Head’s up: be wary of your plants on April 8, 2024. The total solar eclipse could turn them into talking blood thirsty bullies for flesh.

At least that’s what happened in Little Shop of Horrors, now on stage at the Lancaster Opera House.

Little Shop has been around longer than a cactus. Some folks remember the (non-musical) low-budget film back in 1960 (a young Jack Nicholson had a bit part) which led to the off-Broadway stage musical in 1982 (with the book, lyrics, and music by Howard Ashman and Alan in their pre-Disney days) and then the 1986 movie musical starring Steve Martin as the sadist dentist Orin. Its deeper roots go back to a 1905 story by H.G. Wells, 1932 sci-fi story called “Green Thoughts” by John Collier, and an Arthur C. Clarke story called “The Reluctant Orchid” penned in 1956. Suffice it to say, it all boils down to one hungry plant that thrives on people and their blood.

In brief, Mushnik’s Skid Row Flower Shop isn’t blossoming until shop assistant Seymour’s unusual and interesting plant Audrey II earns a spot in the front window. As the plant grows, so does its appetite for blood and more. The shop starts to thrive along with Audrey II’s appetite, and then it all gets delightfully wacky.

The story may be a sci-fi farce, but director J. Michael Landis’ Lancaster cast takes its fun seriously. We’re introduced to our story by a trio of singers named Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronette (Kira Whithead, Davis Cervi, and Jasmine Fiero respectively) and their throwback street-corner three-part harmonies are as perfect as their Phil Spector-styled names. Jon May is a hoot as the curmudgeonly shop owner Mushnik. His two employees are Seymour (Joe Greenan), a clumsy loveable nerd, and Audrey (Amanda Funicello), who has a penchant for bad-for-her men like Orin the sadist dentist played by the versatile Nicholas Lama, who dons many costumes for several small albeit important moments. Audrey II gets bigger, she finds her voice and Johnny Rowe does a great job expressing her needs, especially in the “Git It Feed Me” song.  Across the board, the singing is solid (sadly dogged by some audio problems on opening night). Funicello’s sweet rendering “Somewhere That’s Green” is lovely. Lama’s “Be A Dentist” is in a class by itself; witty, irreverent, and creepy all at the same time. Fran Landis conducted the live band and while live music by real musicians is always a plus, there were times when the band over-powered the singers and was out of balance.

The real star of the show is Adam Kreutinger’s Audrey II puppet, masterfully manipulated by Zach Haumesser. This was outstanding artistry on many levels and it played well against David Dwyer’s set.

Overall, this production of Little Shop is fine. Director Landis keeps the action brisk. The stage magic involved with having a growing/singing/eating puppet-plant onstage is skillfully handled and fun to watch. The Ashman-Menkin score is a delight and is well executed by this cast.

It runs a little over two hours with a 15-minute intermission, until October 22: tickets and details at www.lancasteropera.org.