Sandbox: Review of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS: Carnivorous Comedy

July 8, 2024

Mr. Mushnik (Audie Gemora) owned a flower shop in a decrepit part of the city called Skid Row. Working for him were a foundling orphan boy named Seymour (Nyoy Volante), and a pretty but not-so-smart young lady named Audrey (Karylle). Because business was very bad, Mushnik declared that he has decided to close down shop. Desperate to keep the shop open, Seymour revealed that he had a new discovery which may improve business.

He brought out a strange plant which he found after a recent solar eclipse, which he called Audrey 2 for his crush. However Audrey currently had a boyfriend, the sadistic dentist Dr. Orin Scrivello (Markki Stroem), who frequently beat her up. At that time, the plant appeared to be dying, so Mushnick was not so impressed. That night, Seymour accidentally pricked his finger on a rose thorn. When drops of his blood fell onto the plant, it suddenly sprung to life. 

The original "Little Shop of Horrors" was a 1960 horror-black comedy B-movie directed by Roger Corman. Two decades later, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (before their Disney renaissance with Ariel and Belle) turned the film into an acclaimed off-Broadway stage musical which ran from 1982 to 1987. In 1986, there was a film version of the stage musical directed by Frank Oz, starring Rick Moranis as Seymour and Steve Martin as Dr. Scrivello.  

I had long heard about this show and film, but I had not seen any version at all. This was the first time I was actually seeing this in full, so I was very excited to finally get to know what the fuss about it was all about. I was very pleasantly surprised how fun and entertaining the whole show was. Despite all the inevitable violence, abuse and deaths in the story, I, along with the rest of the audience, was laughing all the way through the supposedly revulsive scenes.  

In the show I watched, Seymour was played by Nyoy Volante (in all his wide-eyed nerdiness), Audrey by Karylle (always seductively sweet), Mushnik by Audie Gemora (amusingly cantankerous), Scrivello by Markki Stroem (so good being slick yet crazed) and Audrey 2 by OJ Mariano (channeling a vicious Zuma without snakes) Their ability to sing and act had long been proven by their impressive track records, and their performances were all just so lovable.

The alternate cast will have Seymour by Reb Atadero (I can see him already simper so delightfully), Audrey by movie star Sue Ramirez in her theater debut (someone I am most excited to see), Scrivello by David Ezra (an actor I have never seen in an antagonist role before), and Audrey 2 by Julia Serad (this female interpretation of the blood-thirsty carnivore should be totally different from OJ's take, and I want to see it). 

Hanging around Mushnik's flower shop and witnessing the events on Skid Row were three ladies, namely Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon (singular forms of 60s girl groups), collectively called the Urchins. This group functioned as a Greek chorus of sorts, filling in the details of the story with their inside information and insights. Abi Sulit, Paula Paguio, and Julia Serad (or Mikee Baskinas when Julia is Audrey 2) provide the Urchins with powerful singing vocals. 

The other most remarkable aspects of this show is the colorful way how director Toff de Venecia and his crew conjured up Audrey 2. Puppeteers handled Audrey 2's various parts, as he grew from a tiny weak potted plant withering away in hunger, into a murderous monstrosity occupying the whole stage, engulfing entire human beings. One can't really capture this phenomenal execution fully in words. You've really got to go see it live to appreciate it best.

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UPDATE: July 20, 2024

My wife and I watched the matinee show as part of our wedding anniversary weekend. Caught Reb Atadero as Seymour and Sue Ramirez as Audrey. Atadero seemed to have been born to play the bumbling botanist Seymour, effortlessly cute performance. In her films, Ramirez knew how to play quirky like the back of hand, and she knocked it out of the park here. Her Audrey was flirty and lovable, and her singing was unexpectedly rich and delightful -- it was hard to believe that this was her stage debut! 

Got to watch Julia Serad's portrayal of Audrey II this time around, and she gave it her sinister snarling best. Still preferred OJ Mariano's Audrey II. Also got to watch David Ezra's take on the sadistic dentist Scrivello. He did not seem to be the right fit for the role. The effort was showing but was not selling. Still preferred Markki Stroem's Scrivello.  

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"Little Shop of Horrors" runs from July 6-28, 2024 at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC. Ticket are available via Ticketworld, with prices ranging from P3,600 (L1 Center Premium) to P2,000 (L3 Sides).

 

Review of CHOOSING: Living the LGBT Life

July 7, 2024

Mitch (Ice Seguerra) has been a tomboy all her life. Since her childhood, she only saw herself as a boy, with the games and toys she played with. At age 10, she saw nothing wrong about going shirtless with the other boys. She had crushes only on girls. In high school, her biggest crush became her best friend. However, Mitch had to give her up visiting her, so that the other girl won't get a bad reputation by being seen with her.

