Lots of heart in this Little Shop of Horrors
Big Hearts Little Theatre’s production features strong, sinister and sweet performances, and an extraordinary man-eating plant.
Entering its final weekend, Big Hearts Little Theatre’s production of Little Shop of Horrors offers a family-friendly option for those wanting to fill these remaining weeks before school starts with theatre and fun. Big Hearts Little Theatre is an emerging performing arts company based on Hamilton Mountain, the passion project of founder and artistic director Erin Newton. The company’s first big production was August 2024’s The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong. This time around, the production is a well-known comedy horror musical, also being staged at The Zoetic
Little Shop of Horrors is a kooky, campy musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics and book by Howard Ashman. The story centres on Seymour Krelborn, a mild-mannered fellow who works in Mr. Mushnik’s shabby flower shop on Skid Row. He holds a torch for his co-worker, Audrey, and after discovering a unique venus flytrap-looking plant that thrives on human blood, he names it “Audrey II” in her honour. As Audrey II grows, she begins to change the lives of Seymour and everyone connected with her in … unexpected ways.
The musical is loosely based on a low-budget 1960 movie by the same name, and inspired the 1986 film directed by Frank Oz. Little Shop of Horrors first premiered off-off-Broadway in 1982 before having a five-year run off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre. It then premiered in London’s West End in 1983 and ran for 813 performances. Interestingly, it wasn’t until 2003 that the musical made its Broadway debut at the Virginia Theatre. Over the years, Little Shop of Horrors has seen regional and national tours, productions in Australia and Canada, and a number of revivals, the latest opening in 2019 with Jonathan Groff as Seymour.
A local connection is that, during a short run of the musical in 2018 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Hamilton native Nick Cordero (who died tragically during the COVID-19 pandemic), played Orin Scrivello alongside Lee Wilkof, the original Seymour, as Mr. Mushnik.
My own frame of reference for the play is the 1986 film with Rick Moranis as Seymour, Ellen Greene as Audrey, Vincent Gardenia as Mr. Mushnik, and Steve Martin as Orin Scrivello, DDS. Greene played Audrey in the off-Broadway and West End productions of the musical as well as in the film.
In the Big Hearts’ production, it’s Elliott Briskin as the odiously bad boyfriend and sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello who makes the biggest impact. There’s a palpable sense of violence and malice to his portrayal of Audrey’s boyfriend, and it’s hard not to flinch or pull a face in response to his cruelty to her. He exhibits a real sense of joy and glee as the unhinged dentist who loves huffing nitrous oxide as well as using his brutally antique tools: it seems being bad never felt so good. Briskin is a second-year student in the honours bachelor of theatre performance program at Sheridan College. He has a larger-than-life persona in this production and I would love to see more from him.
Hamilton theatre favourite Michael Hannigan provides some of the “glue” in this production with his performance of Mr. Mushnik, Seymour’s curmudgeonly and hard-to-please boss and mentor. Hannigan makes it all seem so effortless in his natural portrayal.
Sativa Schmidt and Elaina Zacharia play Audrey (the human, that is), in alternate performances. In the performance I attended, Zacharia played the pretty but wistful Audrey with sweetness and likeability. It was clear that her approach to the character was an homage to the high, girlish vocal style and mannerisms of Ellen Greene, who originated the role and played Audrey in the film. Zacharia is an emerging musician and playwright who is pursuing studies in classical vocal performance.
Noah Leonard plays the key role of Seymour Krelborn, curator (and nutritional source) to the ever-growing and demanding Audrey II. His Seymour is likable and meek, awkward and honourable. At several points early in Act l, the live band drowned out Leonard’s singing and it was difficult to catch his lyrics, unfortunately. Hopefully this was an opening night technical issue that has been resolved in other performances (for what an asset to the company it is to have live music over a taped score). Leonard’s performance gains traction in Act II, as he struggles with Audrey’s greed for blood as well as his own desire to achieve the kind of opportunities he could hardly dare hope for, despite the increasing cost. Leonard was a recent performer at the Toronto Fringe Festival and studies music theatre at Sheridan College.
The ensemble rounds out the action playing various roles with dedication and enthusiasm. The trio of “street urchins,” the Greek chorus of Little Shop of Horrors, Delecia Howard (Crystal), Damian Gradson (Ronnette), and Michaela Mathurin (Chiffon) are a memorable presence with their commentary and vocal stylings.
A last word must be saved for all those involved in the building, animation, and voicing of Audrey II: well done. The musical would simply go nowhere if the man-eating plant wasn’t extraordinary, and Audrey II is eye-catching, sassy, and sinister, all in one.
NEED TO KNOW
Little Shop of Horrors
Continues Aug. 22, 7 p.m. and Aug. 23, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
The Zoetic
526 Concession St., Hamilton
Adults, $35 and Students/Seniors, $30
Tickets here
Additional note: Big Heart Little Theatre invites audience members to bring donations of non-perishable food and personal care items to the performances in support of Hamilton FoodShare.
