Marriott Theatre’s ‘Little Shop Of Horrors’ Is Bloody Fun

Lively and well-crafted with earworms galore, Marriott Theatre’s new production of Little Shop Of Horrors is a dazzling good time.

I have to confess, I love Little Shop Of Horrors. When the movie first came out, I was obsessed with it. My friends and I planned adolescent productions, chose costumes, and rehearsed scenes. I knew every single word. Between now and then, I have easily watched the movie 100 times. But the movie is different from the musical. They are each their own fantastic vehicle, and although most of the story is similar, if you’ve seen them both, you know they end very differently.

Little Shop Of Horrors is about a failing flower shop on Skid Row. Seymour, a schlumpy orphan who was taken in as a child by the owner, Mr. Mushnik, lives in the shop, tends to his work, and is quietly in love with co-worker Audrey, who has an abusive boyfriend. One day, during a total eclipse of the sun, Seymour discovers a strange plant and makes the purchase. He quickly discovers that this plant, which he has named Audrey II, won’t grow with plant food, it only wants human blood. There is also a Greek chorus of three singers who provide insight to the audience, serve as thoughts in a character’s head, and separately participate in the action as three “urchins” on the street.

The new production at Marriott Theatre is unbelievably fun. The score is fantastic, the musical orchestration is lovely, the cast gels beautifully, and the choreography is entertaining.

The stage serves as Mr. Mushnik’s flower shop for the vast majority of the show. The Urchins and other Skid Row inhabitants walk around the edges of the stage occasionally or hang out on the steps in front of the entrance.

The entire ensemble radiates warmth from the stage. Whether singing, dancing, or interacting with each other, they are all likeable in a way that makes you want to root for them. This sentiment wasn’t just felt by me, it was also expressed in the hoots and hollers during a standing ovation at the end of the show.

While all the songs are great, a few stand out in this production. “Suddenly, Seymour” was touching and sweet, “Somewhere That’s Green” was delivered with delicate emotion, and “Mushnik and Son” was very funny. “Feed Me (Git It),” a song in which Audrey II is trying to convince Seymour to do his bidding, built and built to a crescendo of energy and intensity such that you could feel it in your body. That one was hands down incredible.

The biggest question that most people have when they are familiar with Little Shop Of Horrors is, “How are they going to build and turn Audrey II – a plant that grows substantially over the course of the show – into a functioning character?” This is not an easy feat, and particularly with Marriott Theatre being in-the-round, Audrey II has to be 360 degrees accessible. There is no place to hide like there might be on a proscenium stage.

In this production, Audrey II had several different iterations. While small, the plant was on the table or held in Seymour’s arms. As the plant grew, though, there was a full-scale Audrey II that could be more modest on the ground, or grow to the height of the top of the stage.

Four actors/puppeteers appeared to be part of Audrey II’s construction: one booming voice, two controlling the arms, and one either inside the plant or, later, controlling the mouth at Audrey II’s full height. In addition to the design that has to allow for Audrey II to do various things, including fully consuming an entire human or two, my favorite choice here was that the actors’ facial responses were in line with what Audrey II was saying. If the voice was menacing, so were the actor’s faces. If the voice was calm, so were the actors.

When you love something as much as I love Little Shop Of Horrors, it can be both nerve-wracking and exciting to see a theatre produce it. You want them to handle the piece with the care and love that you would. And most definitely, Marriott Theatre did that. This is a bloody good show, and you should definitely make the time to see it.

Little Shop Of Horrors runs for approximately 2 hours including one 15-minute intermission. This show is rated for all ages.

Marriott Theatre: Little Shop Of Horrors – Little Shop Of Horrors is playing at Marriott Theatre through 3/15/2026. Tickets can be purchased through the Marriott Theatre website or by calling (847) 634-0200. Marriott Theatre is located at 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire, IL.