When I first saw, Little Shop of Horrors in 1986, I loved it. Rick Moranis played an awesome Seymore. So, when I found out that Little Shop of Horrors was playing off-Broadway, I was excited. The show is currently playing at the Westside Theatre located at 407 West 43rd Street in Manhattan. It runs for two hours and fifteen minutes with one short intermission.
Little Shop of Horrors is based on the 1960 film by Roger Corman, which was from a book written by Howard Ashman. The cult film took on a life of its own and has had nearly seven remakes including the current show.
The musical is fun, lively, and a delight to watch.
Little Shop of Horrors
The show is about a plant store attendant, Seymour, who is in love with his co-worker, Audrey. However, Audrey has an abusive boyfriend, the dentist. Seymour experiments with plants and grows a man-eating plant that takes a life of its own.
The show has many different layers. The chorus was superb. They consisted of Ronnette, played by Salome Smith, Cyrstal, played by Aveena Swayer, and Chiffon, played by Joy Woods. They keep the show going, almost as if it were an ancient Greek show.
Conrad Ricamora plays a great Seymore. His acting was great and I really enjoyed watching him throughout the performance. Mr. Mushnik, the shop owner, played by Tom Alan Robbins, and Dr. Oriin Scivello, the dentist, played by Christian Borle were also good in their roles.
The only character that I felt fell short was Audrey, played by Tammy Blanchard. She seemed drunk to me and out of place. I don’t remember the original character being like that, but I could be mistaken. The last time I’ve seen the show was in the mid-1980s.
The last character was the voice of Audrey II, the plant was played by Aaron Arnell Harrington.
The Set:
The set was quaint and simple-looking. It took place in Manhattan on the lower east side. It seemed realistic and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it like the movie I saw in the 1980s.
The music was fun, lively, and, for the most part, upbeat.
Would I recommend seeing the show?
If you’re looking for a show that is light and highly enjoyable, check this one out here: https://www.littleshopnyc.com/.
