LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Pioneer Theatre Company, directed by John Caywood; Lees Main Stage, Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. and 1340 East (Broadway at University). Continues Mondays-Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 & 8 p.m. through Oct. 1. Tickets: $10 to $30. Reservations: 581-6961. Running time: about 2 hours.
"Little Shop of Horrors" is a be-bop romp about a bloodthirsty plant who enslaves an otherwise decent fellow by offering him a taste of love and glory. As the plant's appetite grows, so does his.This is, quite simply, the story of the downfall of civilization. It's a tragedy. But you'll find you don't grieve. You'll just laugh and groove to the music while one horror after another unfurls its leaves at Pioneer Memorial Theatre.
Although she is a fallen woman, Audrey, the shapely flower attendant, sets the moral tone of the play.
Audrey is neither greedy nor grasping. She wants nothing more than to marry a man who doesn't beat her and to live in the suburbs. She only wants a toaster and a garbage disposal and a small green lawn.
When success comes to Mushnik's flower shop, it is he who feels uneasy. Dumb though he is, he senses there is a price to be paid. His character foreshadows The End.
Angel Caban plays Audrey with a Marilyn Monroe quality and is quite sweet in the role. Russell Goldberg is Seymour, a nerdy self-made botanist. He gets cute when he takes off his glasses. Steve Liebman is perfect as Mushnik, who has the misfortune to be the owner of a flower shop on skid row. Christopher Mixon plays about six parts and it's fun to watch him race from one to the other.
The real star is Audrey II, the plant. She is a bossy, slurping charmer. At the end of the play you'll meet Sharon Wilkins and Sam Stewart, who give Audrey II life, but you don't even think about them during the production. Like Big Bird, only evil, Audrey II is real.
The delightful chorus - Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette - are played by Shawana Kemp, Marque Munday and Shirell Ferguson.
This production, as directed by John Caywood, is a visual as well as a musical treat. At the center of the stage is Mushnik's flower shop, with the floor rotating around it. Actors glide on and off the stage in a most pleasing manner.
All the actors in this play are Equity actors. They've toured Europe with various musicals and some have been on Broadway. Utahns can't help but note that these actors are good.
PMT's amplifying system gives the effect of a sound studio and you might find yourself wishing for something less blended, something that sounds more like you were really hearing it on the street. But you'll enjoy every song.
The greatest moments come when Caban and Goldberg sing that soul-stirring love song, "Suddenly Seymour" and when the chorus singers dance in their fire-colored ball-fringed gowns. You will find your eyes drawn to Ronnette, played by Ferguson. Wow. You never imagined ball-fringe could move so fast.
- Sensitivity rating: Several swear words and some cleavage.