Theatre Calgary’s LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is a show you want to Seymour of!

So it turns out that despite the many ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ quotes, songs, and snippets that live rent-free in my brain, I had actually never seen this show! You would think between the film adaptations and many show runs, I would’ve encountered it somewhere but this performance was in fact my first, despite how very poppy-lar the show is! I think this was a great advantage because it was such a novel experience and I didn’t have any expectations of what the performances should look like. My husband had not only watched the film adaptation but had also performed in a stage adaptation in his younger days, so he had his own thoughts and opinions which I will also share.

From the moment we took our seats in the theatre, the giant glowing sign proclaiming the show's title had already knocked my stalks off! We were treated to a very upbeat opening thanks to the three doo-wop street gals Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon, who are blessed with the voices of angels and really know how to drop a beet. These lovely ladies narrated our story and acted like a Greek chorus of old throughout the performance. Mr. Mushnik’s dingy flower shop in Skid Row was the main setting for our story and the crew did a fantastic job creating the full-scale shop where the action unfurls. Our three principal characters are quickly established: Mr. Mushnik, the Jewish proprietor of the shop who is a rather dishonest and stingy taskmaster, Seymour Krelborn, his awkward yet gentle, orphaned ward, and Audrey, a sweet yet clueless shop assistant who battles feelings of inadequacy. The way that each of these characters feeds into each other's lives and goals is what ultimately drives the plot and leaves us rooting for a turn in their fortunes.

The turning point in our story comes in the form of a potted plant, similar to a venus fly trap, which Seymour aptly names Audrey 2. The production did a fantastic job scaling up Audrey 2 throughout the show, from a tabletop terror, to a handheld horticultural horror, and finally a crowd-consuming, creeping catastrophe. The teamwork exhibited by both the voice actor and puppeteer of Audrey 2 was truly outstanding. The story wouldn’t be complete without a dirtbag antagonist to rally against, and the dentist, Dr. Orvin Scrivello D.D.S. was just the man for the job. I was particularly fond of the rapid changes (costume, voice, persona, and otherwise) that took place during the song ‘The Meek Shall Inherit’, it was a very clover way to cycle through Seymour’s impending success. 

I won’t delve too deep into the story since the various adaptations do change the plot and ending a great deal (much to my husband’s surprise). I will say that the talent displayed on stage was outstanding and that this was one of the most entertaining theatre experiences I have witnessed in Calgary. Be sure to get your tickets fast, these performances are sure to sell out, and you know what they say, you can’t grow any plants if you haven’t botany! Apologies for all the plant puns, they are not typos, just annoying jokes to put a smile on your tulips.

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