NYC Immersion Review: Little Shop of Horrors
Students from Syracuse University’s Goldring Arts Journalism program recently travelled to New York City to experience the city’s art and culture and review a myriad of professional shows. This review is part of a collection from said immersion.
By Madelyn Geyer
The wacky rock and doo-wop musical Little Shop of Horrors was always meant to be Off Broadway. The rules are looser, the shows are stranger, and we’re all here just to have a good time. Opening in October 2019, this revival blossoms nightly at the Westside Theatre, wrapping the audience in its kooky tendrils.
The musical, written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, is based on the little known 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors. The show first premiered Off Broadway in July 1982, and has been buoyed throughout the years with productions and revivals throughout the United States and internationally. In 1986, Frank Oz directed a film adaptation starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Oz’s own genius puppetry.
The story of this juicy cult classic finds a failing florist’s clumsy assistant named Seymour in the possession of an unusual Venus flytrap named Audrey II. The plant suddenly attracts customers and wild success to the shop, but Seymour now must wrestle with the overwhelming attention while tending to the plant’s insatiable appetite for fresh human meat.
This revival routinely cycles in a new Seymour. Skylar Astin, known for the film Pitch Perfect and originating the role of Georg in the musical Spring Awakening, settles into the cast seamlessly in the hapless yet endearing role. Only on the third performance of his run, Astin’s energy explodes, whether grooving with the florist Mr. Mushnik (Stuart Zagnit) in “Mushnik & Son” or puppeteering Audrey II so vigorously in “Ya Never Know” that he looked like he might jump into the crowd.
Director Michael Mayer’s shrewdly directed revival finds its home in Hell’s Kitchen, with the dark comedy and unabashed weirdness rocking the 270 seat house to the ground. A show this electric and zippy could take Broadway, but is self-aware enough to know where it belongs.
The rest of the cast knows where they belong too, hitting each mark with the precision needed in a tiny theater. Tiffany Renee Thompson, Khalifa White and Chistina Raé as the Urchins serve as both muses and fates to the employees of Skid Row’s favorite florist. Their crisp, winking and comical portrayals offer a friendly face throughout, while stitching the show together with narration and hilarious interactions with the audience.
At the musical’s heart is a tender love story between Seymour and his coworker Audrey, an abused woman who only wants to leave Skid Row. As Audrey, Tammy Blanchard leaves the ditsy comedy behind and emphasizes a deep sadness and desperation in the character. Though her acting is committed and at times heartbreaking, Blanchard’s noticeably not up to the task when singing the two most iconic numbers in the show, “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly Seymour.” Her weak and wobbly voice doesn’t match the conviction of the character’s desires.
Audrey’s photosynthesizing namesake, voiced by the velvet vocal chords of Aaron Arnell Harrington and animated by puppeteers, blooms from a tiny plant to a flailing monster with goals of international conquest. Scenic Designer Julian Crouch crams the stage’s corners with invasive vines while Lighting Designer Bradley King bathes it in sickly green lighting, increasing claustrophobia and giggly anticipation of the alien plant’s final motivations.
To maintain the wonderfully twisted legacy of Skid Row, Little Shop of Horrors stays gleefully in the shadows, plotting world domination from West 43rd street.
Audrey II’s arc could easily be interpreted many ways, but Mayer doesn’t force the material to mean something. He allows his production to simply be what it is: a strange, outrageous, and funny musical that welcomes whoops and cheers from the audience throughout.