Little Shop of Horrors at Draper Historic Theatre

Last night I went to see Little Shop of Horrors at Draper Historic Theatre and it was such a fun show to see this time of year (I will be seeing another production in a couple of weeks). Mild-mannered Seymour Krelborn (Spencer Nelson) works at a flower shop on Skid Row owned by the persnickety Mr. Mushnik (Robert Roake). It is on the verge of bankruptcy so, when he discovers an unusual plant during a total eclipse, he thinks that displaying it in the window will bring business to the shop. He names this new breed of plant after his coworker, and crush, Audrey (Sophie Manzanares) and business booms when customers flock to the shop to see Audrey II (Kason Seamans). Seymour inadvertently discovers that it thrives on blood when he cuts his finger on a thorn and he is dismayed when Audrey II asks him for more and more. As it grows to a giant size, he is forced to find other sources and Audrey's abusive boyfriend Orin Scrivello (Bryan Orr) and then Mr. Mushnik are the first victims. Seymour becomes a local celebrity and wins the love of Audrey but he soon feels guilty about what he has done to feed Audrey II and decides to get rid of it. However, he doesn't know that Audrey II has an evil plan for world domination! I really love the music in this show because it is a lively combination of rock and roll, doo-wop, and Motown and I especially enjoyed the songs "Little Shop of Horrors," "Skid Row (Downtown)," "Somewhere That's Green," and "Suddenly Seymour." A girl group comprised of Crystal (Kehaulani Ovalle-Freeman), Chiffon (Elena Quintero), and Ronette (Jenna Ostler) act as a chorus narrating the action and they sound great, both individually and when they harmonize together, and I laughed at all of their facial expressions as they react to the goings-on. I also loved their many sparkly costumes! Nelson is so much fun to watch because he is so adorably awkward as Seymour and I especially enjoyed his physicality, especially in "Mushnik and Son" (I laughed out loud through the whole number but the highlight is his final pose), and his energy, particularly in his interactions with Audrey II. Roake is hilariously overwrought as Mushnik, Manzanares brings a lot of vulnerability to the role of Audrey, and Orr is completely over the top as Orin but my favorite performance was from Seamans as Audrey II (with Daniel Manivanh as puppeteer) because he has a smooth and seductive voice and "Feed Me (Git It)" is another highlight!  Speaking of Audrey II, the elaborate puppets are very impressive, especially the giant one that swallows its victims whole as well as the many smaller ones used in "Don't Feed the Plants." I was also very impressed by the set, featuring a street on Skid Row (I loved the fire escape) dominated by the exterior of the flower shop with large windows that pivot to reveal the interior (it is very clever), the period costumes and wigs, and the dramatic lighting (the glow in the dark effect on Audrey II is fantastic). I had a great time at this show and highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs through October 24.