On an urban skid row stands a flower shop: The failing business of grumpy Mr. Mushnik, where fretful orphan Seymour works alongside kind-hearted Audrey. Another inhabitant of the store? A dangerous plant named Audrey II, who feasts on human flesh.
Such is the story of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s Little Shop of Horrors, a rock and doo-wop musical recently performed by the Carleton Musical Theatre Society at the Kailash Mital Theatre from March 7 to 9.
What makes Little Shop a riveting success is its extravagant elements balanced with heaps of sincerity. Sure, a story about a human-eating plant that grows to unimaginable sizes and tries to take over the world is far from ordinary. But Little Shop is merely an intimate story in exorbitant circumstances. When you boil it down, the musical is about a shy, nerdy boy who would do anything for a girl he loves.
Directed by Josh Rigo, the Carleton Musical Theatre Society’s rendition managed to strike a balance between campy craziness and earnest pathos. Across a meticulously crafted stage, the show’s success is showcased in the raw talent of those involved, particularly its quaint yet powerhouse performers.
Seymour Krelborn is fiercely caring and sweet but bungles under pressure and makes rash decisions with deadly results. When he is catapulted to fame and riches (Audrey II drums up serious flower shop business), his characterization is complicated by his startling descent into corruption.
Adrien Pyke’s careful portrayal channelled Seymour’s complexity, from painful grimaces at his newfound fame to withering glares when privy to Audrey’s brutish boyfriend. Pyke’s awkward disposition in “Skid Row (Downtown)” quickly subsides to desperation in “Grow For Me,” as he enticingly pleads for Audrey II to show signs of life.
When Seymour feeds his own blood to Audrey II, she subsequently blooms to feral proportions. Pyke’s suitable anxiousness increases, but he never loses his endearing charm, particularly alongside Maggie Wolfe’s Audrey.
“Suddenly Seymour” was a welcome blend of Pyke’s dotting affection and Wolfe’s aching openness to love. Pyke and Wolfe performed with tangible chemistry and fulfilling harmonies as their characters find solace in one another.
Though Audrey is vulnerable and insecure, Wolfe’s vocals brought delicacy and punch. In “Somewhere That’s Green,” Audrey longs for simplicity — “A fence of real chain link / a grill out on the patio / disposal in the sink,” were such things Wolfe listed off with wistful gentleness. In her daydreaming trance coupled with heavenly vocal power, even the street urchins (played by an energetic ensemble) were enamoured and supportive of her desires.
Dominic Perrin’s Dr. Orin and Bradley McDermid’s Mushnik contrasted the similarities that bring Seymour and Audrey together. Perrin’s Dr. Orin was viciously sadistic as Audrey’s abusive partner. In “Dentist!,” his cruelty amounted to gangly swagger, but his eyes shone with menacing deceit.
McDermid’s Mushnik was a different kind of unhinged, lacking sympathy in the best possible ways. “Mushnik and Son” was a masterclass in manipulation with chaotic flair, as Pyke and McDermid danced with hysterical vigour.
But of course, Audrey II, with her man-eating tendencies, was the star of the show. Starting as a puppet handled by Corgand Svendsen, a leaf-covered Tristan Fitz-Hardy also stepped in when the plant outgrew its ceramic pot. Fitz-Hardy opted out of a menacing portrayal, instead choosing seductive enticement as a means to conquer. Fitz-Hardy moved with raunchous zest and evilly cackled from “Feed Me (Git It!)” onwards when Audrey II knew of her power over Seymour.
While certain scenes that took place in front of a red curtain were minimalist and less exciting, head of set design Emily Thompson went into sublime detail for Mushnik’s flower shop. Flower bouquets (pinks, reds and, of course, greens) littered the shelves, and a window was strategically placed for the street urchins to lurk and comment on events.
Eccentric in its delivery but simple in its themes, Little Shop of Horrors was a charming display of love and the consequences of feeding the plants. Perhaps a metaphor for selling your soul for riches. In the end, there is a lot to unpack in the wildness of Little Shop, and Carleton Musical Theatre Society depicted it all with contagious zeal.
Carleton Musical Theatre Society’s production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ ran at the Kailash Mital Theatre from March 7 to 9. Director Josh Rigo’s next production is ‘The Last Five Years’ playing at the Léonard Beaulne Studio May 1 to 4.
Featured image by Megan Brooks.
