By Nate Brown
Little Shop of Horrors is a popular story of love and horror, and the Off Broadway Theatre in Salt Lake City does a fine job telling the tale. You may not be aware that Eric R. Jensen and Sandy Hubble Jensen bring in an occasional Broadway show to their establishment’s mix of live theater and improv comedy, but my twelve-year-old and I can witness that they do it, and do it well.
Walking into the theater at 300 S. and Main in Salt Lake City, my daughter immediately commented, “I love this theater, it looks so old and beautiful.” She’s not wrong. The walls, ceiling, stage, and foyer give the feeling of a classic early 20th-century theater, draped in red velvet. I was impressed at my daughter’s observation until, as the lights went down, she said, “Is this what theaters looked like when you were a kid?”
The lights rise on the three street urchins, Crystal(Kortney King-Lives), Chiffon (Ashtyn Roskelly), and…Ronnie? I have to admit, my first reaction to seeing Kenneth Starling play Ronnie, the third of the urchin trio, was to be disappointed that director Sunny Simkins had messed with my favorite part of the show. How can you make one of the three singing narrators a man?
Within moments, Starling shows you how brilliant the casting is. King-Lives, Roskelly, and Starling play the urchins with energy and tight harmonies, and a fresh look that feels perfectly at home in the streets of skid row. If anything, Starling stands out not because of his gender, but because of his vocal power and his sassy-confident attitude. Starling, King-Lives, and Roskelly guide us through the show so well that at times you will find yourself watching them even when other things are going on – they’re just that good.
Costumes by Eric R. Jensen and Janice Jensen are flawlessly suited to the cast, and some of the outfits on the urchins earn their own cheers. The urchins are further aided and highlighted by the smooth and organic choreography of Brooke Elyse Hennesy.
The other important trio of the show, Seymour (Tommy Kay), Mushnik (Brandon Suisse), and Audrey (Kylee Robinson), don’t disappoint. Kay is a quintessentially frumpy nerd whose comic timing rarely comes into question. Suisse balances grumpy and wit with unassuming ease. Robinson masters the voice of the show’s oft-damaged ingénue, both in her breathy speeches and her robust high notes. Robinson stands out a bit further with well-timed one-liners that manage to surprise the audience’s funny-bone despite our familiarity with the show.
Scott Macdonald as the production’s human villain, Orin Scrivello (“DDS”) does a fine job managing his role as Audrey’s abusive boyfriend, and as many other incidental characters.
Audrey II, played by puppeteer Devin Manfull and voiced by Lindsay Woodward is a commanding presence in the show. Having never heard Audrey II voiced by a woman in the past, I was giddy at how well Woodward’s performance fit the evil, man-eating plant. Woodward, yells, berates, growls, and pleads with such power and presence that there is no question that Audrey II is the force to be reckoned with.
Music Director and Accompanist Andrea Fife and Percussionist Gregory Hess provide excellent music for the show, and the live performance adds that touch of showmanship we all long for in this day of prerecorded tracks. Stage Manager Paige Mercy glides smoothly through changes in the functional and visually satisfying set, designed by Eric R. Jensen, Clint Lehmberg, Rob Reins, and Danielle Tanerelli.
Little Shop of Horrors at the Off Broadway Theatre in Salt Lake City is as family-friendly as a tale of horror can get, with some mild language and scenes of death, murder, and violence. There is a brief (and humorous) scene of various bloody body parts being fed to a plant. Younger children should probably be left at home, and parents of tweens should familiarize themselves with the contents of the show before making the decision to let them attend. Between the theater, the sets, the costumes, and the cast, Off Broadway Theatre’s Little Shop of Horrors is a must-see this March and April.
The Off Broadway Theatre presents Little Shop of Horrors, Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Music by Alan Menken.
The Off Broadway Theatre, 272 South Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84101
March 8 – April 13, 2019, 7:30 PM, Mon, Fri-Sat.
Tickets: $10–16
Contact: 801-355-4628
The Off Broadway Theatre Facebook page
Little Shop of Horrors Facebook event
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