Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Delights at La Mirada Theatre

Let's get this declaration out of the way… 

The brand new McCoy Rigby Entertainment production of the cheeky, macabre classic musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS—which just opened last weekend and continues performances through October 11, 2026 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts—is quite possibly the most eye-popping, delightfully entertaining iteration of the stage show you will ever experience here on the West Coast. Filled with thrilling, big-budget Broadway-caliber visuals, memorable 60's R&B-inspired music, and awesome, over-the-top performances from an incredible cast, the show feels wonderfully re-energized in this luxe-looking (and sounding) production that will reignite your affection for this hilarious classic.

And here's a kicker: during the show's first post-Opening night performance I attended, the audience was treated to a fun surprise: actor Matthew Taylor Smith—the understudy for the lead role of Seymour Krelborn—stepped in at the last minute. Such occurrences are, of course, a natural thing in live theater, but the remarkable thing about this is that we were informed right before the start of the show that Smith had not even had the chance to go through a full put-in rehearsal for the role! The guy simply jumped right into the production and did it splendidly as if he had been doing it for years. To have an understudy accomplish that kind of flawless execution just tells you just the kind of excellence is already pre-imbedded in this terrific new production.

While I'm certainly sad I didn't get the chance to witness originally slated star Thomas Hobson as Seymour, I'm stoked that the role was left in excellent (bloody) hands.

Of course, it takes a pretty special musical to begin with to make a narrative involving a man-eating plant, a lovesick florist, and a whole lot of blood somehow add up to one of musical theater's most enduring crowd-pleasers, which this new production—under the confident direction of Michael Matthews—upholds and, yes, even elevates. From the gorgeously detailed sets and costumes, to the musical orchestrations and vocal performances, this production is the perfect way to experience the show both as a newbie and a diehard.

Few musicals manage to balance genuine sweetness, outright absurdity, sci-fi intrigue, dark comedy, rock-and-roll exuberance, doo-wop earworms, and a man-eating extraterrestrial plant quite as effortlessly as Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. 

Originally conceived by book writer/lyricist Ashman and composer Menken as an intimate Off-Broadway horror-comedy, the 1982 musical—based on Roger Corman's gloriously cheesy 1960 B-Movie cult classic—follows Seymour Krelborn (the believably adorkable Smith), a meek, perpetually downtrodden floral assistant who works at a failing Skid Row flower shop owned by the curmudgeonly Mr. Mushnik (Jay Brian Winnick). 

Seymour's fortunes suddenly change, however, when he discovers a strange plant that he names Audrey II. Seymour named the plant after his secret crush, fellow shop employee Audrey (the terrific Grace Stockdale). Seeing its uniqueness as a way to lure customers into the shop, Seymour convinces Mr. Mushnik to display it for all to curiously see. 

While the marketing scheme seems to be working—suddenly the shop becomes a media sensation, causing business to surge—this unusual new attraction has an unfortunate, deadly side-effect that Seymour must conceal from the world: that it thrives on human blood! 

As Audrey II grows—literally—from a curious little houseplant into a giant, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore (voiced by Wilkie Ferguson III and puppeteered by Betsy Zajko), Seymour—Audrey II's chief supplier of plasma—finds himself increasingly seduced by the promise of fame, fortune, and, yes, even the possibility of winning Audrey's heart away from her abusive, sadistic asshole of a boyfriend, local motorcycle-riding dentist Orin Scrivello (the devilishly hilarious Travis Joe Dixon). 

But as we all know, every bargain has its price—and Seymour's increasingly desperate attempts to satisfy Audrey II's hunger eventually lead to, oh, a little murder, lots of betrayal, plenty of heartbreak, and the plant itself's not-so-subtle ambitions for world domination. 

All the while as this tale unfolds before us, we are treated to the ongoing musings and color commentary—and hella frikkin awesome vocal stylings—of a trio of street urchins Chiffon (Marisa Moenho), Crystal (Joslynn Cortes), and Ronnette (Janaya Mahealani Jones) who witness the shenanigans.

Over-the-top in all the most enjoyable, entertaining ways, La Mirada Theater's new, top-notch production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is a prime example of the heights of possibilities that one can experience right here in Southern California. While, yes, there is a critically-acclaimed off-Broadway production of the musical that is, right now, still playing at The Westside Theatre in New York City, why spend the money on a plane ticket when there is currently an incredible local one worth seeing right here, just sandwiched between Los Angeles and Orange County?

But what makes La Mirada's truly Broadway-caliber regional production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS so rewarding, though, is the realization that beneath all the oversized puppetry, period doo-wop, Motown-inflected melodies, and wonderfully ridiculous B-movie theatrics is a surprisingly poignant little story about people who desperately want more from life—something that even the darkest of comedies can still make relevant and deeply relatable for all of us. 

