Spirited acting boosts ALT’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

Who could have guessed that when Roger Corman filmed the low-budget B movie “The Little Shop of Horrors” over two days in 1960 it would go on to become a cult classic that would spawn not only a musical stage adaptation but even another movie based on the musical? Corman did not even bother to copyright the film because he thought it had no chance of achieving financial success. Boy, was he wrong! Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s musical “Little Shop of Horrors” is being revived — just in time for Halloween — at the Albuquerque Little Theatre, in a production directed by artistic director Henry Avery. I was reluctant to review the production because I am no fan of the movie; but I was unfamiliar with the musical so I persuaded myself to go. Menken’s music is not enough to redeem what is to me a very silly play. Nonetheless, the ALT actors give a spirited performance. To give the play its due, it is not supposed to be anything but silly, and obviously many love the original movie and the musical version as well. The plot is simple. The klutzy nerd Seymour is about to be fired from the florist where he works; to entice his boss to keep him on, he reveals himself to be the owner of a very exotic and alluring plant. When a customer sees the plant in the window, he comes in and buys $100 worth of roses, and soon business at the failing skid row flower shop is booming and Seymour not only gets to keep his job but is on his way to becoming famous as well. (Why that initial customer bought $100 worth of roses and not the exotic plant is beyond me.) The problem is that the plant survives by eating human flesh, and to feed it Seymour becomes a reluctant murderer. There is a love story, of course. The plant is named Audrey II, after Seymour’s co-worker, Audrey. Audrey dates a sadistic dentist named Orin who beats her mercilessly. Audrey has low self-esteem, so she stays with the loser. Although I won’t spoil it for you, I will say that Audrey’s masochism goes as far as it can possibly go in her love for Seymour, after the dentist is finally out of the way. Emily Melville gives an especially fine performance as Audrey, and has a nice singing voice as well. Ron Gallegos is appropriately klutzy and nebbish as Seymour. Nicholas Handley has the formidable task of playing seven different parts. Although he approaches all his roles with great energy, Handley— who was excellent recently in “Hairspray”— fails to distinguish his individual parts. Most of his characters have identical mannerisms and vocal inflections. He distinguishes the dentist by giving him a Southern accent, which seemed a peculiar choice. His finest role was his first, the wino, which was distinct and believable. The night I saw the show, some of the technical cues were mistimed and I was especially sensitive to the canned orchestral music. It’s a shame ALT doesn’t use live musicians, like Landmark and Musical Theatre Southwest. This would add dynamism to their shows. “Little Shop of Horrors” is playing through Oct. 30. Visit albuquerquelittletheatre.org or call 2424750 for reservations.