Stella (Liza Diño-Seguerra) has been always been feminine all her life. She loved playing with dolls. She only had crushes on boys. However, her experiences with boys and men had been less than ideal. At age 10, her personal space had been violated by an uncle. In high school, her big crush became her first MU one night, and her first heartache very next day. She had been a mistress of a married man, as well as a victim of a drunken ex.

A few minutes before the play began, Ice and Liza went out to greet their audience personally.  Being gala night, I believe they personally knew a lot of guests for that show. National Artist for Film sir Ricky Lee was in the house. However, they showed none of the usual pre-show jitters nor diva temperament other actors experience under pressure, especially before embarking on this two-hour-long, soul-baring, emotional roller-coaster ahead of them. 

Being an LGBT story, it was inevitable that sexual matters will come up, which may feel uncomfortable for the conservative and old-fashioned. We actually see the pages of the porn magazine that teenage Mitch was reading. We hear Stella hissing with pleasure while a stream of water was projected behind her. I may be in the minority with those who did not understand was the hissing sound she was making was about. 

From short vignettes, Act 2 ended in one very long argument which escalated from minor to major relationship issues. As how real couples argue in real life, there were non-sequiturs or statements that went against previous statements. I felt that the length and long-windedness of this argument somehow zapped the momentum of this play at its endgame. Perhaps, a revision of this part may be done to further improve its final impact. 

This script was Liza Dino-Seguerra's first venture as a playwright. We really do not know how much of what she wrote was drawn for the actual real lives of Ice and herself. By the time we get to the part when Mitch and Stella were already a couple, defining themselves as transman and cis-female respectively, as if they were talking about themselves. Director Anton Juan recognized this, and let that feeling of authenticity flow naturally. That was what made this piece of indie theater in a class of its own.

TA: Review of MGA MULTO: Haunted by History

July 6, 2024

Senyora Alvino (Miren Alvarez-Fabregas) was honoring his memory by funding an orphanage built in his name. Her only son Oswaldo (Yan Yuzon), an artist working in Paris, had just arrived for a visit. When she saw Oswaldo getting close with their young housekeeper Regina (Sabrina Basilio), daughter of carpenter Jacobo Estrano (Mark Aranal), Senyora poured out her secret concerns to her friend Pastor Mande (Joseph dela Cruz).

"Mga Multo" was originally "Gengangere" (literally, "the ones who return"), a play first written in Danish by acclaimed Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1881, first staged in 1882. The English translation "Ghosts" (a title which Ibsen was reportedly not too happy about) was done by William Archer, likely in the same period when he translated other famous Ibsen classics like "A Doll's House" (1889) and "Peer Gynt" (1892). 

This Tanghalang Ateneo show featured an all-alumni cast. It was led by an actress whose name I had long heard about -- Miren Alvarez-Fabregas -- who thankfully decided to come out of retirement after a long 20 years to do this play. Her legendary reputation is certainly well-deserved. Each character was given a highlight moment, and everyone -- Yuzon, dela Cruz, Basilio and Aranal -- all delivered powerful performances of impressive depth.  

It was not easy to come into this play without any idea what going to be about like I did, because the plot was rather a complex family melodrama. During that first act, I must admit that I got confused with many things Senyora and Pastor Mande were talking about at length. However, eventually figuring out all the hidden secrets and connections between the five characters on my own did prove to be very rewarding indeed. 

The heart of Act 2 is a mother-and-son conversation about a mysterious affliction that has befallen Oswaldo. The name of the disease was not expressly mentioned, so the audience will have to rely on context clues as to what was wreaking havoc on Oswaldo's physical and mental well-being, as excruciatingly portrayed by Yuzon. Controversial allusions to scandalous topics of questionable morality are tackled in this intense second act. 

I had not yet read the original English text, but I have to say that pure, proud and magnificent Tagalog used by director Ron Capinding and Guelan Luarca to deliver Ibsen's dark and heart-wrenching story is easily the most impressive aspect of this production. To make things even more amazing, every actor in the cast was delivering these lengthy, difficult, tongue-twisting lines so naturally, briskly and flawlessly. This is truly a must-watch theatrical masterpiece.

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"Mga Multo" runs at the Doreen Blackbox Theater, Arete, Ateneo de Manila University, QC with 7:00 PM shows on June 28 - 30, July 5 -7, and 3:00 PM matinees on June 29 - 30, July 6-7. Tickets are priced at PhP 850 for the general public (exclusive of service fee), Php 680 for Senior Citizens, PWDs, and Tanghalang Ateneo Alumni, while Ateneo students (LS, SHS, JHS) may avail for their tickets priced at Php 600.