Review: Don’t miss Little Shop of Horrors
Whatever else you do this July, make sure you see Little Shop of Horrors at the Wimberley Playhouse. It’s fun, it’s unique and it’s quirky. In the hands of the Wimberley Players, it is phenomenal. The cast of fifteen managed to sound like a cast of thirty and never missed a single note. Jason Kruger once again leads a Wimberley Players cast in exactly the right direction.
One of the biggest challenges for anyone producing Little Shop is what to do about the plants. Scott Wade and Robin Wood created four Audrey II plant puppets that were not only beautiful, but extremely expressive. By the time the last plant came onstage, it could create expressions with its mouth and leaves that made it very life-like. Scott Schumann created a beautiful set that literally moves with the show. The attention to detail in the set is highlighted by Bill Peeler’s ever amazing lighting design that is extremely reminiscent of sci-fi films of days gone by.
The entire cast brings amazing vocal performances, but the ones that truly stand out are those of the Street Urchins Ronnette, Chiffon, and Crystal played by Katie Scott, Sydney Simpson, and Charissa Memrick respectively. The Urchins create a flowing narrative and each girl brings a unique personality and spunky attitude to their roles. As the show opens in Mushnik’s Flower Shop on desolate Skid Row, we meet Audrey, Seymour, and Mr. Mushnik. Amanda Blake presents a beautiful, ditzy Audrey and perfectly captures the emotional turmoil and vulnerability her character experiences. Her amazing performance is mirrored by Tyler Livingston’s portrayal of the ever nerdy Seymour Krelborn. These two matched with Danny Mosier’s hilarious Mushnik make an unstoppable trio. Seymour’s love for Audrey is clear, but she has a boyfriend who is “bad for her health.” The failing flower shop is suddenly revived when Seymour brings out his latest exotic plant – The Audrey II.
As the show goes on we meet Audrey’s bad boyfriend, Orin Scrivello, D.D.S., played by Rob Huey who once again shows he is an actor with many talents as he shakes and shimmies his way into the spotlight. When Seymour discovers his precious plant needs a little more than plant food to thrive, he is faced with an ethical dilemma – to bleed or not to bleed? Everyone suddenly wants a piece of Seymour, including Mr. Mushnik who feels the need to cash in on the budding botanist. Mosier and Livingston make the perfect pair in their rendition of “Mushnik and Son” as they show off their fancy footwork.
Perhaps the most amazing part of the show is the beautiful stage pictures created by director Jason Kruger. Kruger uses the diverse talent of the cast and the amazing energy of the ensemble to his advantage to create a realistic and vivacious world for us to enjoy. This show is a must see, but no matter what they tell you, don’t feed the plants!