TOM TITUS -- Theater Review

A musical of high camp, low comedy and voracious appetites is shaping

up as the finest offering of the Trilogy Playhouse’s first year in Costa

Mesa.

“Little Shop of Horrors,” the Howard Ashman-Alan Menken sendup of a

Roger Corman B-movie, makes a delightful repast for theatergoers. It’s a

wild and outrageous treatment with its black comedy well charred and its

‘50s-style musicality in high voice.

Alicia Butler, artistic director of the Trilogy, ramps her theater

group up to another level with this ravenously satirical production. This

“Little Shop” reaches for the rafters in all departments, hitting high

notes in music, comedy, satire and all-around showmanship.

For the uninitiated, the show has its roots in an old Corman flick of

the same title about a flower shop nebbish whose green thumb produces a

plant that grows to gigantic proportions as it feeds on human flesh. Just

the thing for the Halloween season. The Ashman-Menken version adds music

with a ‘50s and ‘60s beat, drummed up primarily by three backup singers

each named for an all-girl singing group of the period -- Chiffon,

Crystal and Ronnette. At the Trilogy, this trio of Debi Wood-Schade,

Sharie Nitkin and Samara Otero kick-starts the production and keeps it

humming at a smooth and snappy pace.

As Seymour, the florist’s assistant whose experiment in horticulture

goes off the deep end, James Mulligan is terrific. Mulligan captures the

loser essence of his character splendidly and adds a well-trained voice

to his solo segments. His moment of truth late in the second act is

particularly well accomplished.

Valerie Coogan, who alternates with Kyle DallaTorre, is a deliciously

vacuous Audrey, after whom Seymour names his bloodthirsty creation.

Coogan has the perfect combination of denseness and physical allure, and

her singing voice is rapturous.

Dave Schade may be far too young for his role of the flower shop owner

-- he actually appears younger than Seymour, whom his character “adopts”

-- but he brings a nice comic authority to the part.

Chris Teregis is terrifyingly funny as the sadistic dentist whose

brutality toward Audrey may make many playgoers wince.

Completing the well-chosen cast are Karen Freda, Tim Klega and Suzy

Thatcher in a number of cameo assignments. Chris Aruffo renders a

powerful vocal presence as the voice of the insatiable plant.

Mulligan, in addition to playing the leading role, also designed the

effective skid row setting, with its indoor-outdoor atmosphere. Jimmy

Hippenstiel contributes some smooth choreographic moves for the

Chiffon-Crystal-Ronnette trio.

“Little Shop of Horrors” is easily the most fully realized production

the Trilogy has mounted since the group moved from Laguna Niguel into its

Bristol Street facility last January.

The laughter, and the goose bumps, are infectious.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Thursdays and Saturdays.

FYI

* WHAT: “Little Shop of Horrors”

* WHERE: Trilogy Playhouse, 2930 Bristol St., Costa Mesa

* WHEN: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. through

Oct. 29

* COST: $17

* CALL: (714) 957-3347