What is the plot?
Little Shop Of Horrors is a dark comedy about a boy (Seymore) who works in a failing flower shop and is in love with his co-worker (Audrey), who has an abusive boyfriend. Seymore discovers a unique plant that attracts people to the store, which initially benefits everyone. The only problem is that the plant needs to eat blood to survive.
What’s good about LSOH?
I loved this production of LSOH.
First off, the Audrey 2 is absolutely AMAZING!!! Kudos to the designers, engineers and puppet artists.
Sadly, I missed Jonathan Groff’s run, but (OMG!) Gideon Glick is so lovable! He embodies the perfect Seymour character mix of sweet, geeky and tragic. Glick is adorable and fun and his voice is great. He moves like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz…so loose and fluid and smooth like buhdah 😃
I loved the set and the lighting, and the costumes are spot on.
What’s not so good about it?
Sorry to say, but I am not a fan of Tammy Blanchard’s Audrey portrayal. She was, IMHO, like a comic book character: unidimensional, flat and stiff. The way she moved, the way she spoke, and the way she sang was off completely during my performance at least; she seemed uncomfortable in her own skin, and uncomfortable on stage. (Plus, her accent was AWFUL!!!)
I thought all of the actors were great, however, their exaggerated accents made it difficult to understand at times. For me, this was the case with all of the actors except Glick (who did not use any accent). It was particularly noticeable with the street urchins. All of the women in the trio had outstanding, strong voices, however, the lyrics were often impossible to understand.
Should I bring the kids?
Uh-uh…unless your child has seen the movie and is comfortable with shows that are very dark. There is plenty of violence, blood and death in the show and I don’t think that the humor and absurdity is enough to mask all of that for a young child. I am very glad that I didn’t bring my 9 year old twins!
VENUE: Westside Theater / Upstairs
It’s been a really long time since I have been to an off-Broadway show in Manhattan. I was a bit taken aback by the tiny pre-show waiting area and the theater itself. It felt so small town, especially compared with the extravaganza that I saw last week (Moulin Rouge). In the end, though, I felt this smaller setting was perfect for this show. It felt intimate and cozy.
Etiquette note:
SHAME ON the woman who sat in front of me wearing a hat (which stuck up on her head) throughout the show! Aside from blocking my view, this woman also answered her phone (!!!!) in the middle of the second act. So sorry, but If you can’t behave, DON’T GO to the theater!!! (Rant over)
What’s the bottom line?
I found myself grinning throughout this production of Little Shop of Horrors. It is entertaining: an enjoyable escape from reality into a world of quirky grotesque fantasy. The 2 hour show moved fast and never lagged for me. Go see for yourself!
