[NEohioPAL]Berko review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Palace Theatre)

[Roy Berko]

‘Little Shop Of Horrors’  WONDERFUL FUN AT THE PALACE 

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

 ‘LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS’ is a true, unadulterated
slapstick, potentially in-your face, laugh inciting
farce.  Farce is hard to do, for both actors and
directors.  If it’s a farcical musical, it’s even
harder. I’ve seen lots of bad, very bad productions of
“LITTLE SHOP OF HORROWS’...they get eaten alive. 
(Pardon the pun.)  

FEAR NOT...the professional production of the musical,
now on stage at the Palace Theatre, is so good that it
even brightens up the overcast, windy fall weather in
Cleveland.

The musical version of ‘LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS," is
based on a grade-B non musical movie of the 1960s.  
With lyrics and books by Alan Menken and music by
Howard Ashman, the stage version originally opened
off-Broadway and gained a cult following which
resulted in a 2,209 performance run.   It was
transposed into a 1986 musical film which starred Rick
Moranis, Steve Martin, Vincent Gardenia, Jim Belushi,
Bill Murray and John Candy.  In 1991 it appeared as an
animated television series, ‘LITTLE SHOP,’ and  then,
in 2003  there was a smash Broadway revival which laid
the foundation for the present touring production,
which has been on the road for over a year and will
continue to perform through April.

Audrey II moans "Feed me, Seymour. Feed me."  So, what
does Seymour Krelbourn, a meek foundling who has been
taken in by a skid row florist do?  Of course, he
feeds Audrey II because if he does he’ll become famous
and maybe be able to wrest his true love, Audrey (a
real person) from a sadistic dentist.   And what does
Seymour feed Audrey?  Blood!  Audrey II wants blood? 
Well, it might help for you to know that Audrey II is
a hungry blood drinking, people eating plant from
outer space.  In his desperation, Seymour makes a
Faustian pact with the plant and as it needs more and
more blood, and more and more people are sacrificed
for the cause.  Eventually, Audrey II looks like a
venus fly trap on steroids.  So much so that people in
the theatre’s front rows started to get nervous about
whether one of the plants’ tentacles would reach out
and sweep them into the plant’s mouth.

This is obviously not ‘ASSASSINS,’ or ‘CHESS,’ or even
‘MISS SAIGON.’  The script is no great musical epic,
but it sure can be fun.  In the hands of this talented
professional cast under the superb direction of Jerry
Zaks, this production is a hoot!

The show is punctuated by musical commentary delivered
by a Supremes-style trio that bounces around the
flower shop's inner-city neighborhood.  The trio,
which sings, dances and cops just the right attitudes
is composed of Iris Burruss, Badia Farha and Latonya
Holmes.   Their versions of the opening song, “Little
Shop of Horrors,” “”Da Doo” and “The Meek Shall
Inherit” were wonderful.  Side note:  If during the
run here one of these superstars has to take a night
off, Hathaway Brown and Shaker Heights/Warrensville
Heights native Marsha Lawson will take her place.

Jonathan Rayson made Seymour a geek extraordinare. 
His singing voice and development of the character
from meek to strong was right on target.  If you want
to see Rayson’s performance, you’ll have to do so
before Tuesday, November 15.  On that night Daniel C.
Levine takes his place.  (Levine sat in front of me
during the opening night production and not only looks
the role, but it was delightful watching him mouthing
the words to the songs and dancing in his seat.  As
the good luck theatre saying goes, “Break a leg,
Daniel!”)

Tari Kelly is right on target as the ditsy blond
Audrey.  Her version of “Suddenly Seymour,” was
totally charming.  You’ve never quite seen a kissing
scene like that performed by Kelly and Rayson.   Her
version of “Somewhere That’s Green” was delightfully 
touching.  Kelly also leaves the cast on the 15th, to
be replaced by Liz Pearce.

Michael James Leslie (the Voice of Audrey II), and
Anthony Asbury, Michael Latini and Marc Petrosino (the
manipulators of Audrey II) deserve high praise.   They
wisely received “in-person” curtain calls.

Darin DePaul was disappointing as Seymour’s boss Mr.
Mushnik.  He mispronounced some of his Yiddish
dialogue and did not have the right “New Yawk
attitude” needed to make the role real.   James Moye
wasn’t quite sleazy enough as the dentist--the “bad
guy.”  I never felt like booing when he came on stage.
 If I had done so, he would have been fulfilling his
role as the true villain.  He did better in all of his
other roles.

The sets, costumes, special effects and musical
accompaniment were all top-notch.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   Sometimes it’s just fun to go to
the theatre and giggle, laugh and have a good time. 
If that’s what you want, then this production of
‘LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS’ is your thing.  As for me, I
loved it!  (Hey, producers, can I go back and see it
again with the “new” leading cast members?  Aw,
please!)

For tickets to ‘LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS,’  which runs
through  at the Palace Theatre in Playhouse Square ,
call 216-241-6000, 800-766-6048 or go on-line to
www.playhousesquare.com. 

PREVIEW

“THE THINGS THEY CARRIED” features the character Tim
O’Brien and his experiences surrounding the Vietnam
War.  O’Brien’s story blurs the line between truth and
reality, fact and fiction, and makes his journey
unforgettable.

November 11, 5 & 8 PM, November 12, 11AM & 2PM,
November 13, 3 PM & 7 PM at the Discovery Center at
Playhouse Square Center.  For tickets call
216-241-6000.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


	
		
__________________________________ 
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 
http://mail.yahoo.com