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Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

 
through April 28th
 
Mercury Theater www.MercuryTheaterChicago.com

Little Shop of Horrors

Our first visit to the Mercury Theater was superlative.  Yes, dear friends and readers, Little Shop of Horrors returns!  Remade for the small stage, yet retaining, even enlarging, the comedic wonder of the off-Broadway and film musicals, this show is a delight from start to finish.

It’s a whimsical story about Seymour, an orphan and plant nerd, who has been taken in and given a job by Mr. Mushnik, a Skid Row florist.  Seymour does menial tasks, tends to the plants and flowers, and has a crush on Audrey, his co-worker.  One day, after an unexplained solar eclipse, he finds a strange plant, buys it, and brings it to the shop, where he names it Audrey II and tries to nurture it to health.  Nothing seems to work until he discovers the plant thrives on human blood, and he feeds it drops of his own. The plant’s appetite grows quickly beyond Seymour’s ability to feed it his own, but as it has grown, so has the success of Mr. Mushnik’s shop, and Seymour is suddenly becoming a celebrity. His love for Audrey blooms, but her abusive, sadistic, dentist boyfriend stands in the way.

Will love conquer all?  Or will Audrey II, now huge, talking, and very demanding, take over the world?

We are led through the story by a chorus of three Skid Row inhabitants, Crystal, Chiffon and Ronette, singing and dancing, brilliantly and energetically, in authentic MoTown style, guaranteed to bring smiles, laughs, and sincere appreciation for their talents.  Indeed, readers, this production is filled with talent: the entire cast acts, moves and sings with seamless precision, natural grace, and obvious joy.  To be “this close” in such a small theater (Mercury seats only 280), where you can clearly see the expressions and emotions each character displays, is an experience not to be missed.  The rich, colorful voice of Audrey II is worth the price of admission.  To experience this whole marvelous extravaganza, so flawlessly impressive from start to finish, makes the tickets a complete bargain.

I haven’t laughed this hard in a long, long time.  Come along, friends and readers.  2019 is “Year of the Theater” in Chicago; if you need an introduction to live theater there is no better place to start.

Little Shop of Horrors, the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, www.MercuryTheaterChicago.com

Frank Brichetto

Chicago Correspondent

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

 

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors