By KaTrina Jackson
BYU Theater Media Arts presents Little Shop of Horrors, a dark musical comedy with music and lyrics by the duo Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, book by Howard Ashman. Directed by George D. Nelson and with dramaturgy by Cameron Cox, Little Shop of Horrors at BYU will dazzle and delight you, while also giving you food for thought. (Which could be considered a pun. Read on.)
Seymour, played by Noah Hartwell, is a young man working at a flower shop, who’s down on his luck. He discovers a new species of plant that forever changes his life. When he places this plant in the window, it pulls in more customers to the shop. But unbeknownst to him, this plant has plans for world domination in mind. Little by little, Seymour is drawn into the plans of the plant, until it is too late.
Walking into this show, I had no idea what to expect. I knew that any music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken would be spectacular, but I had never encountered the plot of Little Shop of Horrors before. Heavily influenced by Greek tragedies, this musical made my heart hurt, especially with Seymour as a tragic hero. However, despite that, I was completely blown away by the effects, designers, and actors, in addition to everyone else who made this sci-fi apocalyptic musical come to life.
The actors in this show are phenomenal. In addition to Hartwell, who delivers a stunning performance as Seymour, the show includes Jaymie Inouye as Audrey, Seymour’s coworker and later love interest, Andrew Jefferies as Mushnik, the owner of the flower shop, and Preston Taylor as Orin, Audrey’s abusive boyfriend. Each of their songs are beautifully done and their dance numbers (choreographed by Becky Wright Phillips) are flawless. I was especially impressed with Taylor pulling off the creepy boyfriend/dentist. While hating the character, the acting is impressive. Each of these actors brought their characters to life, making me very invested in their story.
The ensemble (Bronwyn Reed, Jared Kamauu, Cameron Robbins, Megan Smith, Sage Patchin, Marshae Sterling and Nathan Wawro) also perform well in this show, each pulling off multiple characters and adding the tension to Seymour’s now very stressful life. Special mention to Reed who, along with Taylor, perform the epic and creepy voice of the carnivorous plant.
I also loved the chorus, based off the 1960’s Girl Groups, performed by Beatriz Melo as Ronnette, Sophia Guerrero as Crystal, and Issa McKnight as Chiffon. The names of the chorus members all attribute back to actual girl groups of the 1960’s, and special homage is attributed to each group in the costumes and hair and makeup. (Costumes designed by Dennis Wright and hair-and-makeup by Denyce Hawk.) Every time the chorus makes an appearance, they are in different outfits, which are always stunning. They truly make the show sparkle.
Ialso have to applaud the lighting design (Marianne Ohran) for the mood-lighting that adds an extra layer of depth to this piece and the scenic design (Glenn Pepe) for the rough and gritty world that is Skid Row. The sound designer (Matthew Kupferer) did a fabulous job as well, especially with making the talking carnivorous plant believable.
One of the hallmarks of this production is the live music that accompanies every song. Mark Johnson, the music director, performed on the keyboard along with J. Alexander Bennett. Jordan Saltmarsh on drums, and Joseph Facer on guitar. These musicians are elevated onstage, on a section of scaffolding that hides them from the audience, but they truly make the musical pop.
The puppeteers (Stephen Warren, Noah Hartwell, and Jared Kamauu) deserve special mention for the magic that they bring to the show. While the actual appearance of the puppets (designed by MattaMagical) is impressive (if not downright terrifying), the people behind the actions of the puppets are what really got me invested in this production. I was impressed with the maneuvers they accomplished throughout the musical that make the action feel believable. The musical would not have worked without them.
I will say this show is not for children. There are many dark themes presented in this musical, and there is physical abuse presented on stage, along with frightening images of a deranged dentist, and gunshots in the production.
But BYU’s production is well-worth seeing. The themes the musical presents stick with the audience and the songs are incredibly catchy. I invite you all to go and see Little Shop of Horrors. This is a show that does not quickly leave you. But be warned: whatever you do, do not feed the plant!
Brigham Young University Arts presents Little Shop of Horrors, book by Howard Ashman, music and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken.
Brigham Young University, Pardoe Theater, 800 E Campus Dr, Provo, UT 84602
March 7, 11-14, 7:30 PM; March 7, 14, 21, 2:00 PM
Tickets: $24
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Little Shop of Horrors Facebook Event
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