The last time I saw "Little Shop of Horrors" was in the small Charles Playhouse in Boston. It was as grand a production as they could do given the constraints of the space, but it was great nonetheless, much like I imagine the original Off-Broadway low-budget production was. The Broadway touring version, now at the Auditorium Theatre, is much more lavish and expensive, but happily has lost none of the joy and tongue-in-cheek humor that makes the show such a fun musical experience.
Originally produced in 1982 at the WPA Theatre in New York, "Little Shop of Horrors" soon became a phenomenon which moved to the 350-seat Orpheum Theatre. This is the show that put Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (music) on the map. With its early '60s-style pop score, the dark-themed show is infectious.
For those of you who haven't seen the show or the 1986 movie, "Little Shop of Horrors" is the story of Seymour Krelborn (Jonathan Rayson), a schlep who works in a Skid Row flower shop run by Mr. Mushnik (Lenny Wolpe). Seymour buys a strange and unusual plant which he has had no luck nurturing until he realizes that the plant thrives on human blood. Meanwhile, the object of Seymour's affection, coworker Audrey (Tari Kelly) is dating sadistic dentist Orin (James Moye). As the plant Audrey II (voiced by Michael James Leslie) grows bigger and Seymour becomes more famous, he becomes increasingly more indebted to the plant and its bloodlust. A plot like that can never end well.
Director Jerry Zaks and choreographer Kathleen Marshall have maintained the period feel of the show, as well as giving it some very clever and exciting musical numbers in the process. An often overlooked but huge (and I mean HUGE) part of "Little Shop of Horrors" is the puppetry that works that hard to ignore main character Audrey II, who puts the "horror" in the title. The Audrey II we see late in the show has a head the size of a Mini Cooper and is controlled by three puppeteers.
The cast is terrific. Rayson, as Seymour, is geeky, schleppy and earnest. As Audrey, Kelly is perfect. Her comic acting is perfectly matched by her great voice (especially on "Somewhere That's Green"). Lenny Wolpe as Mushnik and former Chicagoan James Moye as Orin (who also plays about six other characters) also deliver very fine comic performances. Michael James Leslie is comically menacing as Audrey II and the Trio of street urchins (LaTonya Holmes, Dana Dawson and Yasmeen Sulieman) serves as very tuneful narrators. "Little Shop of Horrors" is a definite must-see.
Auditorium Theatre; 50 E. Congress; (312) 902-1400; $18-$80. Through July 3; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday
