Hilarious ‘Horrors’ a little shop of doo-wop fun

Melissa Schorr

Friday, Aug. 21, 1998 | 9:35 a.m.

"Little Shop of Horrors" is a sick, sick piece of musical theater. It's bizarre. Twisted. Demented.

In other words, it's hilarious.

"Little Shop," the final offering of the summer by Super Summer Theater at Spring Mountain Ranch, tells the story of the ultimate loser, Seymour, a hapless clerk working at Mushnik's flower shop down on "Skid Row."

Seymour is in love with fellow worker Audrey, a high-pitched bad girl -- one part Betty Boop, one part Marilyn Monroe -- who is, in turn, in love with Orin the "no-goodnik," a sadistic dentist with a Brando-like swagger and a penchant for brutality.

All is looking glum until Seymour finds a most "unusual" plant one day during a total eclipse of the sun, which brings him fame and fortune, and offers from Life Magazine.

There's just one catch: the plant has an insatiable appetite for human flesh, demanding "Feed Me" with increasing menace.

Based on the 1960 campy black and white film directed by Roger Corman (and famously featuring a young Jack Nicholson as the dentist), the show was later adapted into a Broadway musical, adding a doo-wop style and engaging songs such as the soaring "Suddenly Seymour" and often clever lyrics.

A 1986 movie remake starred Rick Moranis as Seymour, Ellen Greene as Audrey and Steve Martin as the dentist.

This version is led by Matt Boethin, chosen for his masterful command of a song, clear enunciation and appealing presence -- although he might have done without the attempt at a shlumpy accent. Boethin is best when showing strong emotional torment and anguish over what he is doing; while in the early scenes, he at times seems to be going through the motions.

Audrey, played by Laurie Caceres, prances across the stage and sings wistfully in her ode to domesticty, "Somewhere That's Green," in which Audrey dreams of escaping Skid Row to a tract house where she'll "cook like Betty Croker and look like Donna Reed."

Granted, the show's references are all hopelessly dated and un-PC (jokes about how Orin beats up on Audrey, for example), which makes it all the more campy.

Rounding out the cast are the raspy-voiced Andee Gibs as Mrs. Mushnik; Keith Dotson, the voice of the plant (who is never seen on stage but makes his presence felt with his James Brown-style wailings); and the appealing "home girl"-style doo-wop girls, whose costume changes make one's head spin as much as their harmonies made the ears perk up.

A recent performance included a few bloopers, a few unpolished numbers, scene changes and technical glitches. Although the show was touting the $60,000 "new sound system" donated by the Reynolds Foundation -- including new speakers, eight new body mikes and a "state-of-the-art" soundboard -- there were still a few kinks: Chris Mayse as Orin could have used a louder volume on his mike, while Caceres' was picking up too much volume, taking away from her singing with the sound of her breathing.

The show was produced and directed by Philip Shelburne, who has been hired as New West Theater's new Artistic Director, and will happily resurrect the nearly-defunct theater groups program beginning this fall.

Shelburne and his crew showed a knack for adding appealing touches of creativity on the stage: the cast member sporting a Dalmation and matching coat, the surprise cameo by Channel 3 weatherman Nate Tannenbaum interviewing Seymour and his creation, and the finale montage, which charmed the crowd of 800.

No horrors in this production -- just giggles, mostly.