By Jody Tuso-Key — Managing Editor

Photo Credit: Marcigliano Photography

Cumming, GA – Forsyth County Arts and Learning Center (FoCAL Center for short) is currently offering the second show of their season, the musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS in their black box theater. This is a musical you don’t want to miss! 

Also affectionately known as ‘LITTLE SHOP’ for short, this is a dark comedy set in the 1960s about Mushnick’s Floral Shop located on Skid Row, AKA anywhere USA that is low-income and down on its luck. Our protagonist, Seymour, finds a “strange and unusual plant” following a solar eclipse that drums up business and saves the shop. Seymour names the plant “Audrey II” after Audrey, who also works at the shop and has terrible taste in men. Upon discovering the Venus-fly Trap type plant thrives only on fresh human blood, Seymour is faced with the dilemma of murdering people to attain fortune, fame, and the affection of Audrey, or destroying the plant and saving mankind. 

While many of us have come to know and love this twisted musical, here are a few fun facts:

• The show is one of the early works of the iconic duo Alan Menkin (music) and Howard Ashman (Book and Lyrics).
• Alan Menkin composed music for Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Aladdin, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Pocohontas, Enchanted and Tangled, just to name a few.
• Howard Ashman who passed away of AIDS in 1991 wrote lyrics for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Alladin.
• LITTLE SHOP premiered off-off Broadway in 1982 and then moved to the Orpheum Theater on Broadway and played for 5 years.
• The show has been performed worldwide, and is a favorite among high schools due to its small cast and humorous dark nature.
• LITTLE SHOP has been revived off-Broadway at the Westside Theater where is has been running for 5 years with an all-star rotating cast.  

You might remember the motion picture of the same title from 1986 starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Green, Vincent Gardenia, and Steve Martin. If you’ve only seen this version, you are missing out on a completely different alternate outcome at the closing of the show. This is reason enough to get your tickets. 

If you’ve seen the musical, love it, and want to see it again, I absolutely recommend you get your tickets to FoCAL’s performance. This version takes the iconic show and moves it into an intimate, immersive setting. The audience becomes part of the action as the characters move off the stage and into the aisles, making us all feel like ‘fly on the wall’ citizens of Skid Row. Thanks once again to producer Dawn Toomey Phipps for bringing quality theater to FoCAL center. 

The most amazing thing to me about this production is that FoCal is a community theater; however, its productions rival several professional shows I’ve seen throughout the Atlanta area. The props and set designed by Vicki Glembocki has a run-down, rustic feel, and the plant shop transformed from a sparse space to a lavishly blossomed shop as Audrey II grew in success and size. As far as lights are concerned, I’ve worked with Dylan O’Donnell at Lambert High School and also with Play on Players. In fact, I consulted and ran the board on LITTLE SHOP at Lambert, which was designed by Dylan. Through the years, he has become an expert designer and tech, and I didn’t catch one flaw in lighting, which is rare on opening night. In addition, Annabelle Mallard did a commendable job as sound engineer, which is a difficult task. The costumes by Julie Marcigilano are, as always, well thought out and period correct. I especially enjoyed Seymour’s matching hat, shoes, and nerdy look overall. 

The vocals, led by music director Richard Magner, are pitch perfect among the entire ensemble, but especially with the show’s ‘narrators’: Crystal (Molly Rickert), Ronette (Hope Weisheit), and Chiffon (Kayla Belcher). These three street urchins turned “doo-wap” singers are the glue that holds the show together, and acts as the collective conscience (or lack thereof) throughout the entirety of the show. Their choreography, by Greyson Chadwick, is spot on and fun to watch, as are all the dances. Greyson is also the show’s director, and imagined the show in a classic vision with quick transitions. A final tech shout-out goes to the often unsung hero, stage manager Jennifer Sears, who is a staple at FoCAL, having managed many shows in the space. Jennifer did a great job ensuring a smooth flow and careful execution of each technical cue. 

Let’s talk about the leading players, each of which has a plethora of experience on their resumes. First off, Tyler Hooper was the quintessential Seymour, with his awkward and endearing demeanor and mannerisms. Julianna Pallottillo as Audrey showcased an amazing talent in her first leading role at FoCAL, and her accent was spot-on. Matthew Hand played a very convincing Mr. Mushnik, complete with yiddish words and jewish mannerisms. Spencer Dow’s job as Orvin Scrivello DDS–the hilarious and sadistic dentist, Audrey’s abusive boyfriend, Seymour’s antagonist, and Audrey II’s first full human lunch–was compounded by Orvin’s many roles as a member of the ensemble. He delivered a delightfully-decadent performance, and the physical humor between his character and Seymour was played perfectly. Let’s not forget Brian Gustin as Audrey II. While he’s never personally seen on stage as the strange and unusual plant itself, he has the iconic vandalistic voice that is so necessary for the part. 

Finally, the small ensemble consisting of Ramona Cassamo, Sarah Kettler, and Ashlyn Montgomery played multiple roles and each character was well played and distinct. Also, a special shout out to the show’s two puppeteers, Dixon Brown and TJ Boncheva who also doubled as ensemble members. Audrey II was the true protagonist, and both cast members gave the ever growing plant a personality that was well rooted in a loamy mix of humor and evil. 

This show is “Speakeysie Recommended” and just in time for Halloween. The show only runs until October 27th so be sure and get your tickets ASAP at https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/focal as the black box has limited space and this show is sure to sell out!