Funny shtick, random acts of kindness underscore Paramount's 'Little Shop of Horrors'
Lots of laughs. That's what director Landree Fleming promised Paramount Theatre's revival of #8220;Little Shop of Horrors#8221; would deliver to audiences.
#8220;I always value a good bit,#8221; explained the director in a video the Aurora theater released before Friday's opening of the musical adaptation of Roger Corman's 1960 cult film about a nebbishy flower store clerk who unwittingly cultivates a man-eating plant.
Fleming and her cast deliver, peppering Paramount's production of writer/lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken's sweet, comically macabre musical with amusing stage business.
In addition to humor, however, Fleming punctuates this cautionary tale with random acts of kindness, suggesting that while these characters #8212; down-on-their-luck residents of skid row #8212; may have lost their way, they haven't lost their humanity.
On this downtown street #8220;where the cabs don't stop,#8221; an urchin shares what little money she has with someone worse off than her. In this slum #8220;where the food is slop,#8221; a struggling business owner offers his sandwich to a homeless man.
But these characters, played with guarded compassion by Fleming's talented cast, aren't pushovers. Chiffon (Lydia Burke), Crystal (Marta Bady) and Ronnette (Tickwanya Jones) #8212; the tuner's Greek chorus #8212; are street-wise survivors. Even sweet-tempered clerk Seymour (splendid work from Paramount newcomer Jack Ball) has a dark side, which he reveals when he agrees to provide Audrey II (voiced by Je'Shaun Jackson and manipulated by puppeteer Adam Fane) with human flesh in exchange for wealth, fame and love. The latter comes in the form of his beloved co-worker Audrey (Teressa LaGamba, an impressive singer whose voice rattles the rafters). The plant's namesake, Audrey is the long-suffering girlfriend of a sadistic, nitrous-oxide huffing dentist played by Russell Mernagh.
Rounding out the ensemble is the terrific Gene Weygandt, as lovable as he is irascible, as curmudgeonly flower shop owner Mr. Mushnik.
The strong cast, accompanied by music director/conductor Kory Danielson's rock quintet, has a flair for doo-wop pop and blues rock, particularly Jackson, whose soulful, spicy voice is well-suited to the carnivorous Audrey II. A few numbers could benefit from more restrained vocals, but overall the show sounds great.
It looks great, too. Set designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec's skid row is both vibrant and grim. Upstage, the unnamed city's skyline is bathed in a celestial light. Downtown, where the action occurs, it's a bit more hellish, with pops of neon (courtesy of lighting designer Jose Santiago) illuminating the murky street.
The set rotates to reveal the shabby interior of Mushnik's failing shop from which Audrey II orchestrates its reign of terror. And credit for the ever-expanding plant #8212; in all its eye-popping incarnations #8212; goes to Skylight Music Theatre (with support from Rockwell Automation) in collaboration with Paramount's prop department and consultants Simone Tegge and Mike Oleon.
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Location: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, (630) 896-6666, paramountaurora.com
Showtimes: 1:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesday; 7 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 15
Running time: About two hours, with intermission
Tickets: $28-$79
Parking: Limited street parking, paid lots nearby
Rating: For teens and older, brief depiction of physical abuse