Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORROR at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
Don't Feed the Plant. Do See the Show.
At Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, Little Shop of Horrors blooms with wicked charm and neon-bright style. From the first flicker of Skid Row’s streetlamps, the production plunges us into a world that looks splashed straight from a comic book panel. The sets burst with saturated color and bold lines, creating a heightened reality where heartbreak and horror can tango under bubble-gum skies.
The story follows meek florist’s assistant Seymour, who discovers a strange plant after a solar eclipse. Naming it Audrey II after his co-worker and crush, he soon learns that this botanical curiosity thrives not on water or sunshine but on human blood. Fame, fortune, and moral compromise sprout quickly, and Seymour must decide how much he is willing to feed his ambition.
Ross Coughlin makes Seymour both endearing and hilarious, his comic timing nimble and his vocals warmly expressive. His rendition of “Suddenly, Seymour” is heartfelt and soaring, capturing the fragile hope at the center of this offbeat tale. Liv Pelton’s Audrey is lovely and sweet without losing backbone; her performance wraps the character in vulnerability while keeping her grounded in resilience. Jim Johnson brings delicious exasperation to Mr. Mushnik, and Riley Wesson’s sadistic dentist struts with gleeful abandon.
The true star, however, is Audrey II. The plant puppetry (orchestrated by Collin Geter) is a spectalce, buth eye-catching and enjoyable. Voiced with velvety menace by Timothe Bittle, Audrey II feels both seductive and sinister.
This production proves that sometimes the most dangerous things bloom in the brightest colors.
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