Samoset Middle School Performs Little Shop of Horrors

The rock musical and black comedy, Little Shop of Horrors was expertly executed with precision and panache by the Drama Club this past week.

Director, Mark Lucas led a dedicated cast and crew in the production by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman.

The macabre musical centers around Seymour, a nebbish florist shop employee played by Daniel DeLuca and Gregory Franz on Friday and Saturday nights respectively.  (Sachem Patch reviewed Saturday's showing.)  The second performance predominantly included 6th and 7th graders, while opening night mainly featured 8th graders.

The orchestra rocked, and was led by conductor Robert De Persio, Jr., and featured Matthew DeMaria on keyboards, Ray Sabatello on guitar, Rob Curry on bass and Michael Ayala on percussion.

The 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown genres of music kept the dark overtones of the production from overshadowing its fun and playful nature.

The performance began with a trio of glamorous guttersnipes:  Ronnette, played by Ariyanna Jarvis on Friday and Sarah Beery on Saturday; Chiffon played by Audi Medina on Friday and Mackenzie Brunquell on Saturday and Crystal portrayed by Catherine Neftleberg on Friday and Ariana Franz on the next night.

The triumvirate told of a time when the human race, "suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence."

The glittering gamines danced with ebullience as they set the scene and served as narrators throughout the show.

As Seymour, a poor and downtrodden young man, orphaned and living on skid row, Franz was endearing and conveyed a maturity far beyond his years, playing a man grappling with his conscience in the face of overwhelming temptation.

Audrey, the beautiful, flashy blonde that works with Seymour in Mushnik's Skid Row Florists, a dilapidated shop, was acted by the adorable and delightful Gianna Dutton on Saturday and Sydonia Littlefield on Friday.

Seymour secretly pines for his co-worker, whom he feels is way out of his league.  She is involved in a dysfunctional relationship with the depraved Dr. Orin Scrivello, portrayed by Sean O'Gorman on Friday and Erik Klein on Saturday.

Klein was hilarious and horrifying as the sadistic dentist with a rusty drill, and a preference for never using Novocain because it "dulls the senses."  He does however administer copious amounts of nitrous oxide — on himself.

Seymour's luck begins to change, when while browsing the wholesale flower district, an eclipse of the sun occurs, after which a curious plant appears which resembles a large Venus fly trap.  Seymour names the plant Audrey II in honor of his secret love.

Audrey II was an impressive anthropomorphic plant puppet with a giant gaping maw, operated by assistant director, Christina Schaefer.  It was uncanny in its lifelike movements and design.

Kaitlyn Mones was bombastic and fantastic as the voice of Audrey II, with a deep resonance she lent a delicious wickedness to the plant that needed more than simple sunlight and water to survive.

During the musical number, "Grow for Me" Seymour wonders why the well-cared for plant is doing so poorly, when he fortuitously pricks his finger on the thorn of a rose thus drawing blood.

As the vampiric Audrey II opens to receive this strange sustenance, Seymour has a startling realization.

The tides turn when the peculiar plant begins to flourish and attracts hordes of customers for the manipulative Mushnik, acted to a tee by Joseph Pedisich on Saturday and Kyle J. Kilkenny on Friday.

Being caretaker of the popular plant, Seymour goes from zero to hero as evidenced in the song "Ya Never Know."

In the sweet song, "Somewhere that's Green" Audrey admits that she secretly returns Seymour's affections, and that her dream is to escape the surrounding urban blight and move to the suburbs with him.

When Seymour stops giving the plant his blood, Audrey II begins to speak to him and demand that he keep feeding it, for which he will make sure that all Seymour's wishes are fulfilled, including having Audrey.  In the enticing  number, "Feed Me (Git It)" the gullible Seymour is ultimately coaxed into making a Faustian agreement, or essentially selling his soul and surrendering his moral integrity, in order to achieve worldly power and success. 

The plotting plant convinces Seymour that Orin abusing Audrey justifies killing him.

During a late-night appointment with Orin, in which Seymour intends murder, the dentist who's been using the "giggle gas" again overdoses when the gas mask gets stuck.  While Seymour couldn't bring himself to actually do Orin in, he couldn't quite bring himself to save him either.  He watched him asphyxiate during "Now (It's Just the Gas)", as the dying dentist couldn't help but laugh hysterically in the Act I finale.

In the sentimental "Suddenly, Seymour" Franz and Dutton shined as Seymour and Audrey confess their love for one another, and plan to leave together and start anew.  However, Seymour mistakenly believes that Audrey's feelings are due to his recent success, not realizing that she felt the same when he was just a shop clerk.

After Mushnik becomes suspicious of Orin's disappearance and confronts Seymour, he meets his own demise, and Audrey II grows stronger.

Featured in "Sominex/ Suppertime" the bloodthirsty plant pulls Audrey into its ravenous jaws.  Seymour rushes in to save her, but mortally wounded and realizing the truth about Audrey II, she makes one last request:  To be fed to the plant when she dies, so that Seymour can be famous and successful.

Franz and Dutton acted this heartbreaking scene with tenderness and raw emotion.

"It's the one gift I can give to you ... Finally, I'll be somewhere green," said Audrey.

Patrick Martin from the World Botanical Enterprises, acted by Christopher Alger tells Seymour that his company wants to procure leaf cuttings of Audrey II and distribute them across America.  Seymour realizes what the plant's nefarious plan was all along — "World Conquest."

"You ate the only thing I ever loved," said Seymour to Audrey II.

  In the inevitable ending, Seymour is devoured by the plant; finally, completely consumed by his desire for power and success at all cost.

For the finale, the entire  ensemble put on a spectacle, complete with dancing that showcased the impeccable choreography of Jillian Sluder, and a bloodsucking botanical garden ominously descending from up above.

The audience was left with one final warning:  "Whatever they offer, don't feed the plants."