Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Stuns with Talent

After thinking a while about what funny pun with plant terminology I could use to describe exactly how I felt about the musical Little Shop of Horrors, now playing at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at Notre Dame for the weekend, I realized the only appropriate words are found in the title above. The talent presented on stage was so phenomenal that I had goosebumps the entire time I was sitting in the audience. I spent the intermission texting everybody I knew about what an outstanding show I was watching and that it was everybody's loss that they weren't sitting next to me. This review will be short and to the point: under Director/Choreographer Nathan Halvorson and Music Director Caleb Wenzel, Little Shop of Horrors was a privilege to see.

The musical Little Shop of Horrors is a comedy-horror-rock show by Composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, based on the film by Roger Corman whose screenplay is written by Charles Griffith. The gist of the story is about a young man named Seymour who works in a struggling florist shop who propels not only himself but the shop into stardom when he discovers a very peculiar plant. The twist however, is that the plant feeds on blood and human flesh, and for Seymour to pursue his dream of "getting the girl" (Audrey, a bubbly, beautiful, and sincere blonde with an abusive boyfriend), Seymour must keep feeding the plant...at whatever cost.

The set is visually striking with no detail spared. This skid row is comprised of a few building entrances on the side (that you just know lead someplace unsavory) with the main attraction in the middle: Mushnik's Skid Row Florist. It turns so that you can see both the outside and the inside. Set Designer Marcus Stephens has made it so that just by looking at the set, you already feel the griminess that the area and its characters are known for. Trashcans and loose trash are littered on stage, the bricks look like there might be old sludge oozing out of them, and all of the color choices are dark and combined to create shadows where they might not have been originally... but when you turn Mushnik's to see the inside, you see a quaint, simple, and sort of run down florist shop that may have once been something spectacular (or in this case, could become spectacular). Coupled with lighting from Lighting Designer Kevin Dreyer, skid row always seems to be perfectly lit "on the wrong side of town" and still manages to give you just the right amount of creeps, even when all of the intermission lights are on.

Seymour the character is somewhat of a hapless but docile young man who you just cannot help but root for and love throughout the entire show because of just how much of a wonderful guy he is. This is all thanks to actor Quint Mediate, who I believe was born to play this role. He so perfectly embodied the geeky, awkward, but unbelievably loveable man that is Seymour that there is no question that Mediate is talented. The portrayal of Seymour seemed so genuine and natural that I wonder if off-stage Mediate is just Seymour under another name.

The character Audrey, Seymour's crush and co-protagonist, may seem like a beautiful dumb blonde but that is far from the case. While yes, her sense of style is very tacky and her severe New York Accent coupled with platinum blonde hair and almost aloof manner make her seem that way, Audrey has dreams of a better life and a lot of self-awareness about her past lifestyle choices that make her a very respectable woman. However, none of those complex character layers would be possible to see if it weren't for the ferocious talent that is Maggie Moran. Moran has such a powerful voice that any audience member could see that Moran has to practice precise control or her strong voice might shatter our ear drums. Moran could be a professional with how "on point" everything about Audrey's portrayal was done. Her accent never dropped, her movements were always 100% perky and precise, and every singing note was conquered. It also takes a lot of aptitude to not just play Audrey as a bimbo but rather play both her exterior qualities and her interior qualities as well.

Mr. Mushnik, the florist shop owner and the man who took in an orphaned Seymour when he was younger, is played by Shane Dolan, a vibrant energy to be reckoned with. Dolan entered every scene with a burst of confidence that could not be ignored and should be commended. Dolan seemed to use every single limb to its fullest potential in portraying the eternally grumpy Mr. Musnik with over the top gesticulations.

Actor Tommy Favorite played an ensemble of characters as well as Orin, Audrey's abusive boyfriend who is a dentist. Favorite was able to switch from an array of characters so quickly and with such ease that the entire audience murmured with awe as he re-entered the stage after just having left 30 seconds before as someone completely different. This ability to play vastly different characters and in such a little amount of time speaks volumes to Favorite's ability as an actor. When playing Orin the dentist however, Favorite lost a lot of opportunities to play on the sadistic nature of the character. For an already fantastical show, upping the sadism of probably the most bizarre character in the show would have been a stronger choice than the more mellow approach Favorite took. That being said, what choices Favorite did make, they were performed extremely well and I could see that this character was a favorite among audience members.

The only obvious weakness from the show was the chemistry between a trio of young women, who consistently commented on and participated in the action presented on stage. Comprised of the characters Crystal, played by Alex Joyce, Ronnette, played by Fia Hargil, and Chiffon, played by Emily Okawara, the trio did not work well together in the least. When each actress performed individually, there was no doubt of their talent or ability to perform and they were actually very memorable, but when put together they were very lackluster. They suffered from out of sync dancing, low volume singing, and each woman performed with a different intensity and accuracy than the girl next to her, resulting in an awkward display of difference in talent and commitment.

The next and truly most important disappointment from the show, is that it isn't running long enough to give everybody a chance to see this spectacular display of talent in all aspects of theatre. While the musical might be short lived, it is definitely an exemplary piece of art and its representative of the abilities of the Notre Dame Film, Television, and Theatre department. Don't ever miss an opportunity to see a show as I am sure this standard will continue throughout all future productions!

Photo Credit: Peter Ringenberg

1) Maggie Moran and Quint Mediate

2) Quint Mediate

3) Maggie Moran, Quint Mediate, and Shane Dolan

4) Emily Okawara, Alex Joyce, Maggie Moran, and Fia Hargil

5) Quint Mediate

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