REVIEW: BHLT’s “LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS” IS ALMOST IN FULL BLOOM…
What if you could have everything your heart desires? What would you do to escape your current situation? Those are the Faustian questions at the helm of Big Heart Little Theatre’s production of Little Shop of Horrors; a horror comedy musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics and book by Howard Ashman. It tells the story of a meek floral assistant named Seymour Krelborn who discovers a strange and exotic plant that thrives on human blood. The musical explores themes of ambition and the consequences of unchecked greed, all set against a gritty New York City landscape in the 1960’s.
Director and founder Erin Newton (and assistant director Michael Hannigan) have found a well-rounded cast to take on their first musical endeavour for the budding company. The cast is a vibrant and diverse mix of emerging and experienced talent. Lead roles are played by university theatre and music students, bringing notable semi-professionalism to the stage. Within the mix are students from Sheridan Musical Theatre, the University of Ottawa and The Glenn Gould School, local high schools and seasoned performers from across the GTA. Newton and Hannigan have lovingly crafted this cult classic for the stage at The Zoetic, and audiences can look forward to the catchy Motown-inspired songs, quirky characters, and dark humour throughout.
The trio of Orphans (Delecia Howard, Damian Gradson and Michaela Mathurin) are in nearly every scene and each member oozes with playful sassiness. Sometimes this energy is almost overkill but it all serves the campy nature of the show. Elaina Zacharia as Audrey (opening night’s performance) and Noah Leonard as Seymour shine in their roles. Zacharia embodies the classic mannerisms and vocals of Ellen Greene (who originated the role off-Broadway in 1982 and starred in the 1986 film). It’s a challenging role as Audrey’s songs were specifically written to suit Greene’s unique sounding voice. Zacharia is captivating and allows her own character choices and sense of comedic timing to avoid a full out impersonation. A beautiful performance. Bravo.
Leonard as Seymour is an instantly likeable character as he fumbles around with nervous, nerdy energy and his vocal and physical performance is strong and impressive throughout. Both leads have believable chemistry and harmonize well together, especially during the love ballad Suddenly Seymour. Leonard also shares a great father/son dynamic with Michael Hannigan as Mr. Mushnik, owner of the struggling flower shop. Their physical comedy in Mushnik and Son was delightful and an unexpected highlight of the show.
As a fan of villains in musicals, there were high expectations for abusive boyfriend/dentist Orin Scrivello (DDS) and Elliott Briskin does not disappoint in the cruel, violent and hilariously unhinged role. From his leather clad costume to his peacocking bravado, Briskin is a standout and it is always a treat watching such a lecherous character meet a such a satisfying demise. The other notable villain is, of course, the plant (vocally performed by the sultry Wren Toal and animated by multiple puppeteers) and there's a reason it's a huge selling point of the production. Audrey II paved the way for puppetry in mainstream theatre and as it grows to encompass most of the stage, audiences are entranced by its seductive songs and increasing monstrosity. Bravo to James MacDonald, the designer of this production’s Audrey II. It no small feat and definitely a marvel to watch come to life on stage.
The cast’s overall performance showcases the talents of experienced performers/crew and those still learning and it’s wonderful to see the support on stage when the technical issues permeate the production. The sound issues are frustrating in terms of hearing the show effectively as the cast competes with the sound mixing and live instruments (keys and drums) that overpower the auditorium for the bulk of its runtime. This will affect audiences who are experiencing the show for the first time and disappoint audiences who know the show (or film version) and still struggle to hear the performances. As is the case with many community theatre musical productions, more time is needed prior to opening to resolve these issues which is challenging on top of everything else that goes into staging a musical production. Perhaps a more experienced sound technician is needed to assist with such a large cast in the future. There are also several staging choices that don’t always allow the audience a full scope of the show. Many of the scenes are staged on one side of the theatre (when not taking place on the stage itself) and are often so dimly lit, even the shaky spotlight makes it hard to see the characters emoting through their numbers.
For a new company with a few impressive and challenging plays under their belt, Little Shop of Horrors is an ambitious gateway musical, introducing new audiences to the art form and, like Audrey II, will leave them hungry for more. Knowing that the show runs for only 2 weekends, hopefully the crew can resolve or, at minimum, balance the technical components of the show and allow the audience to hear these terrific performers without struggle. It’s a notable detriment to an otherwise enjoyable night out. There’s ample opportunity for this company to grow and fully bloom with the amount of “big heart” on stage being undeniable. It is worth seeing for the talented cast and unique puppetry performance. Check it out at The Zoetic but whatever you do, don’t feed the plants!
Photos provided by Erin Newton
Featuring: Elaina Zacharia as Audrey (alternating performances with Sativa Schmidt), Noah Leonard as Seymour, Michael Hannigan as Mushnik, Elliott Briskin as Orin and the puppet of Audrey II.
