THEATRE REVIEW: "The Little Shop of Horrors" @ STAGES ST. LOUIS
BY: ANDREA BRAUN, THEATRE ARTS CORRESPONDENT
Picture it: Skid Row, the early 1960s. A young man, Seymour Krelborn (Ben Nordstrom) was taken from an orphanage to be a virtual slave for Mr. Mushnik (Darin De Paul) a down-at-heels florist. The other employee in the shop is Audrey (Maria Couch) a dim blonde who is abused by her boyfriend, a sadistic dentist, but is the object of Seymour’s devotion. Life on the street is depicted by bums and winos blocking the way to the garbage cans. A Greek Chorus of sorts is comprised of Chiffon (Valisia Lekae) Crystal (Rashidra Scott) and Ronnette (Lisa M. Ramey) who guide us through this vale of tears via tunes to the music of the era. All one could add to make this thing more depressing is a mass murderer. Oops! Got one! The world of Little Shop of Horrors sounds dreadful on paper, but nope. It’s a musical comedy, and if it’s your kind of humor, it’s hilarious.
It certainly seemed to strike a chord with the opening night audience which gave a rousing standing ovation to this talented cast. There’s not a single weak link. I want to give a particular shout-out to Todd Dubail who plays Orin, the Harley-riding dentist to the hilt, as well as so many other parts, I lost count. In one quick change scene, he appears as a man from NBC, Mrs. Henry Luce, and a representative from William Morris. Even the show can’t seem to keep track of him because after crediting him with four characters, he’s simply billed as "everyone else." He’s strong in all his parts, but especially so in his turn as Orin who loves his work because he has the opportunity to inflict maximum pain and make a living at it. He uses nitrous oxide, but only on himself. And, Dubail has made the character his own; well, his and Elvis’s.
The three cleverly named women carry more of the burden of the show than I’ve noticed in the past, and they are "supremely" up to it. Their voices soar to the rafters in the big numbers, and their costumes are a visual treat, especially at the climax of the show. Credit for these and the other clever get-ups goes to John Inchiostro.
Seymour is genuinely interested in botany, and the story begins when he brings in a cute little plant he bought from a Chinese man during a total eclipse. It looks kind of like a Venus flytrap, but unbeknownst to Seymour, it’s about to turn into a Venus guy trap and take over Seymour’s life. Dubbed Audrey II by Seymour because of his soon-to-be requited love for Audrey, as it grows and spreads its tendrils around the stage, it exerts its death grip on everything around it. Seymour himself is trapped in a Faustian pact with the creature, tempted by the riches the plant promises. Geno Segers provides Audrey’s memorable and menacing voice and Marc A. Petrosino is the Puppeteer. Monte J. Howell and Shaun Sheley acquire two of the oddest credits in theatre: They play tendrils, and not very nice ones, at that.
Director Michael Hamilton (also credited for musical staging) with the aid of Stephen Bourneuf’s choreography has produced a handsome and tight production. Stuart M. Elmore’s orchestral design supports the singers, giving them an extra edge. Sound balance is noteworthy here because some voices are considerably stronger than others, yet in group numbers, no one seems overwhelmed. All the technical elements are first rate (scenic design by Richard Ellis and lighting design by Matthew McCarthy), as one has come to expect from Stages, and this delightful reprise of a favorite musical starts off the 2009 season in fine style.
I think everyone should experience "Little Shop," but especially those who have only seen the movie. You are in for some surprises. The show is appropriate for kids, but I wouldn’t sit in the first couple of rows with them for reasons that will become apparent. Oh, and, sometimes it really is easy being green.
We heard tickets are going fast, so call the Stages box office at 314-821-2407 to get yours. For more information, visit www.stagesstlouis.org.
You can e-mail Andrea at andreabraun@live.com
