Photo credits: Eleasha Gamble, Felicia Curry, and Kara Tameika-Watkins in Little Shop of Horrors, Ford's Theatre, 2010.)

So it finally happened, Little Shop of Horrors officially opened at Ford's Theatre! With a huge crowd full of thespians, press, donors and other VIP's, Artistic Director Paul Tetreault gave a curtain speech thanking their sponsors and the 'curtain' went up as it were...to an amazing show! I couldn't believe how it had gotten even better since I saw it in previews--the cast was tighter, their voices even stronger, and the energy was UP! If you love Little Shop of Horrors, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Everyone worked really hard to honor what makes the show great while keeping true to their own personalities and strengths. Believe me, I have the entire show memorized and they didn't let me down!

Before the show I had the opportunity to meet Deborah Lubega, the understudy for the Doo Wop girls and another great performer in the area. I got to hang out with her and a bunch of other fabulous people including the cast at the post-show reception, which was so much fun. Everyone was so gracious, and so supportive of their fellow castmembers and everyone involved in making the show possible. All in all, it was a fabulous way to kick off what is sure to be a very successful run of this production.

Here are some highlights from the show and after party:

A rockin' band (led by George Fulginiti-Shakar) perched atop what appears to be an urban bridge overlooking Mushnik's Skid Row Florist, with a dynamic drummer (Mark Carson) among others.

Elliot Dash (Audrey 2) stealthily presiding over his world in the middle of the band, dressed in all black with a leather vest to match.

A really cool set with a lot of subtle detail, including what looks like the Flower Shop under the highway, a well used revolve, and a 360 degree view of Mushnik's Skid Row Florist that really helps keep the story moving.

Gorgeous, colorful and detailed costumes (including some great Supremes-esque gowns for the Doo Wop girls, sexy ensembles for Audrey, a wide array of wigs and lots of great little touches) by Wade Laboissonniere.

Stunning lighting, I mean seriously stunning, this was one of my favorite parts of the show. Everything from flash bulbs circling the proscenium, to spooky sci-fi colors, textured washes and slick spotlights that were well coordinated with different accents in the music and text.

Beautiful voices and harmonies led by Music Director Chris Youstra; a great mix from Audrey (Jenna Coker-Jones), rockin' high notes from Evan Casey (Orin) and Christopher Kale Jones (Seymour), and so much soul from Audrey 2 and the Doo Wop Girls. I couldn't decide who's voice I liked best, and they were workin' those solos!

And can we talk about how great the puppeteers were? Marc Petrosino and Scott Hitz (who also make cameos as bums) coordinated their 'mouth' movements with Elliot's voice so perfectly, plus had a great range of motion with their vines and 'arms' as it were. Not gonna lie, the eating looked pretty real.

Subtle, funny, and heartbreaking acting from each cast member; they each created distinct characters that paid homage to previous productions but were unique to themselves. Christopher Bloch played a down to earth Mr. Mushnik that fit in really nicely with Jenna Coker-Jones sad yet hopeful Audrey. And she's got a few comedy tricks up her sleeve that will definitely surprise you. Christopher Kale-Jones physicality really made me believe his character, and his final scene after the plant attacks Audrey I thought was really honest. (Oh yea, and I cried both times I watched them sing Skid Row. Not that I do that often or anything...) Evan Casey ruled the stage with all of his different characters (I think I lost count of how many he plays) and while he embraced the larger than life qualities of Orin Scrivello, DDS, I still believed in everything he was doing, whether he was high pretty much all the time, or trying to impress Seymour with his rough treatment of Audrey. And of course you can't take your eyes off the Doo Wop Girls, whether its Kara Tameika-Watkins' gorgeous voice and smile, Eleasha rocking her solos, sexy wigs and sassy dance moves, or Felicia drawing the audience in with her great facial expressions and killer belt. Put that together with Elliot Dash's powerful vocal stylings, and it's one fierce cast you can't ignore.

Now, even with all the hubbub after the show, I did manage to get to talk to pretty much everyone and get a few more tidbits about their process. Here's what I can remember...:

Eleasha Gamble on her fellow 'street urchins': "Oh, we just love each other..."

Felicia Curry & Jenna Coker-Jones laughing as I express my envy of their insanely buff arms...

Christopher Bloch & Kara Tameika-Watkins graciously listening to me gush about how good they were...

Elliot Dash giving his own hilarious take on the backstory behind Audrey 2's arrival on Earth...

Evan Casey on his many transformations: "I think besides Orin I like my last character [who enlists the girls to help him take cuttings of Audrey 2 to be mass produced] the best because he's not quite as aggressive...He basically already has what he wants and is there to sort of continue the story...It's a lot of fun."

Christopher Kale-Jones on being able to do a show with his wife: "It's so nice because the point of being married to is to actually live life with that person, so to not have to be away from each other is such a great experience."

Director Coy Middlebrook on his reaction on opening night: "Well you know the first day of rehearsal we all sat around the table and said what we wanted the show to be--to have heart, struggle, truth, and some giggles of course....and it really has turned out to be all the things that we said."

Well, there you have it! This Saturday there will be a talkback after the show, so check back here for some of those questions and answers. And if you haven't bought your tickets yet, get on that! Don't forget about their great Monday Under 35 promotion--If you're under 35, you get $10 tickets! And as always, you can follow me on Twitter @kbfordslilshop and check out the Lil Shop Facebook fan page, and also Ford's Theatre's page for some more official photos.

Phew, I'm beat. And I didn't even do the performing! Thanks for reading, -kb :)