Little Shop of Horrors, Ford's Theatre, Washington, DC

 

Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Seymour) in the 2024 Ford's Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Kevin S. McAllister, choreographed by Ashleigh King, and music directed by William Yanesh. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Little Shop of Horrors had its origin as a cheaply made B-movie, a comedy/sci-fi/horror film, by Roger Corman, filmed on the leftover set of another film, on a budget of less than $30,000. The original 1960 film became a camp cult classic, known for its wicked humor and outlandish premise, as well as helping introduce a young Jack Nicholson, appearing in his third film.

As if comedy/sci-fi/horror was not enough of a genre collision or mash-up, librettist/lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken decided it should be a musical, too, which was originally produced off-Broadway in 1982. Why not? Its success introduced its creators to the Disney Animation Studios, where it inspired a Renaissance of animated musical films (“The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast”), which were later reincarnated as wildly successful, long-running Broadway shows and/or live-action films. The off-Broadway musical inspired the 1986 film that is the best-known version today. Since Ashman’s untimely death in 1991, Menken has gone on to become one of the most prolific contemporary theatrical composers.

The play opens on “Skid Row,” its scenery focused on several storefronts, but most prominently “Mushnik’s Skid Row Florists.” Three young Black female singers, deftly named Ronnette, Chiffon, and Crystal (each named for a prominent 1960s era trio of Black females), in a style that puts us directly into that era, tell us all about what happens “Downtown” on Skid Row, aided by denizens of the dangerous neighborhood. We go inside the florist shop to meet Mr. Mushnik, the hapless owner of the store, and his two employees: Seymour, a nerdish young man interested in experimenting with plants, and Audrey, a beautiful young woman currently in an abusive relationship with Orrin, a cruel, motorcycle-riding dentist. Audrey is the object of (and oblivious to) Seymour’s affections. Both employees have dreams for the future: Seymour wants to find success with his plant and Audrey dreams of settling down with a husband “Somewhere That’s Green.”

Seymour shows Mushnik a new plant that he has been working with, which sprouted from some seeds he purchased from a Chinese plant seller after they were exposed to a total eclipse of the sun. The plant, which Seymour has named “Audrey II,” is unusual in appearance (“strange and interesting,” one of the characters proclaims after spying it in the store’s window). The customer is impressed, so he offers to buy $50 worth of roses. When Mushnik explains that he can’t break a $100 bill, the patron says that he’ll just have to take $100 worth of roses. Audrey II does not respond to regular plant food, but when Seymour pricks his finger on the thorn of a leftover rose, the plant comes to life: human blood is this plant’s food of choice. Seymour has a success on his hands, but it comes at a terrible price (for his hands, first!).

Anemic (and wearing band-aids on each finger) from feeding Audrey II, and upset by Audrey’s boyfriend’s abuse of her, Seymour makes a late-night appointment to see the dentist, planning to shoot him, but loses his nerve. The dentist gives himself nitrous oxide so that he can enjoy inflicting pain on his patient, but when he cannot remove his mask, he dies. Seymour has managed to find a new food source for Audrey II without having to resort to violence.

Little Shop of Horrors on the Ford's Theatre stage. Scene design by Paige Hathaway, lighting design by Max Doolittle. Photo by the author.

Newly-fed, Audrey II’s growth makes Seymour and the Mushnik florist shop wildly successful. The dentist’s disappearance has been noted, but not explained. Mushnik discovers that the dentist’s body is the source of the tremendous growth of the plant and threatens to inform the police. Feeling cornered, Seymour has no choice but to eliminate Mushnik, and does so by pushing Mushnik into the plant. He explains Mushnik’s absence to Audrey by telling her that Mushnik is on a trip to visit his sister and may be gone for a long time.

I’ll leave it at that but warn you that the play, like the original 1960 film, takes on dark overtones, reiterating that that its sci-fi aspects are more about “horror” than comedy as the ever-growing plant continues demanding to be fed. Small wonder that we are reminded at the end, “Don’t feed the plants.” (The film version of the musical focuses more on the “comedy” aspect of the material.)

Kevin S. McAllister, one of the DC area actors whose work I always enjoy, takes on the director’s role for this Ford’s production. As a director, he finds the appropriate balance between the play’s comedy, sci-fi, horror, and musical aspects as required by the script. He has a cast of actors who are up to the task.

Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Seymour) and Chani Wereley (Audrey) in the 2024 Ford’s Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors. Photo by Scott Suchman.

I am used to seeing Seymour as slight of stature, but Derrick D. Truby Jr. won me over with his earnest schluby-ness and naivete, as well as his strong voice. Chani Wereley sings beautifully (and unleashes unexpected power in “Suddenly Seymour” and “Somewhere That’s Green”), as the tortured Audrey, who deems herself worthy only of a man who abuses her. As Mushnik, Lawrence Redmond is by turns despondent, triumphant, and sinister, and demonstrates his vocal chops especially singing with Truby in “Mushnik and Son.” Joe Mallon is cartoonishly evil and eccentric as dentist Orrin, then more subtly demonstrates his versatility in several minor roles, each distinct from the others.

Kayla Gross, Nia Savoy-Dock, and Kanysha Williams as (respectively) Ronnette, Chiffon, and Crystal, play well off each other. Their voices blend beautifully and set the tone from the opening. A couple of times it appeared that they were not in sync with each other’s moves when they should have been, but that was a minor distraction. Tobias A. Young is imposing and disturbing as the voice of Audrey II. The various stages of Audrey II’s development are somehow created by manipulations by Jay Frisby and Ryan Sellers. The puppets are provided by Monkey Boys Productions.

Hathaway’s scenic design makes excellent use of the limited stage space at Ford’s, and McAllister moves his cast in a way takes advantage of the various levels and backdrops, with effective lighting design by Max Doolittle. Alejo Vietti’s costume designs set the period and comical tone for the show, though I would have preferred a sleeved costume for Audrey. Seeing the Wereley’s tattooed bare arm broke the illusion of the time period for me.  

Choreographer Ashleigh King earns kudos for staging the musical numbers so that they flow directly from the play’s action and events. Music director and conductor William Yanesh is one-fifth of an orchestra that, under his direction, sounds much larger. There were moments, particularly when Audrey II first begins to sing, when the lyrics were not clear; whether this was an issue with the performers or the sound design (by David Budries), I am not sure.

All in all, Little Shop is great fun, a production that is delightful to see and hear, a treat for audience members interested in comedy, sci-fi, horror, and music. I imagine that just about everybody enjoys at least one of those genres. Its run continues at Ford’s through May 18. In the meantime, remember: Don’t feed the plants.

Artwork by Carolina Dulcey.