By James V. Ruocco
"Evita."
"Company"
"Rent"
"Les Miserables"
"My Fair Lady"
It is often said that musical theatre is the best medicine in the world. If that is true, "Little Shop of Horrors" at ACT of CT, is prescription ready, matinee or evening, as the best laughter-generating medicine to cure what ails you, get your pulse racing and blow you out of the ballpark with some really spectacular, jaunty theatrical euphoria.
Hilarious.
Melodic.
Surprising.
Hypnotic.
Exuberant.
This is one of those musicals that is not only full of surprising and joyful moments, but given ACT's upclose, intimate space, its classy, inventive, high-tech theatrics, its impeccably timed turntable configurations and its dynamic sound, set, lighting and costuming design team, it's impossible not to be swept away by this gleeful, wicked, high-spirited sci-fi horror romp.
Those looking for great theatre will not be disappointed. This edition of "Little Shop" taps into an imagination that is uniquely created, played and performed. It is completely comfortable with its out-of-this world premise. It also sizzles and quakes with laughs, gasps and whoops that are wondrous to behold.
Based on Roger Corman's 1960 horror comedy about a nerdy floral shop worker who raises a giant, botanical man-eating plant that feeds on human flesh and blood, this act-musical finds humor and bite (no pun intended) in the sublime ridiculousness of it all as people - the less-fortunate souls of downtown's garbage-tinged Skid Row - end up in bits and pieces as the demonic Audrey II Venus flytrap plant grows and grows and grows and cries "Feed Me, Feed Me" whenever the need for hot-red blood and gooey, dismembered body parts are requested for late-night feedings.
An arm.
A leg.
A foot.
A finger.
An entire body.
No matter, it's all on the menu.
Just dig in and devour.
The directorial blueprint for "Little Shop of Horrors," an inventive pastiche of humor, drive-in movie theater exuberance, menacing camp and cuddle, nitrous oxide sadism, sass and brass and pep and charm is the brainchild of Jason A. Sparks who also doubles as the show's choreographer. His riotous reinvention of the original off-Broadway production is twisty, masterful, rainbow high, giggly, goofy and cupcake sprinkle hungry. It looks terrific. It sounds terrific. It explodes with outrageous inspiration and cheekiness. It is maniacal and unhinged. It has the comic book feel of a 1960's Hammer Films horror fest. It tackles spoof and parody with slapstick brilliance. It is also lovingly staged in 3-D like glorious Technicolor.
What's most impressive about Sparks' direction is that is all makes perfect sense as it handles the pathos and hilarity of Howard Ashman's original play text, its indelible ditz and glitz and its ever-spinning kvetching, romanticism and period-appropriate riffs and charms. Although it takes it cue from the 1982 off-Broadway production, Sparks puts a fresh, fit, irresistible stamp on this incarnation that not only gives it a brand new life of its own, but surpasses that of the original version in terms of staging, casting, performance and overall execution.
Elsewhere, Sparks' choreography has a refreshing lift and feel to it that harkens fond memories of the 1960's, its mindset and the pop female singing groups of that era from the Marvelettes and the Chiffons to the Shirelles and the Supremes. The moves, the beats and the rhythms are vintage, urgent fun chock full of exhilarating, complex and confident strokes, mixed with the right body language, synchronization and steps reflective of the period from whence they came. So when the music gets going and the cast starts to move and groove, the connectivity to the movement is signature, satisfying and harmonious.
The musical score for "Little Shop of Horrors" was written by Alan Menken (music) and Howard Ashman (lyrics), the creative team for Disney's "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast." First performed off-Broadway at the WPA Theatre before moving to the Orpheum Theatre in Manhattan's East Village, the musical includes 20 original songs that reflect the dark comic tone and mischievous spirit of the entire production. They are: "Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors)," "Skid Row (Downtown)," "Da-Doo," "Grow For Me," "Ya Never Know," "Somewhere That's Green," "Closed For Renovations," "Dentist!" "Mushnik and Son," "Sudden Changes," "Feed Me (Git It)," "Now (It's Just the Gas)," "Coda (Act I Finale)," "Call Back in the Morning," "Suddenly Seymour," "Suppertime," "The Meek Shall Inherit," "Sominex/Suppertime II (Reprise)," "Somewhere That's Green" and "Finale (Don't Feed the Plants)."
Nostalgic to the core, the "Little Shop" soundtrack - an infectious mix of doo-wop, 1960's rock and roll, early Motown, unapologetic chirp, glitter ball la-di-da, American Bandstand kitsch - cranks up the craziness and drives home the hell-bent, let-it-rip playfulness of the musical story, its absolute malice, its bubbly charm and its clever and tuneful vitality. All of the songs are well-intentioned and strategically placed from scene to scene and act to act and so very right for the characters who digest and sell them and bring them happily and effortlessly to life.
