Little Shop Of Horrors - I could become a regular customer at this shop
well actually I am already one. It was my third time seeing this production by the Theater für Niedersachsen MusicalCompany. Based in Hildesheim they tour to various places with some of their productions and this year they brought "Little Shop Of Horrors" to Bad Bevensen, a town (population less than 9,000) 45 minutes by train away from Hamburg, on 16th October 2011.
Normally having to travel at least 90 minutes to see them this was a nice change so obviously I had to go despite it feeling like a strange place to see this TfN show at this town popular for being a spa town for mainly elder people.
Well the "theatre" the show was taking place was actually the assembly hall of the local school but when arriving there I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I had booked a front row seat (yeah I like my front row but just so I do not have to deal with the risk of taller people in front of me especially when going to a theatre I have never been to before), thinking I was not sitting in the middle (it did look like it on seat plan) but it turned out to be bang in the middle. Oh dear....
Audrey - Tanja Krauth
Mr. Mushnik - Jens Krause
Orin/Homeless/Kunde/Mr. Bernstein/Mrs. Luce/Agent/Mr. Martin - Frank Brunet
Crystal - Navina Heyne
Ronnette - Annika Dickel
Chiffon - Michaela Linck
Vocals Audrey II/Junkie - Jonas Hein
Play Audrey II/Homeless -
Prologue - Jens Koch
I have seen several productions of this shows since the 90s, the last one was the amazing London one in 2007 and this one is nothing short of the London one.
The plant while looking fabulous is not as impressive and scary but performance-wise this is a true gem for me.
The set is a scaled down one compared to when it is on in Hildesheim and Hannover and due to, as I suppose stage size, it all looks a bit cramped occassionally but particularly the shop looks very cool.
The band was banished to another room as there was no orchestra pit but, even though I know the band was not too happy about it talking to one from it after the show, it actually meant I was not fully hit by them at full blast as it was the case in Hanover three weeks ago when it was during some numbers a bit too loud that vocals got drowned.
Jens Plewinski as the nerdy, accident-prone and naiive shop assistant Seymour Krelbourn hits the right chord being a very touching boy-next-door and a delight to watch. Knowing he was not 100% fit suffering from flu and messed up some bits and pieces but thinking back it actually added to the character giving it even more clumsiness and insecurity at the beginning and he still managed so wonderfully to show the transformation to angst and guilt and decisiveness when he realises that he needs to end and fight this force. Vocally I was definitely impressed getting goosebumps during his and Tanja Krauth's beautifully performed enduring "Suddenly Seymour" and that rarely happens with only a very few performers.
Tanja's performance in general was a stunner. I love her portrayal of a sweetest and most vulnerable but also ditsy blond (slightly lisping) Audrey having an excellent comic timing delivering the right moments of laughs for the audience and her delivery of the "Somewhere That's Green" was the show's major heartbeat bringing in so much poignancy, dignity, sentiment and affection in less than five minutes that was just incredible to watch.
Navina Heyne, Annika Dickel and Michaela Linck as the Greek chorus/street girls guiding the audience through the show do give a proper "Dreamgirls" rendition, especially Navina who just sings up a storm belting out the fantastic infectious show tunes is just a pleasance.
Frank Brunet as the dentist (and several other hilarious roles) does a good job being truly sadistic having a gas and not just literally when his part comes to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just could do with a bit less Elvis impersonator play but knowing other production that role is usually played that way so it might be more the script or the directing though it was not so exaggerated in the London production.
There is also fine work from Jens Krause as Mr Mushnik, the sinister frustrated shop owner. The role is often described as a Jewish one which I did not see but that did not harm this frenetic and expressive performance. His witty tango duet with Jens is just hilarious to watch
The secret star of the show of course though is Audrey II. Jonas Hein's amply booming voice is not what I am used to, normally having someone with a very deep black bass-baritone voice in that part, but he delivers the greed and gobbling of the plant too scarily and spectacularly well.
Little Shop Of Horrors certainly is a irresistibly feel-good show and it has been transferred onstage so amazingly with this production - a guaranteed good night out. There are certainly some hint of morality but they are not too serious, so this is mainly what it is - utter and pure entertainment.
