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'Little Shop' delivers a ton of fun in rapid-fire fashion

Stage West's production of the musical comedy about a blood-sucking plant earns laugh after laugh.

You could view the impish musical comedy, Little Shop of Horrors, as an allegory of today's corporate America.

In it, Skid Row Florist Shop employee Seymour Krelborn literally gives the greedy plant Audrey II his own life's blood in order to achieve fortune and fame. The plant demands more blood - so much more that the hapless Seymour starts killing people off in order to satisfy the plant's demands.

Of course, Seymour thinks some of these people deserve to die, but, even so, his conscience gnaws at him and he tries to do the right thing.

It all makes for a highly entertaining 21/2 hours of giggles and guffaws and, as done by Stage West Community Playhouse, a show not to be missed. After a rather languid opening night start, director Leanne Germann's cast of fine singer-actors kept the action moving along at a fast clip, earning laugh after laugh as the situation got more absurd by the moment.

If you see the show Friday or Sunday, you won't see the same actors I saw. In an interesting casting move, the director is letting George W. Germann and Michael Benson switch out the roles of Seymour and his nemesis, the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello. Benson plays Seymour on Friday and Sunday; Germann plays him Saturday.

Germann's Seymour (which I saw, and I'm going back Friday to watch Benson in the role) is the quintessential nerdnik, wistfully longing for the live Audrey and naively elated when the scheming shop owner, Mr. Mushnik (Stan Kane), decides to adopt him in order to reap the monetary rewards flowing Audrey II's way.

Benson's dentist is maniacal, practically salivating when he gets to inflict pain on both his patients and his girlfriend, Audrey. Benson, a classically trained opera singer who has performed two Mozart operas in Salzburg, Austria, slid into the dentist's and five other cameo roles with the ease of a veteran comic.

Victoria Primosch is stellar as Audrey, doing the "dumb blond" role in the style of Georgia Engel's character Georgette on the erstwhile Mary Tyler Moore Show. Ms. Primosch's meek squeak of a speaking voice turns lovely and lyrical when she sings. She maintains her Brooklyn accent without a flaw, even when she sings.

Dalton Benson (Michael's dad) does the voice of the profane Audrey II (the plant) with booming authority and the proper sneering impatience. Audrey II's puppeteer, David Stenger, has the toughest job in the show - manipulating the sassy mouth and rollicking torso of designer/builder Jay Ingle's huge plant - and he does it to a T, with shakes and rolls to match Benson's every inflection.

The trio of Briana Raymond, Karlye Dilts and Dominique Clemente do a good job commenting on the characters and getting involved in the action. Musical director Wayne Raymond's five-piece combo has a smooth sound that complements the singers and the show, though the opening night tempo sometimes dragged.

Little Shop has a couple of raunchy words, but it's just so darned much fun, it would be a shame to miss this wonderful show over those.

Little Shop of Horrors, a musical, at Stage West Community Playhouse at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $14. Box office is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Thursday, Saturday and an hour before each show. The theater is at 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill. Call (352) 683-5113.