Singing, dancing, murder and carnivorous plants marked Theatre AACC’s first musical since the pandemic in its delightful rendition of “Little Shop of Horrors” on Friday night.
The show was the perfect blend of comedy and horror, with laugh-out-loud moments followed closely by chilling murders.
“Little Shop” follows Seymour Krelborn, a young florist played by local actor Ethan Keller, who adopts a mysterious, bloodsucking plant named Audrey II, sung expertly by local actor Sarah Johansen.
The star of the show just had to be the spectacular Audrey II puppet. I came in with high expectations–I had heard a lot of good things from the puppet’s designer, second-year production design student Gabby Bly–and the seven-foot-tall behemoth of a Venus flytrap did not disappoint.
Audrey II started as a little handheld houseplant, but as the show went on, it grew into a spiky green-and-purple monster that took six puppeteers to control as it chowed down on the actors, swallowing several of them whole.
The show was more than just the puppet, though. The acting and comedic timing of the whole cast was impeccable, drawing countless laughs from the audience.
I was especially entertained by Mr. Mushnik, played by AACC student Martin Egna, whose joke delivery and physical comedy was a particular highlight for me as he danced around the stage or crawled along the floor as he searched for clues.
I couldn’t go without mentioning the trio of Ronette, Crystal and Chiffon, respectively played by AACC alumna Abby Burns, transfer studies student Elaina Kohrs and biology student Susanne Whitney. Something like a modern equivalent of an ancient Greek chorus, they danced and acted out skits in the background, keeping the audience entranced and entertained, as well as narrating the show.
All in all, “Little Shop of Horrors” was funny and disturbing, filled with great actors and great vocals.
The show will run in the Kauffman Theater Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14, as well as next weekend, April 19-21. Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for faculty and staff, and $20 to the public.
