Little Shop of Horrors

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𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗙𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

𝙱𝚢: 𝙿𝚊𝚞𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚘

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(𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦. 𝘈𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.)

Presently running at Footlighters in Berwyn is the hit musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, which has arrived right in time for the spooky season. This production boasts great talent and clever flourishes that make it highly recommended viewing for fans of the show and musical theatre in general, despite being a couple petals shy of sublime.

With its campy plot about meek flower store clerk Seymour diving into gore and despair after making a Faustian deal with a gigantic killer plant from outer space, LITTLE SHOP is a celebration of 1960s sci-fi horror schlock. Its memorable songs are a mix of 60s doo-wop and rock. Most admirable about Footlighters’ production, directed by Sean McDermott, is how much it clearly loves the musical and understands the assignment. It successfully toes the difficult line of staying true to the show’s intent while offering creative touches to keep it unique.

Let’s start with the performers. Noelle Joy Fiorentino captures not only the look but the kind-hearted nature of Seymour’s co-worker crush Audrey. Through her varied line delivery and stage presence, she makes Audrey her own rather than emulating Ellen Greene’s film characterization. Fiorentino’s vocals are beautiful and powerful without outsinging the role, giving Audrey emotional authenticity. Also praiseworthy is John Parkinson’s Seymour, who provides smart, nuanced humor and visual comedy while living the role’s emotional rollercoaster. Parkinson remains invested in every minute of Seymour’s hefty stage presence. The romance arc between Seymour and Audrey is absurd considering the sci-fi antics surrounding it, but both actors play the love story straight and touching, letting the audience pick up the humor.

Instead, the in-your-face comedy is properly reserved for Michael Mann, who plays Orin: sadistic dentist by day and Audrey’s abusive motorcycle-enthusiast boyfriend by night. His Orin knows exactly the kind of slimy monster he is and relishes in it. Mann’s physicality and vocal performance deliver a litany of laughs, particularly in his “dental office” scene with Seymour at the end of Act 1 where his nitrous oxide addiction gets the better of him. Sarah Reynolds and Deseon Lamar work together to bring the large alien plant, Audrey II, to life. Reynolds gives the most physically demanding performance as the plant’s unseen puppeteer while Lamar voices the plant offstage with rich, authoritative bass vocals that make the show’s leafy antagonist menacing. And in a role that can be overlooked in other productions, Kevin Palardy gives a memorable performance as short-tempered flower store owner Mushnik, especially in his rapid interactions with Seymour and Audrey.

Finally, appearing throughout the musical are three street urchins (Cristina Concilio, Tiffany Tate, and Jetoye Andrews) who serve as the show’s Greek chorus and often sing directly to the audience. When working as a trio, there were some uneven segments. At times, such as in the opening number, the trio struggled to achieve a balanced vocal blend, with noticeable disparities in volume among the singers. However, the urchins often shined in backing up other songs, like Orin’s “Dentist,” and excelled in certain solo bits (Andrews in particular). 

I’m pleased that McDermott honored LITTLE SHOP's original staging convention by having the remaining half-dozen cameo roles played by the actor portraying Orin. This is rarely done in community theatre renditions, but this production demonstrates why such casting works. Mann is a chameleon, jumping into each zany bit part and giving each a distinct voice and personality. In one musical number, he hilariously cycles through three competing agents seeking to license Seymour and his plant. Mann steals every moment he’s onstage, and his rapid switches between characters complement the show’s wacky premise while keeping the cast small and tight.

Footlighters’ production also offers a few creative details to keep the musical fresh. In the spirit of the show, sprinkled through the production are some subtle references to various horror movies. No lines were added; the references appeared in small choices in blocking and props that didn't distract from the show. I didn’t even pick up on them until late into Act 1, but they were fun to spot. I noticed nods to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, “Pennywise” from IT, and—if I spotted it correctly—John Carpenter’s THE THING. Mann also portrays an enthusiastic customer in the style of “Ace Ventura” (which is a horror movie if you count the sequel). 

LITTLE SHOP’s set is simple in appearance, primarily consisting of the flower shop and the alley and stoop outside. Most productions depict the alley downstage of the shop, which can be difficult to visualize, but Footlighters’ has a clever deviation. Here, the alley physically exists on stage right and runs perpendicular to the front of the stage, giving it true depth. The flower shop sits at a street corner, allowing characters to approach it from two sides and adding variety to an otherwise static set. It does come with a drawback; the flower shop had to be condensed to two-thirds the width of the stage. This could be an issue for audience members sitting far house right, whose view of important upstage interactions involving the plant may be partially obscured by the shop’s front counter.

The set otherwise has some nice decorative details, and the plant looks colorfully monstrous and moves dynamically. My nitpicking eye noticed that the name on the flower shop’s sign doesn’t change in Act 2 to “Mushnik & Son.” The live orchestra rocks with a full sound, although it occasionally drowned out the vocalists during the most energetic numbers. The performers were generally audible, but Seymour’s microphone sounded noticeably inferior to those of the rest of the cast.

Ultimately, Footlighters’ LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS succeeds by embracing what makes the musical a perennial favorite while adding creative touches of its own. With stellar performances and inventive choices that enhance rather than overwhelm the material, this production delivers the laughs, the music, and the deliciously dark fun.