Seymour isn't simply a lovable nerd who gets in over his head. He is someone who has spent his entire existence being overlooked, and Audrey II, like the worst of all manipulative villains, exploits that very human hunger for recognition. Audrey, meanwhile, is far more than just the stereotypical "ditzy blonde," though, she can be. She is shown as someone with heartbreaking dreams of a safe, suburban existence, which reveals just how desperately she wants to escape the cycle of abuse surrounding her. Stockdale, by the way, created a version of Audrey that beautifully straddles that fine line with distinctive contrasts that had me going "wow" a lot during the show. 

And that is where this musical can really sting: the late Howard Ashman's script famously satirizes science fiction, B-movies, musical comedy, and the Faustian bargain, but his own guidance cautioned against playing the material merely for camp—the characters should approach their bizarre circumstances with honesty and sincerity, which this cast beautifully executes.

That distinction can make or break a production. The best LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS productions don't wink at the audience every time something outrageous happens—they allow the characters to genuinely believe in the world they're inhabiting. You definitely feel that here, not only because of its over-the-top manic portrayals, but also with the subtleties that are there visibly bubbling underneath. 

Smith's Seymour—a nervous wreck, sure, but also quite earnest in trying to be more resolute—has a yearning that genuinely felt real throughout his entire arc. Stockdale's Audrey expressed fantasies that effortlessly came off as heartbreaking rather than merely just comic (but that walk had me cackling, though). Meanwhile, scene-stealer Dixon's Orin possesses a deliciously over-the-top sadism that explodes out with so much savage conviction that the comedy becomes even funnier than ever. Winnick does an admirable job creating a Mr. Mushnik that is both equally exasperated and desperate with every decision. Meanwhile, Audrey II—realized here with both elaborate puppetry and creative practical effects—feels less like a special-effects stunt and more like an actual character gradually manipulating Seymour. I mean, sure, you know it's a puppet…. But dang it's a real frikkin alien, isn't it?

And, my gosh, those street urchins! The impeccable, soaring vocals, the commanding attitude, the palpable versatility, the divalicious aura—Moenho, Cortes, and Jones, to be honest, are, together, the best I've ever heard in a production of this musical. Put them in a girl group, stat!

Under Matthews' direction—alongside Clarice ORdaz's choreography, Steven Young's lighting design, and Josh Bessoms' sound design—all of these necessary elements click, ensuring that this production's tonal balancing act becomes absolutely magical—and worth the revisit just in case it's been a while since you've experienced this show.

Musically, Menken's score remains one of this production's not-so-secret weapons. 

Under the baton of musical director Jennifer Lin, the songs are as vibrant as ever. What initially sounds like a loving send-up of early-'60s rock, doo-wop, and Motown once again reveals itself to be an exceptionally sophisticated musical-theatre score, moving seamlessly from the infectious title number and propulsive "Skid Row" to Seymour's endearingly vulnerable "Grow for Me," Audrey's achingly sincere "Somewhere That's Green," and the gorgeous romantic release of "Suddenly, Seymour." 

Ashman's lyrics, meanwhile, give the songs their distinctive combination of wit, character specificity, and emotional immediacy. The score may be parodying familiar musical styles, but the uttered feelings underneath those musical jokes are anything but parody. It's also awesome to remember that long before all those Disney classics they penned and made famous, this dynamic duo created…. THIS!

And then, of course, there is Audrey II. This production certainly understands that the plant is simultaneously the show's biggest technical challenge and its greatest theatrical opportunity. Because this production's Audrey II is so convincing in its interactions with Seymour, the audience becomes so much more truly invested in the increasingly dangerous relationship between them. By the time the plant's appetite has expanded from a few drops of Seymour's blood to actual human beings, this dark musical comedy has acquired a genuinely unsettling edge that can elicit both horror and nervous laughs. I really appreciated that the production's technical wizardry ultimately serves the storytelling rather than overwhelm it.

As large as La Mirada's exceptional revival seems to be on the surface, it somehow retains the true, enduring brilliance of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS: it is, actually, deceptively small. Beneath its ridiculous, larger-than-life premise is a grounded street-level story about ambition, economic desperation, abusive relationships, loneliness, temptation, and the seductive promise that success will somehow make us worthy of love. Ashman and Menken brilliantly wrap all of that in a ridiculously entertaining package of catchy songs, colorful characters, comic-book horror, and one very hungry plant. Thanks to La Mirada Theatre's Broadway-level performers and designers, we are reminded just how beautifully constructed this little musical really is—while still allowing audiences to laugh, cheer, cringe, and be mesmerized by its wondrous qualities. 

Of course, the show's cheeky ultimate goal is for its audience to walk away and, eventually, heed the show's gleefully ominous warning: Don't feed the plants… especially if they're asking for a little hemoglobin!

** Follow this reviewer on Bluesky / Instagram / Twitter X / Threads: @cre8iveMLQ **

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Photos by Jason Niedle courtesy of La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

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