Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at North Shore Center For The Performing Arts, Skokie, IL

Feed me…..

The current production at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie is the Howard Ashman/Alan Mencken (Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) comedic/creepy musical Little Shop of Horrors. Under the direction of Kyle A. Dougan, this small cast creates a story that is at once funny but also horrifying plus it has a few tender moments.

Our strange hero Seymour (played by Jimmy Hogan) works at run down flower shop on skid row. He has a crush on co-worker Audrey (Kayla Shipman in her Music Theater Works debut). She is in an unhealthy relationship with evil, pain inflicting dentist Orin (Sam Nachison). Seymour’s boss, Mr. Mushnick (Thomas M. Shea) is trying to keep the store open. During an eclipse, Seymour finds a strange plant and brings it back to the shop. He names it Audrey II. He feeds it everything but the plant doesn’t flourish. Seymour cuts his finger. The plant perks up when it sees Seymour’s blood. Now the story kicks into high gear. Seymour realizes human blood keeps the plant thriving. His disgust of Audrey’s boyfriend leads Seymour to let Orin die while being suffocated due to nitrous oxide through a mask. Mr. Mushnick becomes suspicious after Orin’s disappearance and notices drops of blood on the floor of the shop. He starts questioning Seymour. Audrey II’s growth has made Seymour a celebrity and the store is thriving. Seymour’s greed overtakes him and he tricks Mushnick to look in the plant’s mouth for receipts. Audrey II devours Mushnick. The shop is now Seymour’s. After a week of no human blood, the plant devises a scheme to get Audrey into the shop to be the next victim. Seymour rescues her from the plant’s mouth but she is mortally injured. She asks Seymour to feed her to the plant so she may be near Seymour. He complies and it is now that Seymour realizes the plant wants to take over the world. Seymour attacks the plant but fails and the plant eats him.

Throughout the story, there are 3 urchins (China Orr, Michaela Dukes and Kiana Beverly, all MTW debuts) who float between the characters adding to their stories. Audrey II is voiced by Najee Musiq Rawls and is operated by Alex Villasenor. The simple, intimate set designed by Shane Cinal is at once dingy and stark and yet becomes more vibrant as the shop becomes prosperous. The orchestra under the direction of Linda Madonia fills the theater with the toe tapping score.

Little Shop is a great Halloween, creepy musical. The fame and fortune question is one that never goes away no matter how much we think we are above it. MTW’s production presents the issue full on and shows how it can spiral out of control. Do you really want that? Remember, don’t feed the plant.

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