A Utah Theater Review by B.J. Wright
As a reviewer, sometimes you go into a show with high expectations. SCERA Center for the Arts’ production of Little Shop of Horrors was one of those shows for me. I was running through all of my favorite songs from the show as I drove up State Street in Orem to the theater. If you are not familiar with the show, it’s a story of an unfortunate florist’s assistant named Seymour who becomes a local celebrity when he discovers an exotic plant that has a secretive craving for human blood. In a press release SCERA explains that even though the show does not seem family friendly, director Jeremy Showgren has “made it like watching a cartoon, and focused more on the style than the horror of a man-eating plant.” I found this approach to the show to be very captivating.
As I walked into the theater, the set before me (designed by Daniel Whiting) was a signal that I was not going to be disappointed. As I made my way down the aisle, I was stricken with the barren graffitied wall of Skid Row, a rundown part of town where the play takes place. Characters were walking across stage, entertaining the audience as we waited for the show to begin. There were several stories that would unfold in pantomime every few minutes, from a lonely “cat lady” who is curious what kitty treats taste like, to a drunk rummaging through the trash to find food. I was having so much fun anticipating what would come next, I barely noticed it was time for the show to begin.
The prologue is read by a very familiar voice, former KSL news anchor Dick Nourse. It was fun to hear the familiar voice before the entire middle section of the wall was raised to reveal Mushnik’s Floral Shop, where Crystal (Mollie Burdett), Chiffon (Shani Harper), and Ronnette (Lauren Ashlee Anderson) introduce us to Downtown. I was immediately impressed with Harper. Her energy throughout the show was contagious. A theater patron next to me leaned over and couldn’t help commenting to me, “Don’t you just love that girl in the blue!” Anderson and Burdette seemed rather reserved in the opening number, but as the night continued they fed off of Harper’s energy and the trio became one of my favorite parts of the production.
In the flower shop we meet Mr. Mushnik (Justin Stockett), Seymour (A.J. Nielsen), and Audrey (Emily Maria Bennett). Nielsen and Bennett have a great chemistry together on stage. They both brought their quirky characters to life, and made them loveable. I particularly enjoyed Bennett’s well-timed gestures and Nielsen’s facial expressions, which added depth to their cartoonish characters. Nielson and Bennett also sing their songs very well. I dreamt with Bennett as she sang “Somewhere That’s Green,” and rejoiced with Nielsen during “Suddenly Seymour.”
One character I had a hard time liking was Orin Scrivello (Mike Shepherd). Orin is the over-the-top dentist boyfriend of Audrey. I really wanted to like his performance, but was not impressed. Then came the song “Now.” Shepherd finally nailed the part of the Dentist, I could feel the range of emotions his character went through, something very hard to portray with a large mask on your face. Kudos to you Mr. Shepherd!
McKelle Shaw, Phillip Varney, Carson Davies, and Mitch Hall put on multiple hats to offer many other supporting roles that add to the quality of the production. I enjoyed seeing the different characters they brought to the stage. And I can’t write a review without recognizing the duo of Kyle Harper and Brodee Ripple, who worked together to give the plant, Audrey II, a voice and movement. It is hard to act using a large puppet or just your voice, but these two men did a fine job together.
The costumes throughout the show were very fitting. I liked how Deborah Bowman and Kelsey Seaver worked to set the main characters of a scene apart from the rest of the ensemble. At one point in the first act the whole cast is on the stage singing behind Audrey and Seymour. The cast was all in dull colors, except for Audrey and Seymour. It focused attention on the two, and created a visual representation of what was going on in the music. I also enjoyed the choreography of Shawn Mortenson, which was used very skillfully to tell the story.
The production wasn’t perfect, but it was very well done, and very entertaining. The light-hearted approach of Director Jeremy Showgren works for me. Though the movie version of Little Shop of Horrors would probably scare my kids, I would feel comfortable taking my young children to see this production. Don’t miss out on your chance to be captivated by SCERA’s production of Little Shop of Horrors.
SCERA Center for the Arts Presents:
Little Shop of Horrors
$12 Adults , $10 Child (3-11), Student (w/id), Senior (65+)
September 14 – October 6
Mon – Thurs – Fri – Sat
7:30 p.m.
745 South State, Orem
801.225.ARTS
www.scera.org
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