Before their
string of Disney hits came along, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman were
best known for a raucous and rollicking musical called Little Shop
of Horrors, the tale of a Faustian bargain with a horticultural
twist. Meek and geeky Seymour Krelborn's fortunes take a dramatic turn
for the better after he buys a mysterious plant that appears out of
nowhere after an eclipse. Business booms at the flower shop he's working
in and Seymour finds fame as a botanical genius. All he wants, though,
is the girl, his co-worker Audrey. He even names the plant Audrey II
after her. But in return for having his deepest desires fulfilled, Seymour
will have to pay a price... Given the show's longevity, it's not uncommon
for people to have watched more than one version of it, or even to have
taken part in a school production. For me, Frank Oz's 1986 movie adaptation
remains a favourite for its pitch-perfect casting. Rick Moranis' Seymour
was nebbishy and yet had one rooting for him; Ellen Greene reprised
the role of Audrey from the original off-Broadway production and was
equally adept at milking laughs and eliciting sympathy; and Steve Martin
was a revelation in his huge performance as Orin, Audrey's unhinged
dentist boyfriend. In other words, comparisons are going to be inevitable.
So how do you stage a familiar and beloved musical and keep it fresh
and exciting? Dream Academy's solution was to turn the trio of doo-wop
back-up singers into a showcase for the Dim Sum Dollies. Mostly, it
worked. Selena Tan, Pam Oei and Emma Yong zipped in and out of costumes
and personalities and accents with such sass and pizzazz, they lit up
the stage every time they appeared. They were SIA girls pulling trolley
bags, Ah Lians spouting Singlish, car park makciks chattering in Malay,
ladies who lunch oozing accented English, and nuns in habits for the
heck of it. Unfortunately, the high-voltage energy of the Dim Sum Dollies
segments altered the pacing and flow of the musical as the rest of the
show failed to measure up to their standard. We were just waiting for
the next appearance, and persona change, of the Dollies.
In retrospect, using the painted backdrop with the show's title and
logo for several of the scenes was perfectly appropriate given that
the entire musical was a backdrop for the Dim Sum Dollies. At the time
though, it was a constant, annoying and unnecessary reminder that one
was, in fact, watching Little Shop of Horrors. If different
backdrops were out of the question, perhaps a generic Skid Row background
would have worked as well.
It didn't help that director Glen Goei's staging felt rather static
at points with the action concentrated on one or two spots downstage,
including for Audrey's showstopper number Somewhere That's Green.
He was more successful with the inspired and very funny finale which
featured the entire cast in Audrey II costumes. If only there had been
more of such moments...
The Dim Sum Dollies aside, the attempt to inject some Singaporean flavour
into the musical had decidedly mixed results. The weak efforts to localise
the American context (by substituting Lorong Skid Row for Skid Row,
kaya toast for sliced bread etc.) soon wore out their welcome and even
the laughter-on-cue from a vocal section of the audience dried up towards
the end. The subtler lyrical tweakings, in Somewhere That's Green
for example, worked better. "I cook like Betty Crocker and I look like
Donna Reed" became "I cook like Violet Oon and I look like Zhang Ziyi."
On second thoughts, it was Denise Tan's delivery that made it work.
On his part, Tan Ju Meng managed to pull off a set that was a mix of
Skid Row USA (walk-up stoops) and Joo Chiat (low-rise buildings, accented
with under-construction green netting).
Denise Tan, as Audrey, was the clear standout among the cast. She struck
the fine balance between camp and genuine emotion and brought it all
home during her rendition of Somewhere That's Green. She made
the part hers and more than held her own against the Dim Sum Dollies.
Compared to Ellen Greene's brilliantly mannered vocal performance and
more fragile Audrey, Tan gave an earthier interpretation while retaining
the character's sense of vulnerability.
Dave "Electrico" Tan, aided by the puppeteers, brought
Audrey II to life with a swaggering vocal performance spanning the gamut
from pleading, cajoling plant to triumphant evil monster. Of course,
credit has to go to Mascots and Puppets Specialists as well for constructing
Audrey II, a mutant orchid with a disturbingly humongous chin that was
either bulbous, or um, ballsy, depending on your point of view. A minor
quibble: Audrey II's mouth movements were not always in sync with
the vocals.
The rest of the cast didn't fare as well. Hossan Leong played, or rather
underplayed, to type and his Seymour was not very engaging. This was
a problem faced by Lim Yu Beng as well, whose turn as dentist Orin lacked
the manic and maniacal over-the-top energy the part demanded. Sean Worrall,
as Mushnik, the flower shop owner, seemed, for some reason, to be shouting
most of his lines.
Ultimately, this Little Shop left me hungry, like Audrey II, for more...
of the movie. |
"We were just waiting for the next appearance, and persona change,
of the Dollies"
Credits
Book and Lyrics: Howard Ashman
Music: Alan Menken
Director: Glen Goei
Executive Producer: Selena Tan
Producer: Tan Kheng Hua
Cast: Selena Tan, Pam Oei, Emma Yong, Hossan Leong,
Denise Tan, Lim Yu-Beng, Sean Worrall, Dave Tan and Robin Goh
Puppeteers: Frankie Yeo and Michael Chong
Music Director: John Lee
Choreographer: Erich Edralin
Set Designer: Tan Ju Meng
Lighting Designer: Yo Shao Ann
Sound Designer: Shah Tahir
Puppet Design: Mascots and Puppets Specialists
Costume Designers: Frederick Lee and Moe Kasim
Hair Designer: Ashley Lim
Makeup Designer: MAC
Vocal Coach: Amanda Colliver
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