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Since this is the only musical I have ever actually appeared on stage in, I was really excited about the idea of seeing a professional production of it. That excitement increased tenfold when I found out that the multi-talented Douglas Sills was going to be involved, and so, the first chance I got, I made my way down to New York to check it out.
I think perhaps though, in a way, the fact that I had been in a production of this show hurt my enjoyment of it a little bit. Or perhaps it’s just the fact that it was never really meant to be a huge production. Either way, this production, for all its Broadway glamour and wonderful cast, didn’t strike me as being THAT much better than the production we did, or the countless other productions that have been done out there. Which is not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, or think it was good, because I did – I guess I was just expecting something more spectacular, and it wasn’t there.
Still, there was a lot about the production that I really liked. The three girls playing Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette were very good. They had a couple of interpretations of different lines that really made me laugh. Rob Bartlett was a good Mushnik as well, with some funny moments, although I felt certain parts leaned a bit too much towards slapstick.
I was looking forward to Kerry Butler as Audrey, but again, there just seemed to be something a little bit lacking in her performance. I can’t quite put my finger on it – I appreciate that she didn’t just copy Ellen Greene, as you would be tempted to do, but I also felt that the interpretation she picked wasn’t the most successful. Still, she’s got a lovely voice, and was very sweet at times.
 Me and Hunter Foster |
Hunter Foster also had a different interpretation of Seymour than the one I’m used to, and it took me off guard at first but grew on me as the show went on. His interaction with the plant was great, and I really liked him in the scene in the dentist’s office.
So then we had Douglas Sills, whom I hadn’t seen in anything except The Scarlet Pimpernel, so it was a real treat to see him in this show, where he plays so many different characters! Orin is the main character, of course, and he really nailed it. All the other characters just made me laugh – and when Mrs. Luce made her exit, heading off stage laughing and twirling her umbrella (? I think), it reminded me very much of Percy in the garden. 🙂
Michael-Leon Wooley was wonderful as the voice of Audrey II, and the plant itself was really impressive. The sheer size of it was something to see, and then the things they could do with it were really amazing. The ending is definitely something we didn’t have in our local production. 🙂
Anyway, as I said, I did enjoy the show, but I’m almost tempted to say that you might enjoy it more if you’re not that familiar with it going into it! Susan came with me, and she’d seen the movie, but not in a while, and had never seen it on stage, and she came away with a better opinion of this production than I did. Still, even for the biggest fans there are lots of good things about this production to keep you interested!
The quotes:
“It’s not often you get this many people interested in selling Amway”
– Rob Bartlett, during the BC/EFA speech
The cast: (in order of appearance)
Chiffon |
DeQUINA MOORE |
Crystal |
TRISHA JEFFREY |
Ronnette |
CARLA J. HARGROVE |
Mushnik |
ROB BARTLETT |
Audrey |
KERRY BUTLER |
Seymour |
HUNTER FOSTER |
Derelicts, Skid Row Occupants |
ANTHONY ASBURY BILL REMINGTON MARTIN P. ROBINSON DOUGLAS SILLS MICHAEL-LEON WOOLEY MATT VOGEL |
Orin, Bernstein, Luce, Snip and Everyone Else |
DOUGLAS SILLS |
The Voice of Audrey II |
MICHAEL-LEON WOOLEY |
Audrey II (Manipulation), Dentist’s Patient |
MARTIN P. ROBINSON ANTHONY ASBURY BILL REMINGTON MATT VOGEL |