Little Shop of Horrors – A Fulton Review

If you already know and love Little Shop of Horrors, please go straight to thefulton.org/box-office/buy-tickets/little-shop-of-horrors/ and get your tickets now. You will be ecstatic experiencing Fulton Theatre’s production of your beloved musical. It is running now until October 15.

Little Shop of Horrors is about the people of downtrodden Skid Row. Times are tough and most are struggling. Mushnik’s flower shop is ready to close. However, Seymour and Audrey have a great idea to put one of Seymour’s strange and interesting plants on display to help business. Thanks to a total eclipse of the sun, Seymour found Audrey II, a new species of plant without any origins. Audrey II brings Mushnik’s and Skid Row “out of the gutta’.” As she grows, so does the success of Mushnik’s. Too bad the price of plant food is murder.

Fulton Theatre’s production of Little Shop is imaginative, bold, and impressive. The set is both simple and complex. It’s simple for portraying only three locations, the streets of Skid Row, Mushnik’s, and a dentist office. It’s mostly done effortlessly with a rotating platform that brings you in an out of Mushnik’s. Well, from an audience point of view it seems effortless, though I am certain it is not. The crew did an excellent job smoothly transitioning each scene. The lighting is phenomenal. Different colors are used exquisitely to focus on characters and emotions. The costumes are brilliant both in color and execution. The creative vision of this show is executed beautifully.

The performances of every actor are spellbinding. Gina Naomi Baez, Galyana Castillo, and Shea Renne play the doo wop trio of Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronnette respectively. They are dynamite. Their harmonizing vocals and dazzling costumes will captivate you. It is a delight every time they appear on stage to assist as back up or narrate throughout a scene.

Ben Liebert plays Seymour Krelborn perfectly. He is quirky, hilarious, and valiant. Ben’s comedic timing is spot on. He adds so many intricacies that really add to the character. You cannot help but love him. Pairing him with Christine Sherrill as Audrey is a pleasure to behold. Their chemistry is charming. You find yourself romanticizing with them. Christine’s performance of “Somewhere That’s Green” is emotional to say the least. I have goosebumps thinking about it now as I write. When Ben and Christine sing “Suddenly, Seymour” together, you want to stand up and cheer. Rounding out their relationship is Michael Iannucci as Mushnik. His sarcastic remarks are well played. He’s the perfect relief with the powerful emotions on stage.

As anyone would expect, Audrey II played by Patrice Covington is explosive. Patrice’s voice is astounding. As Audrey II grows, her performance and costuming become more electrifying. I am in awe of Audrey II in Fulton Theatre’s production. Everything about her is exquisite.

My favorite character of Little Shop is always Orin Scrivello, DDS. Nathaniel Hackmann blew me away. His performance is exceptional. “Dentist!” is powerful and hilarious. Nathaniel is also part of the ensemble as several other background characters. Without giving anything away, there is one character that is absolutely hilarious. I am so glad he has been in several of the Fulton Theatre’s performances. He is quickly becoming an actor I look for in productions.

The ensemble is just as impressive as the main characters. They play multiple characters, help with set changes, and have endless costume changes. The finale is fantastic. Everyone singing together is extraordinary. I wanted to start my standing ovation before the curtain even closed.

Please do yourself a favor and attend Fulton Theatre’s Little Shop of Horrors. It is by far my favorite show I have attended. It is performing now until October 15. For tickets, please visit thefulton.org or call the box office at 717-397-7425.