Review: Little Shop of Horrors Is Wonderfully Bizarre
We watched both sets of actors.
(SPOT.ph) There’s been a nostalgic hunger lately for pop culture from decades past, from ’80s and '90s series landing on Netflix to popular titles getting remade for the younger audience and more. In Manila, the Sandbox Collective feeds this need with a 2024 production of Little Shop of Horrors, the dark comedy that captured audiences of decades gone-by—ready to capture today's watchers in its leafy arms. Don't get it? Read on.
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Synopsis of Little Shop of Horrors
The Little Shop of Horrors is a rock-comedy horror musical that revolves around Seymour, a nerdy flower-shop worker who discovers a sentient carnivorous plant that feeds on human blood. Also, he’s secretly in love with his ditzy but loveable co-worker Audrey, but she’s in an abusive relationship with motorbiking dentist Orin. Seymour names the plant Audrey II, takes care of it (by feeding it his blood), and then gets tangled in a web of fame, love, and moral dilemmas as it grows into a bloodthirsty monstrosity.
The story is set in '60s New York, with Mr. Mushnik’s flower shop in their own version of Skid Row. You also get to meet three Street Urchins—Crystal, Chiffon, and Ronette—who become the chorus girls guiding you, and the characters, throughout the story.
Originally a 1960 American comedy film by Roger Corman, The Little Shop of Horrors was adapted into an off-Broadway production by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman in 1982, followed by a 1986 movie starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, and the voice of Levi Stubbs.
The off-Broadway production has reached cult-classic status, and now, in 2024, its making magic in Manila. It was always director Toff De Venecia’s dream to produce this musical locally. “Little Shop of Horrors has always been like musical theater of the absurd,” he says in a statement. “A talking plant that eats people? It doesn’t get any more absurd than that. [We wanted to] bring to life this beloved classic with tinges of horror, whimsy, and hope.”
The Cast of Little Shop MNL
Unlike other Manila musical productions with a mix and match of cast members per show date, this one sticks to two separate main casts. You get either 1) Nyoy Volante as Seymour, Karylle Tatlonghari as Audrey, and Markki Stroem as Orin, or 2) Reb Atadero as Seymour, Sue Ramirez as Audrey, and David Ezra as Orin.
Audie Gemora is the sole actor playing Mr. Mushnik, while OJ Mariano and Julia Serad alternate as Audrey II. Abi Sulit, Paula Paguio, and Mikee Baskinas play the Street Urchins, with Serad joining the trio on some dates.
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What we think of Little Shop of Horrors: Connecting the dots
We watched both sets of casts on two separate press previews. We’re always a bit skeptical whenever a production casts a mainstream TV-movie actor in a musical without any prior training or experience in musical theater. But Sue Ramirez was a delightful surprise. In a cast full of musical veterans, the theater newbie was able to hold her own as the Marilyn Monroe-esque bombshell Audrey. She was a star on that stage, especially with her emotional rendition of “Somewhere That’s Green.”
The ageless Karylle, as expected, hit all the notes with her charming take on Audrey. We last saw her playing Baroness Elsa von Schraeder in the international run of The Sound of Music, and we love how she’s on a roll playing bodacious theater characters. Paired with singer Nyoy Volante as Seymour, the two were a fun, comic duo onstage. It’s too bad Volante’s microphone conked out a few times during his solo performances on press preview night. We hope this technical issue gets ironed out so as not to dampen his dorky, entertaining take on Seymour.
As for Reb Atadero’s version, it definitely comes from the Rick Moranis school of geekhood (Moranis was the iconic Honey, I Shrunk the Kids dad.). Reb’s high-energy, geekier version of Seymour made his pairing with Ramirez a tad naughtier.
It was hard to pick a favorite Orin (though his villainous character isn’t meant to be favored) between Markki Stroem and David Ezra. Stroem falls under the ridiculously good-looking but psychopathic version, while Ezra’s campy and sinister take is reminiscent of the hilarious Filipino TV comedy sketches of our childhood. On top of playing Orin, both actors obviously loved hamming up their quick-change multi-roles, which elicited laughs from the audience.
Theater veteran Audie Gemora eased into his character as the stingy flower shop proprietor and father figure, Mr. Mushnik, while the doowoping street urchins Abi Sulit, Paula Paguio, and Mikee Baskiñas almost made us hold our hands up in praise. We’re still not over Sulit’s belting in Rent, and here she is giving the audience goosebumps with her rhythm and blues.
Another highlight was how Audrey II evolved and took over the stage as the bloodthirsty plant. Without spoiling the techniques and main design used, all we can reveal is that Mariano (the tenor of the vocal group, The Company) and Serad (fresh from her stint in Buruguduystunstugudunstuy) both commanded the stage as the monstrous plant. Their powerful performances, mixed with the psychedelic puppetry, stole the show from their first to final appearance.
There is also one little gnawing element we can’t help but discuss. We noticed that scenographer Mio Infante added dotty succulents and vines on each character’s wardrobe—not just the evil plant Audrey II—as the story went along. They would start as brooch-like dots that seemed out of place, almost annoying as it would make any eagle-eyed audience member wonder what in the world they’re for.
As you try to focus on the music and dialogue, the spotty dotties, like an itch or virus, keep increasing. It may make you shift uncomfortably on your seat whether or not you have trypophobia, on top of the other triggering elements of the show (which Sandbox considerately warns the audience about before the show). And yet we just can’t stop looking. Genius!
If you’re the type of theater watcher who likes finding metaphors and easter eggs, and figuring out the moral lessons of the show, you will enjoy connecting these dots.
Because the first off-Broadway production was staged in the early ’80s, you’ll find a lot of tropes that their generation loved—the solar eclipse as a foreshadowing event, the Venus flytrap as a pet, ordinary creatures that grow into destructive monsters, revenge of the nerds, the babe that needs to dump her bad boyfriend, and many other throwback elements.
Whether you’re part of the cult following of Little Shop of Horrors or have no idea what to expect, the musical will grow on you. Audrey II is out for blood and you will want to give a drop of yours.
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The Little Shop of Horrors runs until July 28, 2024 at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC. Tickets are available via Ticketworld and The Sandbox Collective.