He sports a liberty spiked mohawk and he carries a power drill (Jim Bray). His patient sitting in the dental room chair is wide-eyed and lovable schlub Seymour (Robert Aziza). When Seymour sighs in relief to see that there is nitrous oxide for anesthetic, this sadistic lampoon of a dentist laughs and explains he keeps it for himself…
And we laugh right along with him! Sadism, gender-based violence, child abuse, desperation born of destitution, murder and mayhem—yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-and yes, but no trigger warnings needed here!
We’re way into the middle of this story when this re-enactment of every dental phobia sufferer’s inner turmoil occurs. By then we’ve become so used to the campy charm of this mid-century musical satire that any claim of underlying message seems totally absurd and then some. PlayMakers has put the playful into this whimsical production.
You too will likely imagine lyricist Howard Ashman and Composer Alan Menken kvelling over this 2025 update to their famed 70’s work. Not too much has changed— an anachronistic hair do there, an imagined skid row where once or sometime New Yorkers will know is now a place where you can barely afford to buy a coffee, let alone a latte. But for the most part, this Doo-Wop musical charmer seems to have slipped intact out of a precious time capsule.
PlayMakers Repertory Keeps It Campy
Boomers will especially get the book and lyric’s many references to the cultural landmarks of the era when Ashman and Menken created Little Shop of Horrors. From the little boxes of Levittown, to Life magazine covers, trend-setting features in Better Homes and Gardens, to Motown girl groups, and more—this is a trip to memory lane that keeps you laughing.
There is a lot of chanteuse energy in both the trio of street girls (Shayla Brielle G., Breia Joelle Kelley, and Shelby Sykes) and especially by the powerhouse vocalist Micaela Shanyce Bundy playing the man-eating plant at the story’s center. The score is one after another playful wink. For any collectors of Mad Magazine singles back in the day, the songs seem to be cut from the same cloth as standards like Please Betty Jane, Everybody’s Asking, When You Gonna Shave Your Legs. BTW- you can listen to the music in the movie version on YouTube—
Triple Threats All
The leads imported from New York — Robert Ariza as Seymour and Yiddish Theater veteran Maya Jacobson as Audrey--were inspired picks. PlayMaker regulars Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Mr. Mushnik and Jim Bray as the sadistic dentist seem to be having a lot of fun on the stage and we can feel it. Yet it’s ensemble member Matthew Donahue’s quick changeovers into multiple roles that this reviewer imagines was the most fun of all. Oh but he’s so young! How will he ever top this gig?
How prescient of PlayMakers to open this show when finding escape from the headlines is a matter of survival. If you need to tune out the world for a bit, Little Shop of Horrors is a top pick for your time.
RECOMMENDED
WHEN:
Stage April 9 – 27, 2025
WHERE:
Joan H Gillings Center for Dramatic Art
120 Country Club Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
TICKETS:
For more information and tickets visit the Playmakers website.
Cast:
Robert Ariza*, Jeffrey Blair Cornell*, Jim Bray*, Shayla Brielle G.*, Matthew Donahue, Elizabeth Dye, Maya Jacobson*, Breia Joelle Kelley, Micaela Shanyce Bundy, Shelby Sykes.
Creative Team:
Director: Jeffrey Meanza
Choreographer: Tristan André
Music Director: Alex Thompson
Scenic Designer: Regina García
Sound Designer: Morgann Russell
Assistant Director: Chelsea James
Dramaturg: Gregory Kable
Costume Designer: Grier Coleman
Lighting Designer: Charlie Morrison
Voice Coach: Tia James
Stage Manager: Sarah Smiley*
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Photos by Huth Photos Courtesy of PlayMakers Repertory Company
