Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Theatre South Playhouse

It is late September here in Central Florida and you know what that means: the human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence.  If you know, you know this is part of the opening line of the campy musical, Little Shop of Horrors.  

Little Shop is also the latest production from Theatre South Playhouse.  Their intimate theater, located in a shopping center in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando, always makes me feel welcome.  My first review for Broadway World was also at Theatre South so they will always have a special place in my heart.  It also helped that this show is my school’s spring show so I had additional excitement about seeing it.  

As always, their production of Little Shop did not disappoint  

As an English teacher, I often have to teach about author’s purpose and when that translates to theater, my only deduction as to the purpose of this show is to entertain.  There are some underlying messages that you could pull out of it like be careful what you wish for and money doesn’t buy happiness, but considering the general premise of Little Shop is a little unhinged, sometimes it’s hard to overlook that.  

Unhinged story line or poignant message aside, the bottom line is I had a good time and walked out with a smile on my face.  

The cast is small.  It’s only written for about twelve people.  But these twelve came together to tell an entertaining tale of a blood-thirsty plant.  

Led by Dallas Maginn as Seymour and Daisy McCarthy as Audrey, they each brought humor and charm to these roles.  Daisy, especially, used additional mannerisms and a gait that were bordering on cartoony.  This may sound like a bad thing, but in this show and this role, it worked.  This show, as a whole, should not be taken seriously.  In fact, the most serious role IS Audrey, but a portrayal like this added to the overall campiness of the show and I think that’s why this show is so adored.  

While Audrey is definitely the most coveted role amongst my girls (and they don’t audition until December, but I am the teacher who hears everything), I think the best track in the show is the Urchins: Ronnette (Taylor Rawlinson), Crystal (Assata Davis) and Chiffon (Sam Vidal) as they serve as the narrators for the show (plus they have the best songs and harmonies).  Rounding out the principal cast, Mushnik (Mark Ferrera), Audrey II (Scottie McLaughin), and Orin (Alex Gerard).  They had a small ensemble (Saadya Amel Byrd, Pat Clark and Malcolm Gibson) and of course, this show is not complete without a puppet engineer (Pixie Ballamy).    

This show was everything that musical theater should be: fun, and entertaining.  There was not a single moment or performer that took themselves seriously.  More importantly, I was excited to see the show to get inspiration for my own show in the spring.  I hadn’t seen a production of it since 2021 and was excited to see it again, not just because I am directing it but because I knew I would have a good time.  

One of my personal tells of whether or not a musical is good is whether or not I ever have the urge to check my watch.  Not once did I get this urge.  I thought maybe it was because I knew how it ended and where intermission was, but there are a lot of shows I know pretty well that also have me watching the clock. Some of this is due to the structure of the show and its book but sometimes this can be attributed to the direction (Nick Bublitz).  

I walked out of Little Shop feeling better than I have in a long time because not only did they provide entertainment but I also had inspiration for my own production.  I am looking forward to seeing Matilda in November. 

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