Spotlight Associate Jeffrey Leibham reviews “Little Shop of Horrors” … ***RECOMMENDED*** “Little Shop of Horrors” is one of those musicals that seems to be almost foolproof. With a zany book and razor-sharp lyrics by Howard Ashman and wonderful music by Alan Menken how could any production fail? This extremely talented duo is pretty much single-handedly responsible for the rebirth of the Disney studio with such classic animated features as “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and the 1991 version of “Beauty and the Beast.” There may be better productions of “Little Shop of Horrors” out there, with stronger acting in some key roles, but you may never hear a better version of this show than the one currently being presented at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace. With some new vocal and orchestral arrangements, under the meticulous music direction of Roberta Duchak, those of you who are only familiar with this show if you have heard the soundtrack from the 1986 film version are in for a sonic — and all-around — blast. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
“Little Shop of Horrors” runs through October 28th at the Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. There is plenty of free parking; valet parking is also available.
Running time is 2 hours, 10 minutes, with an intermission. Performances: Wednesdays at 1:30 pm; Thursdays at 1:30 and 8:00 pm; Fridays at 8:00 pm; Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:30 pm; and Sundays at 2:00 and 6:00 pm. Dinner-theater packages are also available. Tickets range from $45-$60. FYI (630) 530-0111, www.drurylanetheatre.com, (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.
Read reviews by Carol Moore and Jeffrey Leibham at www.spotlightonlake.com.
