Milt thomas

Who would have thought you could combine science fiction, horror, music and horticulture for an evening of priceless entertainment? If you haven’t already heard, Riverside Theatre’s season-opening production, Little Shop of Horrors, is all of that and more!

It takes place in a down-and-out flower shop struggling to survive in an even more down-and-out ‘skid row’ neighborhood. We first meet three young women – Crystal (Grace Ellis Solomon), Chiffon (Bri Javis) and Ronnette (Harper Miles), who hang out on the street and provide a musical introduction (and then reappear to sing commentary throughout the show).  

The shop is owned by Mr. Mushnik (Allen Lewis Rickman), who has two employees, timid Seymour (Brian Golub) and cute but floozy Audrey (Ruby Lewis). Mr. Mushnik has finally had enough of his failing business and plans to close the shop. However, Seymour, who is the plant specialist, has come up with a colorful new species of Venus flytrap that just happened to germinate and grow after a strange eclipse of the sun. It resembles a large artichoke heart. Seymour decides to call it Audrey II because he has a secret crush on Audrey I. They decide to put the plant in their display window to attract customers even though it appears to be wilted.

Before you logically ask, ‘what kind of customer on skid row would buy flowers?’, a stranger (Adam Lasalle) walks in to see that strange plant and while there, buys two dozen roses for $100. That saves the shop for another day. (Okay, logic here is out the window, but you already knew that from the show’s premise.)

Seymour frets over what to do about his wilted plant. He nicks his finger on a nearby rose thorn producing a droplet of blood. Audrey II’s artichoke-shaped base suddenly spreads open to consume the droplet of blood and the plant is no longer wilted.  

It mysteriously begins to grow and look even more exotic, which attracts more customers. Mr. Muchnik and Audrey I praise Seymour because of his talent with plants but fail to notice his numerous bandaged fingers.

Meanwhile, Audrey has been seeing an abusive biker boyfriend, who also happens to be a sadistic dentist, Orin Scrivello (Adam Lasalle again). She wants to leave Orin, so mild-mannered Seymour decides to visit Orin as a patient and kill him. However Orin, who is hooked on nitrous oxide (laughing gas, once used widely by dentists) dies from an overdose. Orin then becomes Audrey II-food. End of Act One.

From here all sorts of ruckus ensues as Audrey II continues to grow. Seymour and Audrey I fall in love as his celebrity grows along with the flower shop’s success, fueled by Audrey II’s secret protein supplement. Where will it all end? Will Seymour and Audrey I live happily ever after in the suburbs? Will Audrey II develop food allergies? You will have to buy a ticket to find out.

If this story seems familiar, it is probably because Little Shop of Horrors has been around a long time in several forms. It began as a low budget ($28,000) Roger Corman horror comedy film in 1960, most notable for the young Jack Nicholson who appeared as a patient of dentist Orin Scrivello.

A musical version of that original movie premiered in 1982 and had a five-year run in New York’s Orpheum Theatre (where this writer saw it in 1983). The music was composed by Alan Menken (well known for Disney film music) with an early-60s rock and roll style. The trio of singers who appear throughout Little Shop are reminiscent of early-60s girl groups. (Ronnette gives a wink to The Ronettes, famous for the 1963 song “Be My Baby”).

A subsequent movie version of the musical came out in 1986, starring Rick Moranis and featured Steve Martin as Orin Scrivello. (Adam Lasalle as Orin in Riverside’s production is Martin’s spiritual doppelganger). The movie was directed by Frank Oz of Sesame Street fame, which is no surprise since Alan Menken wrote many Sesame Street songs.

This Riverside production of Little Shop of Horrors is filled with laughs, great music, excellent stagecraft and lighting as only Riverside can achieve. It is a must-see production and the only ‘horror’ would be if you don’t see it!

Little Shop of Horrors performs through November 9 on the Stark Stage at Riverside Theatre. Tickets start at $50. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at http://www.riversidetheatre.com.