Last weekend’s production of Little Shop of Horrors was the best musical I have seen the Abbey Players put on during my time as a Saint Anselm student. The cast and crew delivered a stellar performance that moved the hearts of the audience as they watched the events of Skid Row unfold.

Sam Marcotte ’27 made his Abbey Players stage debut as Seymour Krelbourn, a shy and loveable botanist at Mushnik’s flower shop with a crush on his co-worker Audrey, played by Casey Roberge ’24. Both performers had powerful vocals and told the story beautifully, you couldn’t help but root for the underdog and hope that they would live happily ever after with a pink toaster.

Mr. Mushnik, owner of the flower shop, was played by Ben Harrington ’27. Harrington had unwavering energy that captivated the audience. His duet with Marcotte was hilarious and I applaud their dancing skills!

Jordan Tavares ’26 had a scarily accurate performance as Orin Scrivello D.D.S., a dentist high on laughing gas and inflicting pain on others. His evil laugh was chilling and all I have to say is that I’d sleep with one eye open if I lived in the LLC this year.

The sassy ladies of Skid Row, a sort of Greek Chorus that moved the plot along, were played by Jamie Walsh ’24, Hope Jensen ’24 and Ellie Posanka ’27. Unfortunately, there were moments during the show where I could not really hear their vocals from my seat in the third row, which could have been due to microphone levels or a need for greater voice projection. However, they brought plenty of spunk to the stage and I especially enjoyed their outfit change for the second act. 

During intermission, they wandered throughout the crowd with missing person flyers for the dentist, questioning the audience members. It was great to see how they interacted with the audience while staying in character, further building their relationship with the audience beyond the stage.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the antics of Stephen Villanova ’24 and Israel “Iz” Small ’26 who entertained the audience with repeated stage fighting that increased with hilarity as their props evolved.

Villanova also gave an astounding vocal performance as the voice of killer plant Audrey II, with a deep, southern tone that commanded attention from the audience. Onstage, the puppet was controlled by Duke Addy ’27. Together, the two brought this carnivorous plant to life. 

The set was a significant upgrade from last year’s musical, and I also appreciated seeing The Crier recycled as props when actors read the newspaper or wrapped flowers in it. The explosion of leaves that showered the audience at the end of the show was a fun, unexpected twist that was the cherry on top of a fabulous performance. Bravo to the entire cast and crew of Little Shop of Horrors!