By Anita Raymon
It is a light-hearted musical about a total eclipse turning a sickly, exotic plant in a New York City flower shop in a run-down neighborhood into a man-eating piece of vegetation constantly demanding, “Feed me!”
The ensemble cast sang and danced their way into the hearts of the enthusiastic audience, under the guidance of director/choreographer, Kathy Rollo Ferrara. She makes her debut at Parkside Players, although she has been director and choreographer for many other community productions in Queens and Long Island.
In two hours, the Parkside Players were able to express the pathos of a fading flower shop in a skid row neighborhood; a demonic, sadistic, laughing-gas addict, Elvis Presley look-alike dentist; an unlikely hero, Seymour; a strange plant that grows bigger and more threatening seemingly by the minute; and the lovely assistant at the flower shop, Audrey, whom Seymour secretly adores.
The owner of the flower shop, Mr. Mushnik (Stuart freeman) is at his wit's end, trying to bring in customers, threatening his two employees that he will have close down the shop. Mushnik is a genuine worrier with a nervous disposition, subtly played by Freeman. Gary Tifeld a Parkside Players veteran, captured the character of Seymour, Mushnik's nerdy assistant whom he had taken in as an orphan and who is a wiz at taking care of the exotic plants. Linda May, who most recently was in the East End Players' “Meet Me At Joe's,” is blonde-wigged, long-legged, Audrey, who dates a “professional man,” the terrible, abusive dentist, Orin. “Orin,” she says after suffering a huge black eye and a broken wrist from handcuffs, “doesn't mean to hurt me. He just gets angry if I do not do exactly what he says.”
May is a star! She can act, sing and portray perfectly the beaten-down body language of the maligned Audrey. Her knock-kneed stance and her comedic talents are showcased in this outstanding performance.
Tifeld, an actor/singer/comedian, last seen as 'The Nerd' in Parkside's successful, 1999 production, reprises the old Phil Silvers, Jerry Lewis type of comedian, who can do 'schtick' from Burlesque, yet is lovable and sympathetic in his growing relationship with Audrey. She is the unattainable Juliet to his lovesick Romeo. Both actors sang their duets with heart, and “poor Seymour” becomes a dashing, rich, well-dressed man about town, forever beholden to the plant, Audrey II, for his good fortune.
Audrey II was operated by puppeteer John O'Hare, who has to be commended for what must be a very uncomfortable, steamy, hot stint inside a rubberized plant. He has played the plant previously and fulfilled his promise to Parkside to return if they performed the play again. The plant's voice, provided off-stage by Cas Marineo, is deep and threatening, especially when it is hungry, which is just about always.
Joseph Cirillo, another community theater veteran, plays three vignette characters: Bernstein, from the television network, Snip, a businessman, and Luce, a woman dressed to kill with a fur wrap and a snappy hat. He is a versatile and funny actor.
Furio as the dentist from Hell is a living Elvis – black jacket, dark sleek black hair and a pivoting pelvis. He rides a motorcycle and behaves like a self-annointed god. Seymour puts an end to him, when he serves him as lunch to satisfy Audrey II's enormous appetite.
Customers of the flower shop and other neighborhood characters are played and sung by Joseph Cirillo, Tony Furio, Alli Marino, Zachary Marine, Roger McIIvaine, and Genevieve O'Hare.
Diane Jobsky is assistant director and stage manager. Her technicians, stage crew and set builders created the right atmosphere. This is Jobsky's fourth production with Parkside Players.
The musical comedy continues at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 2. Call 718-497-4922 or e-mail: parkpres@aol.com.
