‘Little Shop’ brings horrors, laughs to Bloomington

Audience members cheered Friday night as they followed nerdy Seymour Krelborn and his mysterious man-eating plant, both of whom conspired and killed to make their dreams reality.

Add in a love story, some doo-wop ditties and a sadistic dentist well-equipped with innuendos and you’ll find the essence of Cardinal Stage Company’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Adults and their little ones crowded into the John Waldron Arts Center to watch the musical comedy. Taeeun Kim, a fifth-grader from University Elementary School in Bloomington, saw the show with her family. She said she was glad she came and enjoyed every part of the show.

“I like it all,” said Taeeun. “And I like when the dentist is dying.”

The performances accompanying band played in the alley of Skid Row, in front of the florist shop where the story takes place. The stage transformed from the streets to the flower shop to a dentist’s office to meet the needs of the story.

The puppets portraying the violent vegetable Audrey II also changed throughout the show, starting at the size of your average houseplant and growing until it could swallow people whole.

IU graduate student Dan Baer said he enjoyed the presentation of the show and found the symbolism in the play intriguing.

“I thought the show was very well done and very professional,” said Baer. “I enjoyed the flower as a phallic symbol that made men do bad things and got bigger when there were scenes with blood.”

The performance was fun not just for audience members but for the actors as well. Actor Scot Greenwell, who portrayed Seymour, said working on the show has been a rewarding experience.

“The cast is awesome, and I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know them and working with them,” Greenwell said. “The fact that I’m in it with people like Naomi (Weiss) and Brett Gloden just makes it very enjoyable, makes it worth it.”