How far might we be willing to go to improve our circumstances in life? How much might we be willing to sacrifice in order to feed our ambitions and desires? For decades, these questions have enticed the audiences of Little Shop of Horrors — the classic, quirky, and quixotic musical that beautifully blends humor, horror, and heart.
This delightfully dark comedy is now playing at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the George Mason campus. The show is produced by Kimberly Kemp and directed by Chris Maulden, who, in addition to directing, is no stranger to performing himself! I had the pleasure of seeing Maulden embody the role of the Emcee in Cabaret and look forward to any other future productions he may have a hand in!
Little Shop of Horrors debuted on stage in 1982, with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken. It was later adapted into a film in 1986 by Roger Corman with screenplay by Charles Griffith. The story takes place in 1962 and is set in downtown New York City within the sleazy, rundown neighborhood of Skid Row — a place where many of its denizens ache to escape but find themselves forever stuck by the limitations of their circumstances.
Seated within the streets of Skid Row is the struggling business Mushnik’s Flower Shop, owned by Mr. Mushnik (Timothy R. King) and tended to by his two employees, Audrey (Becca Parsons) and Seymour Krelborn (Mylo Cluff, who approached the role with an almost child-like purity and enthusiasm). When Seymour acquires a new and rather odd plant that he names Audrey II (as a nod to his coworker and long-time crush), Mushnik’s struggles are entirely alleviated. Curiosity about the wildly unique and mysterious plant instantly brings customers to the shop, causing the business’s success — as well as Seymour’s own success and fame — to skyrocket.
Everything seems great until Seymour discovers a disturbing element involved in tending to Audrey II’s development: an insatiable need for human blood! Seymour begins feeding it his own blood, but things quickly spiral out of control when Seymour is forced to confront just how far he’ll go to keep his burgeoning success and fame, as well as gain the attention and affections of the woman he has been in love with for years.
Although perhaps the most famous number from the show’s soundtrack, “Suddenly Seymour,” succeeded in exciting and engaging the audience, the standout vocal performance of the night came from Kareem Taylor — the voice behind Audrey II. It isn’t until nearly the end of the first act that we first hear him, but the game changes when he breaks out with “Git It.” The first few verses of that soulful song were performed with command of the vocals while still feeling smooth and effortless. I was so captivated by Taylor’s powerful tone that instead of focusing on the giant, carnivorous, singing plant, I often found my eyes drifting to the balcony resting above the stage (where the orchestra was positioned) to watch Taylor’s passionate performance directly from the source as he vividly energized the wacky personification of a monstrous, felt plant.
Other vocal standouts came from some of the smaller roles. First, Iris DeWitt, who played Ronette — one of the three “Urchins” of Skid Row — delivered every line and note with professionally perfect pitch, strong confidence, and fluid range. Even though her few solo snippets within several larger songs were short and scattered throughout the show, each time she stepped out to sing created a memorable moment.
Second, a surprising vocal standout came from the smooth baritone sounds of Chris Beatley during his first number, “Be a Dentist.” His performance as Orin Scrivello, the malicious, abusive, and vain dentist with an obsession with torture, was enjoyably unsettling.
Little Shop of Horrors is told through animated musical stylings with a soundtrack that for decades has reached a myriad of audiences through its unique combination of soul/funk, doo-wop/Motown, and rock. This beloved soundtrack was brought to life again last night through the brilliant direction and performance of Music Director, Conductor, and Keyboardist Matthew Scarborough. He led the entire orchestra to perfection, even maintaining a precise beat in between songs through a gentle, rhythmic tapping of his chest.
Although occasionally the actors’ mics had trouble regulating, the overall production elements of the night were a success. The lighting (specifically the spotlight, courtesy of Susu Bailey) aided in the emotional storytelling of certain songs. When Audrey (Parsons) sings “Somewhere That’s Green,” the single spotlight projects her silhouette against the faux brick backdrop and creates an illusion that there’s almost two of her on stage, representing the two versions of Audrey in that song: the healthy version of herself she envisions as she fantasizes about a life with Seymour, and the abused, submissive version of herself that’s trapped in reality.
Although perhaps the most successful production element of the evening was the props. Those props deserve definite props! Properties Manager Lissa Unrue did an excellent job of overseeing the unique yet infamous and entirely essential items associated with Little Shop of Horrors. There were four different versions of Audrey II (courtesy of the creative props team at Theatre Winter Haven in Winter Haven, Florida), each one substantially larger than the last. And there was the fake severed head of the villainous dentist, our first victim of the night! Created by Charlynn Mills and Carolina Maholic, that head, in addition to several other body parts, was made in Beatley’s likeness and was incredibly impressive.
As we find ourselves nearing the spooky season once more, this humorous, heartfelt horror is a wonderful way to dip your toes in the fun!
Running Time: Approximately two hours with a 10-minute intermission.
Little Shop of Horrors plays through September 28, 2025, presented by ARTfactory’s Actors Theatre performing in the Gregory Family Theater of the Hylton Performing Arts Center located at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for seniors, students, and youths ages 2–18. Tickets can be purchased online, and more information about the show, as well as the cast and crew, can be found here.
