[NEohioPAL] Review of GLTG's "Little Shop of Horrors"

[Bob Abelman]

GLTG's 'Little Shop' short on stamen-in-pistil appeal  

Bob Abelman

 

News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times,

The Morning Journal, Geauga Times Courier

Member, American Theatre Critics Association 

 

This review will appear in the News-Herald on 9/23/11

 

 

The phrase "tongue-in-cheek" often pops up when describing Little Shop of Horrors, the 1960 film-turned-Broadway musical.  

 

The show, which opened last weekend at the Geauga Theater in Chardon, is a loving sendoff of sci-fi horror films of the 1950s.  Little Shop subtly makes fun of (the tongue) and simultaneously embraces (the cheek) all the campy and contrived antics of B-movie thrillers like The Blob and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

 

It tells the tale of a loser Skid Row flower shop clerk named Seymour, who discovers a mysterious plant that transforms his life in exchange for the lives of his acquaintances.  

 

Seymour longs for the lovely Audrey, a dim witted, short-skirted and big hearted co-worker who is stuck in a violent relationship with a self-destructive dentist.  Our hero must decide what and who he is willing to sacrifice for her affections.

 

Like farce, tongue-in-cheek is best performed in earnest in order for the inherent winks and nods to be properly launched and for the intended heart and charm to break through.  The Geauga Lyric Theater Guild production of Little Shop is sadly lacking in this regard.

 

Director and choreographer Lisa-Marie French substitutes earnestness with the more manageable and easily obtained caricature, resulting in a fun but rather broad and flat rendition of this musical.  

 

It is also a rather flavorless production thanks to an orchestra of one.  Despite Valerie Stone's admirable piano playing, Alan Menken's melodic and memorable music is laid bare and Howard Ashman's clever lyrics are left barren without orchestration.  

 

With so little musical support, performers seem naked on stage as the mechanics of their art rather than the beauty of their artistry are exposed for all to see.

 

Without sufficient musical accompaniment, hard-working dancers appear to be methodically executing steps rather than engaging in fluid movement.  

 

Without sufficient musical accompaniment, talented singers merely deliver songs rather than impart their meaning.  

 

Some ensemble members valiantly attempt to fill the void left by an absence of instruments by doing too much with the little their roles allow, resulting in some rather arduous overacting.  Particularly overboard and distracting are the assorted bums, street urchins and neighbors who operate on the periphery of the main action throughout the production.  Bruce Locke, as Mushnik the flower shop owner, also is guilty of trying too hard with too little results.   

 

Standout performances are delivered by Paul Josell as an amiable Seymour; Stefani Rose, miscast but authentic as Audrey; and John Kolar as Orin the dentist.  Josell and Rose, in particular, have the musical wherewithal to overcome this production's thin soundtrack, best displayed during the lovely duet "Suddenly Seymour."  

Fairing less well is the hand-crafted killer plant created for this production.  It is neither sufficiently menacing nor does its construction possess the requisite tongue-in-cheek-or, more appropriately-the stamen-in-pistil needed for a B-movie bad guy.  Although an off-stage Mike Rogan is fine as the plant's booming baritone, he is constantly out of sync with the plant puppet's restricted animation.

This production of Little Shop is full of good intentions.  Unfortunately, its success is significantly hampered by inadequate vision and even more limited resources.   

 

Little Shop of Horrors runs through October 2 at the Geauga Theater, 101 Water Street, Chardon.  For tickets, which range from $15 to $18, call 440-286-2255 or visit www.geuagatheater.org.
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