UW-Waukesha nurtures 'Little Shop' into big show

"Little Shop of Horrors" is a strange little musical in which much of the set is occupied by a loudmouthed, sinister, bloodthirsty plant-creature named Audrey II throughout much of the show.

If it weren't for the catchy do-wop music out of the '50s, quirky characters and clever lyrics, it would probably be like one of those bad sci-fi movies that a guy and his sidekick robot are forced to watch in "Mystery Science Theater."

University of Wisconsin-Waukesha Lunt-Fontanne Ensemble's "Little Shop of Horrors," directed by Steven Decker of Waukesha, gets a lot of mileage out of its small cast, orchestra and stage as it tells the story of the unassuming Seymour (Matthew Walton of Milwaukee), who works for Mr. Mushnik (Jon Jones of Milwaukee) at his failing Skid Row Flower Shop. Seymour's self-esteem is about a minus 5 on a scale of 1 to 10, so he can't get himself to ask out shopmate Audrey (Deborah Skidmore of Eagle), who is dating an abusive dentist named Orin (Ryan Cappleman of Franklin), or stand up to his demanding boss.

Seymour is going nowhere fast until he develops an unusual plant that thrives only on fresh human blood, which Seymour supplies at the expense of his fingers (which look like pin cushions). His discovery brings him fame -- and the confidence to finally feel worthy of his true love, Audrey - but at what cost?

The UW-Waukesha production gets off to a good start with a litter-covered skid row set that is occupied by a sleeping vagrant as the house doors open. Shortly after, music director Craig Hurst of Waukesha ambles along the edge of the stage pushing a cart of discarded cans and bottles; he removes his music from the middle of the pile and his baton from an empty wine bottle before taking his place in front of the five pit musicians.

Hurst keeps the music flowing with a pulsating rock beat, and the four Urchins - Raven Dockery of Milwaukee, Amelia Kamholz of Cedarburg, Katie Ferguson of Milwaukee and Allison Chicorel of West Allis -keep up musically throughout the show and add a lot of attitude in their scenes.

As Audrey, Skidmore assumes a convincing Brooklyn accent and her "big hair" helps plant the story firmly in the '50s.

In her "Somewhere That's Green" number, Skidmore takes care that the fun lyrics don't get lost as she wistfully croons her desire to emulate the life of TV characters in shows like "Donna Reed" and "Father Knows Best," in a home with "Pine-Sol-scented air."

Walton takes on just the right bespectacled, nerdish appearance and is suitably clumsy as the loser-turned-celebrity Seymour. He and Skidmore handle the fast-paced lyrics and actions of "Call Back in the Morning" to get the second act off to a fast start and then pair beautifully for the touching "Suddenly Seymour."

By this time, it's hard to ignore the huge puppet taking up most of the little shop. Candace Decker of Waukesha, as the voice of Audrey II (with Jennifer Rea, Katie Jasinski and Kelsey Herrick serving as Puppet Mistresses), never loses her sinister edge as she taunts Seymour to "feed me" with deep, throaty overtures and turns absolutely evil as she demonstrates her insatiable appetite and vocal range in "Suppertime."

An unexpected gem in the show is Ryan Cappleman, who takes over the stage with his sweeping movements and campy portrayal of Orin, the sadistic dentist who gets his comeuppance in a hilarious accident.

The small cast manages to sound like a much larger group on the ensemble numbers, though sometimes a few voices overextended, resulting in a somewhat strident sound.

While "Little Shop of Horrors" doesn't have those sweet, hummable Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes and admirable characters, it is a fun homage to the sci-fi genre, with some snappy tunes that capture the tone of the period.

UW-Waukesha's cast and crew nicely nurtured the show into a fully mature production.

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Who: The University of Wisconsin-Waukesha Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Ensemble

What: "Alice in Wonderland"

When: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Aug. 2-6

Where: Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 1500 N. University Drive, Waukesha

Tickets: $3

Information: (262) 521-5212, Waukesha.uwc.edu/com