Roeen Nooran and Audrey II Photo by Lois Tema

And so it is with their current production of the Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (music) musical Little Shop of Horrors: an evening of over-the-top hilarity peppered with catchy melodies sung by a cast filled with powerhouse voices.

Little Shop of Horrors takes place in Mr. Mushnik's flower shop on "skid row" in an unnamed metropolis, on an appropriately dumpy (but wonderful) set designed by Matt Owens. The store, much to Mr. Mushnik's (John Mannion) chagrin, is not faring well, despite the work of his two assistants, Audrey (Bría Gaia Padilla Irizarry) and Seymour (Roeen Nooran, who is just as wonderful here as he was in Ray of Light's production of Next to Normal). That is, until Seymour discovers a previously unknown botanical wonder that he places in the window of the shop, where it draws a spectacularly fey passerby (Ryan Patrick Welsh, in one of a dozen or so roles), who buys $100 worth of roses, since the little plant isn't for sale.

Seymour, as enamored with Audrey as he is with plants, names the new species Audrey II, and despite giving it fertilizer and water and potash and everything else he can think of, it fails to thrive. That is, until Seymour accidentally pricks his finger on a rose thorn and a bit of his blood drips onto the plant. Soon, Audrey II begins to grow, larger and larger, needing more and more blood (and later, flesh) fed to it.

Audrey (the human) is involved with a sadistic dentist, Orin Scrivello (also Ryan Patrick Welsh), who abuses her, much to the distress of Seymour. Although often played as a ditzy blonde, Irizarry adds a playful touch by peppering her speech with Spanish, substituting "pero" for "but," as though her native tongue won't be contained. Mannion's Mushnik is appropriately gruff and hard-nosed, but he still manages to be lovable. It doesn't hurt that Mannion has a huge baritone that, at one point, caused the audience to gasp in delight at its power. Welsh plays most of his roles in a campy style that would be ham-fisted in another setting, but for this oddball musical–especially under the direction of Ben Villegas Randle–fits as elegantly as a kid glove on Audrey Hepburn's slender arm. Nooran plays the nebbishy Seymour to perfection. He's so quiet and shy and unassuming that we can't help but root for him–despite what he's willing to do to keep Audrey II growing.

In many ways, the main character in Little Shop of Horrors is the carnivorous Audrey II, and she certainly commands your attention–especially when, thanks to Seymour's attentions, she grows to the size of a subcompact car. The puppet (actually puppets, for there are four iterations of Audrey II on stage) was designed and fabricated by Dave Haaz-Baroque, and controlled by Zion Wheaton and Mudd the Two Spirit, and she's a wonder, with lovingly scaled skin, her surface reticulated with veining that adds to the creepiness, plus blood red lips, dozens of white teeth, and tendrils that spread out over the stage–and beyond.

The band, led by Jad Bernardo, packs a real punch, especially in the opening number, "Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors)," sung by a trio of women playing the street urchins. One of them, Jas Cook (as Crystal), has such a wondrous set of vocal cords that I wish she'd get more opportunities to sing solo. But in truth, there are no weak voices here.

In fact, there's very little that's "weak" about this show. It's filled with humor and fantasy and fun–and well worth your time and money.

Little Shop of Horrors runs through October 25, 2026, at New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco CA. Performances are Wednesdays-Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays-Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets are $35-$90. For tickets and information, please visit NCTCSF.org or call 415-861-8972.