A musical man-eating plant is taking over downtown State College this weekend.

Singing Onstage Productions will present the musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors at 7 and 10:30 tonight and Saturday night at The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave.

A local musical theater training and performance studio, Singing Onstage sponsors voice lessons and student productions.

The studio will add this show to the list of past professional performances, including its recent popular hits Dreamgirls and Oliver!.

This small cast tackles the story of Seymour Krelbourn, a floral assistant who becomes an overnight superstar when he discovers an extraordinary plant with a taste for human flesh.

Little Shop of Horrors was a sci-fi movie in the 1950s directed by Roger Corman. A newer version came out in 1986, re-vamped by the songwriting team Howard Ashman and Alan Menken.

Based on these movies, the musical has become one of the longest running off-Broadway shows of all time.

Director Richard Biever of Singing Onstage helped bring this show to life here in State College.

"We have a terrific cast, they're really top-notch," Biever said. "It's the most fun theater experience I've had."

Mike Waldhier plays Seymour alongside Richard's wife Heidi Biever, who stars as Seymour's secret love, Audrey.

Cast member Jeff Brown said Richard and Heidi met each other doing a performance of Little Shop of Horrors.

"It's such a hilarious show," Waldhier said. "It's impossible for it not to be funny; the audience will be laughing for two hours."

Waldhier said playing the role of Seymour was a new experience that had to take a bit of adapting on his behalf.

"I was sort of called in [by Richard], he wanted me to come in and audition," Waldhier said.

"And, well, I'm a big guy," he added. "Seymour is little and nerdy. I had to adapt him a little to keep his character funny."

As for shaky nerves before performing, Waldhier said he doesn't get the jitters until about 30 seconds before hitting the stage.

"I want to hit the stage running," Waldhier said. "Once I'm out there, I'm fine."

Though Waldhier's main focus is performing the lead role, Brown is the ultimate multi-tasker, playing the role of Mr. Mushnik on top of being an instructor at Penn State and working at WBUS-FM (93.7).

With 30 years of radio experience behind him, he continues his interest in performing musical theater through Little Shop of Horrors.

"I'm almost embarrassed to be on the cast," Brown said. "The talent level is through the roof. It's going to be a spectacle."

With rehearsals behind them and performances coming up, Brown reflected on working with the other cast members.

"We laughed since the first day we worked together," Brown said. "We had so much fun, and the cast couldn't be any more suited."