire in the Tony-nominated musical The Visit. She starred in two sets of festival performances at the Salzburg Opera Festival as Maria in West Side Story and recently starred in Ana Nogueria’s play Which Way To The Stage at MCC Theater.

Geoffrey Wade returns to SCR as Mr. Mushnik, having previously appeared in Amadeus, Anastasia Krupnik and James and the Giant Peach. He portrayed Snape and Lord Voldemort in the original San Francisco company of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Wade has appeared on Broadway and Off- and did the national tours for Crazy for You and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. His regional appearances include The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Guthrie Theater, Denver Center and Cincinnati Playhouse, among many others.

Analisa Idalia (Urchins Understudy) makes her SCR debut. She is a Los Angeles-based actor, singer and dancer. She studied at California State University Northridge, where she earned her BA in Theatre Arts. Idalia originated the role of Tweedle Dee in Trial Run Productions’ original musical, Alice in Wonderland, and will be featured on the cast album.

Natalie Llerena (Audrey Understudy) makes her SCR debut. She is a two-time Helen Hayes Award winner with Synetic Theater Company. Her regional theatre credits include FOUND: The Musical at IAMA Theatre Company, The Play You Want at The Road Theatre Company and Starry: A Musical about Vincent Van Gogh at Rockwell Table & Stage and 54 Below, among others. On television, Llrena can be seen in a recurring role on “General Hospital.”

Garrett Marshall (Orin/Mushnik Understudy) makes his SCR debut. His previous credits include Billy in Carrie at Los Angeles Theater, Kristoff in Frozen Live at the Hyperion, Bill in Mystic Pizza at Ogunquit Playhouse and A League of their Own at Rockwell Table and Stage. He is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.

Brian Kim McCormick (Seymour/Audrey II Understudy) returns to SCR after previously appearing as Schroeder in Outside SCR’s You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. His regional credits include The Sound of Music at Musical Theatre West, Chimerica at Quantum Theatre and Aubergine at San Diego Repertory, among many others. As a voiceover artist, McCormick can be heard on cartoons like “Pokémon” and “Yu-Gi-Oh! SEVENS,” many English dubs including “Squid Game” and several video games and audiobooks.