Act II Entertainment has another GIANT HIT SHOW on its hands. “Little Shop of Horrors” is an outrageously funny musical that is being performed each Monday and Thursday night at 7 pm on The Main Stage of Act II. The show is a comedy/rock/horror extravaganza that reminds us of the 1950s’ rock ‘n’ roll era.
“Little Shop of Horrors” stars many of Act II ’s popular actors, plus some new faces. The cast includes Maria Rose, Joey Martinez, Alex McLachlan, Andrew Sands, Shawn Morgan, Eli Estrada, Sasha del Oceano, Ximena Pena Esperanza and Act II’s beloved founder, Danny Mininni.
Right out of the gate, the musical is captivating with great performances by all the cast. Danny Mininni captures the essence of the flower shop owner, Mr. Mushnik, in a charming and lively performance. Joey Martinez is loveable and naive as Seymour. Andrew Sands with his gorgeous voice and theatrical prowess ‘wows’ the audience with his depiction of several interesting characters. Shawn Morgan is fabulous as the plant and presents a comical, jive talking, bloodthirsty Audrey 2. Alex McLachlan delivers a stellar performance as the crazy, sadistic dentist who meets an untimely demise at the hands of the plant.
Another stand-out performance is brought to the stage by Maria Rose as she portrays the ditzy, slightly sleazy, Audrey who works at the flower shop and secretly admires co-worker, Seymour. Poor Audrey is trapped in an abusive relationship with her dentist boyfriend, so it is quite appropriate that he is the plant’s (Audrey 2’s) first victim. Maria’s singing and acting are brilliant and riveting throughout the musical!! And the trio of singing street urchins provides us some great acting and musical moments throughout the night.
The costumes and sets are detailed, creative and professional. And the sound and acoustics enhance the experience, with each actor’s lines clearly articulated. The technical team was on their game, correcting an unanticipated electrical/lighting problem and getting the musical quickly back on track. The show must go on and it certainly went on to the delight and cheers of the entire audience!
“Little Shop of Horrors” features music by Alan Menken and the lyrics and book by Howard Ashman. The story follows a fumbling, florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film “The Little House of Horrors.” The music, composed by Menken in the style of early 1960s rock and roll and doo-wop and early Motown., includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, “Skid Row (Downtown)”, “Somewhere That’s Green”, and “Suddenly, Seymour”.
The musical premiered Off-Off Broadway in 1982 before moving to the Orpheum Theatre Off-Broadway, where it had a five-year run. It later received numerous productions in the U.S. and abroad, and a subsequent Broadway production. Because of its small cast and relatively simple orchestrations, it has become popular with community theatre, school and other groups. The musical was also made into a 1986 film of the same name, directed by Frank Oz. (Wikipedia)
I can’t say enough about this great musical gift that Act II has bestowed on Vallarta this season With its delightful cast and toe-tapping music, Little Shop of Horrors is a must-see! Act II Entertainment has another hit musical on its hands, so don’t miss this one!
ACT II Stages is located on the corner of Insurgentes and Basilio Badillo on the South side of Puerto Vallarta. Tickets are on sale at the STAGES box office or online at www.actiientertainment.com.
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