‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at Oregon Cabaret Theatre is nothing but fun from the ground up.

By Lucie K. Scheuer for the Rogue Valley Times

“Little Shop of Horrors,” the musical now playing at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre, is an oddity to say the least. It takes place in a bizarre little flower shop on skid row, with a handful of characters that seemingly wouldn’t be at the same party together, let alone in a flower shop.

And get this: the main character is a people-eating plant.

It’s a wonder really, this story has been making the rounds for over 60 years and, like the plant, has survived a number of iterations, if not mutations, as a movie turned cult classic, turned off-Broadway musical, turned movie musical.

So why does this somewhat cockamamie story still amuse us today?

It doesn’t make any pretenses. It makes fun of itself, and it’s supported by really catchy rock n’ roll numbers. It’s campy and quirky and possesses a really expressive musical score by Alan Menken — who, by the way, went on to write some of Broadway’s and Disney’s most popular musicals. Finally, it has the Oregon Cabaret’s multi-talented ensemble cast — the cast that just keeps on giving. What’s not to like?

The show also displays all the hallmarks of a Greek tragedy with its own Greek chorus in the form of three, in sync, singer-dancers who have the Motown thing down and are as smooth as The Supremes. Chiffon, played by Amara Webb; Crystal, played by Asha Brownie-Gordon; and Olivia White as Ronnette, start us out with a couple of finger-snapping numbers, one aptly named “Da Doo,” and we’re dancing in our chairs right along with them.

With book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, based on the film by Roger Corman, “Little Shop” is the story of a poor, orphaned young man named Seymour Krelborn, who has been working in a flower shop on the seedier side of town for an old man, Mr. Mushnik, who tolerates and uses him. Seymour is sort of a nerd with a gentle demeanor and a crush on one of the neighborhood girls, Audrey.

Audrey’s a bit of an abused floozy with a sadist boyfriend, and longs for a normal life as a ’60s suburban housewife with Seymour. She sings, “A matchbox of our own. A fence of real chain link. A grill out on the patio, disposal in the sink. A washer and a dryer, and an ironing machine, in a tract house that we share, somewhere that’s green.”

Audrey is played by Dani Brady. She’s the ditzy blonde with the heart of gold and she’s got us in the palm of her hand.

Seymour has a hobby of cultivating unusual plants, and one day after a total eclipse of the sun, one mysteriously appears at a vendor he frequents for cuttings. He brings the plant back to the flower shop and discovers this is no ordinary plant. It only grows when fed human blood.

He notices this when he cuts himself, some droplets fall on to the plant and it begins to thrive. It is then we discover, along with Seymour, this “ain’t no” Venus Fly Trap. The plant begins to grow and draw customers to the run-down florist, and the owner Mr. Mushnik, suddenly begins to make money. Todd Nielsen plays a believable, miserly, broken down Mr. Mushnik.

Jake Swain, who wonderfully plays Seymour, is making his Oregon Cabaret debut. He has played a wide range of roles and also works as a coach, teaching master classes for actors and students globally.

Another standout is Alex Boyles as Orin Scrivello,  a sadistic dentist, who jumps into several other roles with ease. With apologies to those who spend their time making all our mouths look happy and healthy, Orin may be the anti-dentist for all those “odontophobics” out there. But back to Boyles. He consistently turns in memorable performances for the Cabaret, most recently as Don in “Kinky Boots.”

Of course, we mustn’t forget Stanley Martin, as Audrey II, the “plant.” He and puppeteer, Cody Pettit magically make a truly creepy, exotic shrub come to life and grow with an insatiable appetite. And the plant mysteriously has a great voice.

Director Jackie Apodaca tempers the campiness by allowing actors to find the sad truths that drive the characters in this allegory, which reminds us to be careful what we wish for. Lauren Blair has our “Supremes” making some great choreographed moves along with Seymour and the ensemble.

When I attended the show, there was a problem with the sound, however. As has been pointed out at other venues this season, loud is not necessarily better. There were times when the music was actually vibrating in the speakers, making it difficult to understand a number of the song lyrics, which is a shame since the lyrics tell the story. A matter of modulation and a little more finesse would easily correct the situation.

Choreographer Lauren Blair has done a wonderful job of capturing the feel of the numbers, as have ArianMarie Moye as costume designer and Joe Klug as scenic designer.

All of us may not have a green thumb, but after many years of hearing about this classic, we probably all know what “Feed Me!” means. Don’t use those words to order from the Cabaret menu however. It might be a bit off-putting for the wait staff.

Do have fun at this off-beat, often humorous yet unconventional musical with an unsettling conclusion.

Reach Ashland-based writer Lucie K. Scheuer at [email protected]. This review first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.