At ACT of CT, musical direction is provided by P. Jason Yarcho, a talented and savvy musician whose credits include the Broadway productions of "Wicked" and "An American in Paris" and the national touring edition's of "Falsettos" and "Bright Star." Well-attuned to the "Little Shop" concept envisioned by Menken and Ashman, Yarcho has great fun with the musical's melodic swagger and lyricism, its nostalgic rhetoric and its fierce, committed and paraded virtuosity. Every song is immaculate as anyone could wish. There's mediated power that sings and shouts. Things are capped with the taste, quench and thirst the music demands. And no matter what the mood or melancholic tilt, Yarcho and his orchestral team's (Isaac Hayward, Dennis Arcano, Jeff Carlson, Tom Cuffari, Arnold Gottlieb) darkly thrilling energy works its magic with dynamic pace and control.
"Little Shop of Horrors" stars Robb Sapp as Seymour, Laura Woyasz as Audrey, Danicel C. Levine as Orin Scrivello, Bernstein, Luce, Sip and Everyone Else, William Thomas Evans as Mr. Mushnik, Kent Overshown as Audrey II, Kadrea Dawkins as Chiffon, Rachelle Legrand as Ronnette and Ashley Alexandra Seldon as Crystal.
In the role of the nebbish Seymour Krelborn, Rob Sapp is wide-eyed, confident, appealing, charasmatic and far superior to other actors who have played the part before including Lee Wilkhof who created the role in the original 1982 off-Broadway production and Rick Moranis who assumed the part in the 1986 movie musical adaptation. Here, Sapp's portrayal, both comically and vocally, is a work of creative imagination that allows him to completely inhabit the role, bring the right voice and personality to it and let it rip in all the right possible ways. As Audrey, the pretty shop assistant Seymour falls for, Laura Woyasz is glorious, magical, sweet, sexy, ditzy, vulnerable and fragile - everything the part calls for and more. It's a part that is played to perfection with an inner fire, charm and radiance that is completely real and natural, matched by a Broadway/West End voice, song style and vocal ability that is way beyond impressive. In terms of overall performance, she too surpasses that of Ellen Greene who played Audrey opposite both Wilkhof and Moranis. There is also a real warmth and honesty to her scenes with Sapp, which the couple invests with appropriate playfulness, sincerity and sweet-tinged, boy-girl affection.
Sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello, plastered in creepy, black tattoos and grinning with malice and trademark psychopathic gratification, is played with absolute abandon and manic craziness by Daniel C. Levine who acts brilliantly, sings brilliantly and creeps everyone out brilliantly as he floods "Little Shop" with a thrilling energy and performance brio that takes his character to an entirely new level of wickedness. The actor also does double and triple duty changing costumes, looks, smiles and personalities to portray a variety of script-dictated cameo roles that reveal incredible comic timing, presence, character and swagger, all cleverly controlled, conceived, executed and realized.
Kadrea Dawkins, Rachelle Legrand and Ashley Alexandra Seldon are in terrific voice as Chiffon, Ronnette and Crystal, the doo-wopping trio of street urchins (i.e., Greek chorus), who comment on the action and move the story forward musically and collectively with plenty of sass, brass, spunk and attitude that is contagiously and agreeably balanced and perfectly in sync with "Little Shop's" maddening parody concept. As flower shop owner Mr. Mushnik, William Thomas Evans brings plenty of charm, zest and personality to the role, making every one of his scenes, songs and interaction with the cast, completely stand out. Kent Overshown has the right vocal chops, mindset and menacing energy as the unseen voice of Audrey II, the man-eating plant who turns most of the cast into fertilizer after they meet their untimely doom.
Thomas Bergamo, the tremendously talented puppeteer who brings Audrey II to life on stage in various incarnations, takes hold of the plant's intricately-timed moves and maneuvers and brings such incredible life and purpose to this strange, green, oversized character, he not only outmaneuvers and rises above the puppet showmanship of the original off-Broadway production, but subsequent revivals and national tours of "Little Shop" as well.
A wild and wacky celebration of glee, doo-wop, camp and color, "Little Shop of Horrors" is a cult classic rock musical that is performed with absolute abandon, trademark swagger and bloodthirsty B-movie flourish. It captivates and cajoles. It taunts and teases. It charms and seduces. Its Faustian elements are demented and manically daft. It is also an outrageous distraction of caricatures and madness designed to make you laugh hard and out loud, bring a wicked smile to your face and shake you up with a incredible, insatiable thirst for blood.
PS: There's plenty to gorge on, but be forewarned. Don't, for God's sake, feed the plants!"
Photos of "Little Shop of Horrors" courtesy of Jeff Butchen
"Little Shop of Horrors" is being staged at ACT of CT (36 Old Quarry Rd., Ridgefield, CT), now through November 3.
For tickets or more information, call (475) 215-5433
website: actofct.org.
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