"Little Shop of Horrors" plays through Sunday at FAMU's Charles Winter Wood Theatre Edmond Stage.
Photo courtesy of FAMU Essential Theatre
Theatergoers are in for novel set designs in the Charles Winter Wood Theatre this week, where they will encounter a florist shop with pink, vibrant walls and, a human-eating, jazz-like singing plant.
FAMU’s Essential Theatre is presenting “Little Shop of Horrors,” an amusing musical about a meek floral assistant named Seymore Krelborn, who stumbles across a plant he names after his crush.
This R&B singing, blood-thirsty plant promises Seymour fame and fortune in exchange for human meals. Literally. Audrey II, the plant, leads Seymour into his own downfall.
This play directed by Luther D. Wells, comes from the 1986 film directed by Roger Corman, which later became a screenplay written by Charles Griffith.
This musical was busy; everything happened at once. From the neighborhood girls Ronnette, Crystal and Chiffon popping up in nearly every scene, to Seymour constantly moving in and out of the shop, to Audrey dealing with the abusiveness of her doctor-boyfriend Orin, or even the amount of singing — the audience definitely had a wide variety of things to pay attention to.
Although every performer in “Little Shop of Horrors” played a part in a showcase, a few deserve to be highlighted.
Seymore Krelborn, the play’s main character played by, Sherrod Taylor, a theatre performance major at FAMU simply owned the stage. He provided the utmost laughter with just the simplest gestures. His passion for his crush Audrey was well displayed as he played a peculiar, quiet character, who just wanted one thing, acceptance. His acting skill set was well displayed on the stage.
Another solid performance comes from Brian Gallagher, who played Mushnik, the stickler florist shop owner who didn’t approve of Krelborn methods of trying to win his crush’s heart.
Gallagher, who also appeared in the previous FAMU Essential Theatre production, “Blood at the Root,” seems to be a solid and consistent performer. Delivering the seriousness needed to catch the viewer’s eye. He’s the performer who’s to be credited with drawing the audience’s attention back to the production.
The audience’s favorite had to be the smooth talking, blood drinking plant, Audrey II, puppeteers by Kyle D. Hunter and with Fred Lee as the voice. The character gave everyone their time’s worth. Audrey II’s relevance was important, as he provided a plot twist in the play.
He was Seymour’s escape outlet, eating Orin, Mushnik, Audrey, and even Krelborn, who he promised fame. He’s to blame for every main character’s exit in the story.
The play will be played all through the weekend at the Charles Winter Wood Theatre. It is a highly recommended show.
For more information, check out www.famunews.com for dates and curtain times.