By “Little Shop of Horrors” was a huge sell out at Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach, entertaining the audience of diverse demographics with comedy and great music.
Presented by Musical Theater West, “Little Shop of Horrors” is a story about a lonely floral assistant, Seymour, at a shop on skid row who suddenly becomes wealthy and famous after meeting an exotic plant. Named after Seymour’s love interest, Audrey II is not an ordinary plant: she demands fresh blood to stay alive. She ate bystanders if they stood too close, sang R&B constantly, and would even ask bystanders “What is your name?” She was never full, always hungry, and never stopped growing. It was her singing that made lonely Seymour famous. Her amusing songs lured people near her so she could get her dinner.
Other characters also brought humor to the play. Seymour’s love, Audrey, would sing about him often, but is an airhead who knows only how to dress and wear red lipstick. The dentist Orin Scrivello is so sarcastic and mean. Ironically, he is the first one that Audrey II eats.
The funky chorus of Ronette, Crystal and Chiffon were very attention catching throughout the play. They dressed alike in plaid miniskirts and sported cool hairstyles as they popped up at every scene, singing narratives with their beautiful voices following the orchestra. Their acts are reminiscent of “High School Musical” because of their youth, energy and innocence. Their choreography and dramatic singing was amusing with hilarious lyrics. People will be reminded of teenagers with boyfriend dramas because of their singing and narrations which one could easily associate with.
Even after a long day, this musical was very entertaining because of its different plot and its familiarity from Hollywood. The singing trio will stay on your mind with their lyrics playing over and over in your dreams with a smile.
The musical runs until July 26 with matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday. For tickets, visit www.musical.org or call (562) 856-1999.
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