BU On Broadway’s newest production, “Little Shop of Horrors,” is a cartoon-like rendering of real-world emotions on stage, allowing the audience to experience love, lust, death and downright fun with the caricature-esque characters.
Based on the book by Howard Ashman, “Little Shop of Horrors” follows shy flower shop assistant Seymour (Zachary Schiffman) as he pines after his co-worker, the lovely and indecisive Audrey (Rachel Smith). Seymour is a scatter-brained botanical genius, striving to please his boss and father figure, Mr. Mushnik (Mac Wylie). Mushnik is too distracted by the financial failings of his flower shop to notice his employee’s efforts to impress him. Meanwhile, the shopgirl Audrey struggles to assert herself in her abusive relationship with Orin (Michael Busani). Orin’s sadistic personality bleeds into his work as a dentist.
After a total eclipse, Seymour comes across a new species of plant that draws a lot of public notice. He names it Audrey II in a bashful display of love for the real Audrey. The botanical phenomenon draws a lot of attention to the flower shop and to Seymour. News stations want interviews, and spectators want a look at the plant. As Seymour’s popularity grows, so does Mr. Mushnik’s appreciation of him. He adopts him and encourages his developing bravery. But when the plant acquires a taste for blood, will Seymour be able to take control? Or will Audrey II bring devastation to the little flower shop?
The production is a directorial debut for BU On Broadway’s Jordana Kulak and Kate Jamison, both of whom are seniors in the College of Communication who have acted for the group in the past. “Little Shop of Horrors” has been a long time coming for them. They originally wanted to pitch it to BU On Broadway last April, but Jamison was abroad, so the pair had to wait until last semester to pitch it for this spring. Over the summer, they gathered their dream team: Jessie Rosso as music director, Ruby Yang as technical director and Julia Dayan as stage manager.
Kulak said she was immediately drawn to the idea when Jamison suggested it. It struck her as a “very cartoony and comical show,” but one with “truth behind characters that are larger than life.”
And that’s just what “Little Shop of Horrors” is — larger than life, from the ensemble to the sets to the Audrey II puppet. According to Sophia Ricciardi, a sophomore in COM, building the plant alone took six weeks and a team of crew members to complete. The necessary mechanics and sheer size of Audrey II were daunting for the team when they began constructing “her” back in January. Despite its complexity, the plant was built entirely by students. Ricciardi called it “the most difficult” set piece she’s ever built.
The rest of the set appears to have been done just as meticulously. The paint appears aged, the wood appears tarnished and the furniture appears rundown. The set for the little shop is perfectly planned to incorporate all of the song and dance numbers without sacrificing style.
When the lights go down, “Little Shop of Horrors” comes to life with a cast that never ceases to outdo itself. Schiffman, a COM senior, and Smith, a COM junior, perform wonderfully as independents, but the on-stage chemistry between the two brings a spark to their duets. Smith commands her exceptionally weird character in a way reminiscent of Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams. Busani, a freshman in the School of Education, plays a perfect villain, one you’ll love to hate. He has mastered the maniacal laugh that many professional actors strive to pull off, and he even does it while singing.
But the real stars of the show have yet to be mentioned. Hali Letlow, Shaina Horstmann and Mary Robbins bring enough pep and pitch to carry the entire production. They play Ronnette, Chiffon and Crystal, a trio of ragtag street teens who narrate the story with their musical commentary. Their performances are over-the-top in the most fun and enjoyable way.
“Little Shop of Horrors” will run at the Student Theater at Agganis Arena Thursday, Friday and Saturday.