Theater Review: Little Shop of Horrors

                      Cast of "Little Shop of Horrors"

How do you fix a flower shop with no customers? That’s the problem that confronts Mushnik’s shop on New York’s Skid Row. It’s gotten so bad that Mushnik (Eliott Goretsky) is just about to close up shop for good.

But that will put not just him but employees Seymour (Ramiro Garcia, Jr.) and Audrey (Lena Ceja) out of work, creating more poverty on Skid Row and taking Audrey out of his life forever. He’s sweet on the girl, but she’s hanging around with a “semi-sadist” dentist named Orin (played with gleeful meanness by Colden Lamb), whose occupational sadism mirrors the abuse he heaps on Audrey.

Nerdy Seymour comes up with a solution: put an interesting plant in the store’s window, which will create traffic and perhaps result in flower sales. He has just the plant: a variation on the Venus Flytrap, a green, spiny little number that’s nothing if not interesting to look at.

The experiment works in the extreme, giving Seymour and Audrey more phone calls for flowers than they can answer. Meanwhile, the plant’s gaping red mouth keeps growing and making that bloodthirsty, incessant “Feed Me!” demand.

Yep, it’s the Howard Ashman/Alan Menken camp musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” back on the boards in a fine production through Oct. 30 at San Diego Musical Theatre. Kandace Crystal directs the 40th anniversary production of this crazy musical, but she’s taken the social aspects of the show: class disparities, domestic abuse and poverty a bit more seriously than some productions I’ve seen.

The show is held together by a Supremes-like trio named Chiffon (Tyrah Hunter), Crystal (Shanyeyah White) and Ronnette (Carjanae), who serve as a sort of Greek chorus. These three are particularly fine, sing almost the whole time, and must be exhausted at the end of each show.

Ceja’s Audrey is adorable, though why she’s been putting up with that sadistic boyfriend is anybody’s guess.

Ramiro Garcia Jr.’s Seymour is fun to watch, as he tries to placate Mushnik and impress Audrey, as well as keeping Audrey II happy with all those bloody pin-pricks.

Goretsky’s Mushnik is a hoot as Seymour’s suggestion changes his flower shop from near-bankruptcy to a flourishing operation.

Lamb’s sadistic dentist is about as over-the-top as any character here, but he’s a hoot to watch (as long as he’s not your dentist).

Special kudos to Domo D’Dante, who gives us the greedy (and blood-thirsty) Voice of Audrey II, and to puppeteer Luis Flores Torres, who manipulates the plant.

Kudos also to choreographer Luke H. Jacobs, costumer Janet Pitcher, lighting designer Michelle Miles and sound designer Brandon Boomizad.

“Little Shop of Horrors” delivers the goods with its inspired silliness. Don’t miss it.

The details

“Little Shop of Horrors” plays through October 30, 2022 at San Diego Musical Theatre, 4640 Mercury Street, San Diego 92111.

Showtimes: Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets ($40-$75): 858-560-5740 or www.sdmt.org