Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, The Little Musical with a Big Appetite for Fun plays at Lakeside Community Theatre

Little Shop of Horrors

Book & Lyrics by: Howard Ashman

Music by: Alan Menken

Directed by: Hayden Casey

Music Directed by: Christina Major

Choreography by: Mikki Hankins

Produced By: Lakeside Community Theatre

 

Audience Rating: PG
Running Time: 2 Hours with a 15 minute Intermission

Accessible Seating: Yes with few steps
Hearing Devices: Not available

Sensory Friendly Show: Not Available
ASL Showing: Not Available
Sound Level: Comfortable Volume Level
Audio/Visuals to prepare For: None

Reviewed by Michael Winters

On the 7th day of the month of August in a year of our current decade, the audience at Lakeside Community Theatre suddenly encountered a deadly threat to their very existence…and laughed all evening!

Directed by Hayden Casey with musical direction by Christina Major, this production leans into the show’s contradictions: it’s familiar enough to feel nostalgic, sharp enough to feel current, and twisted enough to keep you watching instead of expecting the next moment. It’s the kind of musical that invites you to laugh first - and then, before you realize it, makes you care about what happens to the characters when things go horribly wrong.

At the center is Seymour Krelborn, brought to life by Trey Cardona with sincerity and a slightly helpless kind of charm. Seymour wants more than his small life in a struggling floral shop, but he’s slow to commit until an unexpected eclipse places a strange new plant in his path. What follows isn’t just a story about finding something remarkable; it’s a story about what happens when Seymour keeps feeding the problem instead of stopping it. The show quickly escalates from mischievous to menacing, and Seymour’s sudden luck, along with the promise of a future with Audrey, only makes the stakes feel higher, not safer. When he names the plant Audrey II, the dream and the danger click into place together.

Abby Larimore’s Audrey lands as equal parts strength and vulnerability. She has the confidence to keep moving, but you can feel how easily hope tugs her back into the same kinds of situations. In “Somewhere That’s Green,” her longing turns tender instead of melodramatic, and it’s easy to see why the audience wants her to finally break free from the life she keeps getting stuck with.

Larimore’s Audrey is also at the mercy of Orin Scrivello, a Dentist whose charm is exactly the problem, handled with a smooth, unsettling edge by John Patterson. Orin is made to feel watchable, which is often the most effective way for a villain to work. Once the story turns in Seymour’s direction, the consequences hit with satisfying momentum, and the show keeps its footing on that razor-thin line between comedy and cruelty.

Audrey II is staged like the star it insists on being. Two performers make the plant feel like one living presence rather than a costume doing tricks. Cam Hayes supplies the voice, starting with playful mischief before stepping into a more confident, predatory sound - like the plant is learning exactly how to enjoy its own power. And because Hayes isn’t visually tied to the creature onstage, the performance depends on vocal control, which he delivers with unnerving clarity. Kathryn Waite rounds out the illusion with the huge costume, moving with full-body intention so Audrey II reads as responsive - delighted, demanding, and dangerous - rather than merely present.

As the show progresses, Seymour’s situation becomes less about curiosity and more about moral panic. Cardona plays that shift from confusion to dread with a tense, believable urgency. Audrey II doesn’t just pull Seymour along; it pressures him into choices that feel harder to undo with every step. When the plant’s appetite finally reaches Mr. Mushnik, Doug Fowler’s sweet, worried shopkeeper, the fear lands in real time. Fowler’s performance makes it easy to understand why it’s too late to pretend this can still be fixed.

If there’s a single standout, it’s “Suddenly Seymour.” It’s the instant where Seymour’s private hope collides with the full, brutal reality of what he’s done. The laughter doesn’t disappear, but the mood sharpens, and you feel the weight of the turning point in the room.  The entire cast is on stage including Chloe Carroll, Gabbi Enriquez and Caitlyn Acha as the sort of Greek Chorus that helps keep the story moving forward with tight, delightful harmonies. 

By the time the chaos reaches its final stretch, the show keeps asking the same thrilling questions: will love win out, or will Audrey II’s reach keep growing? You won’t get a straight answer until you see it for yourself - so head to Lakeside Community Theatre for a production that’s funny on purpose, dark by design, and impossible to not enjoy. 

Let theatre take you places - it’s worth the ride.

Michael Winters