Studio Tenn
— presents —
Little Shop of Horrors
Book & Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Music by Alan Menken
— Based on the film by Roger Corman, screenplay by Charles Griffith —
Oct. 10 – 27, 2024
Turner Theater at the Factory at Franklin
TICKETS
Nashville Parent recommends ages 11+
Little Shop of Horrors marks the opening of Studio Tenn’s 15th Season in Williamson County. To see additional season offerings, go here.
Plants can be wonders to behold, can’t they? Many of us can vouch for that thanks to our bursting spring and summer pots (now turning to seed), but if they didn’t fall away? Say, for instance, my filtered-light-loving back porch succulent suddenly shot up to giant proportions and turned into a back-talking carnivore? Well, if it wasn’t Halloween, I’d be running for the hills!
Actor JP Coletta gives Seymour a frantic desperation as he seeks to provide Audrey II what it needs to survive.
That’s what makes the dark musical comedy that is Little Shop of Horrors so absurd — nobody’s even remotely terrified of the wild and thrashing botanical that takes over the show, they’re all just bent on fame and fortune. Everybody here wants more out of life, but nobody as much as the blood-thirsty, gigantic WOW of a shrub called Audrey II (spoken and robustly sung by Garyon Judon with skilled puppeteering by Jonah M. Jackson). Make it a date night to go see this gaping plant monster gobble up its prey!
The Story
Talented actress and singer, Savannah Stein, delivers richly belted vocals in “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly Seymour.”
Klutzy shop assistant (Seymour, charmingly portrayed by a befuddled JP Coletta), brings the withering plant he names Audrey II to Mushnik’s Skid Row flower shop to try and revive it. Times are hard. So when shop owner Mr. Mushnik (curmudgeonly played by Matthew Carlton) threatens to close his store for good, Seymour and his co-worker/love interest, Audrey (an achingly demure floozy played by Savannah Stein) deliver Audrey II. Suddenly, intrigued customers begin flowing in so by Act II, the shop is rolling in dough, Seymour is a star, and Audrey II is a diva, flailing, famous, thundering … and starved. What’s Seymour to do?
At first, Audrey II only requires secret droplets from Seymour’s fingertips, but as it grows, it thirsts for limbs and full bodies. Trapped and needing to keep the good times rolling, Seymour feeds it Audrey’s sadistic boyfriend/dentist (the multi-talented and versatile Brian Michael Jones in several hilarious turns), and moves on to his unsuspecting boss Mushnik. Alas, even poor Audrey — who sings a glorious “Somewhere That’s Green” — gets caught up in Audrey II’s jaws. And Seymour himself is not exempt. Sorry for the spoiler, but you know the story by now, since this show’s been around since the 1986 film of the same name and has seen countless revivals off broadway, regionally and beyond.
Non-Stop Talents
From left to right, Maya Antoinette Riley, Jennifer Whitcomb-Olivia and Meggan Utech are the spunky Skid Row trio a la Greek chorus singing about the unruly shenanigans.
From the get go, all of the rompy madness receives intermittent play-by-play from a full-throated Greek chorus made up of Chiffon (Jennifer Whitcomb-Olivia), Crystal (Maya Antoinette Riley) and Ronnette (Meggan Utech).
Additional players sing and move through the deep and dark set (designed by Matt Logan, who also did the costumes) with an impressive revolve at center so scenes switch effortlessly from the flower shop, dentist office, etc. and back. An unseen live orchestra of five is flawlessly headed up by Music Director Randy Craft; orchestrations by Danny Troob with new arrangements by Michael Kosarin. The Turner Theater’s exemplary sound system is one of the best we’ve heard; indeed it threatens to outdo the goings-on, but the players never let it eclipse them.
In a cheeky way, this show — as directed by Artistic Director Patrick Cassidy — highlights consumerism, greed and how far people are willing to go for success, justified or not. For this reviewer, it’s a high-caliber production that kicks off Williamson County’s resident theater company’s 15th season with zeal and promise. Combining comedy, horror and catchy music, don’t be scared to get tickets … embrace the seasonal madness and go enjoy a little madcap treat!
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