‘Little Shop of Horrors’ Earns Its Flowers at La Mirada Theater

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Grace Stockdale and Thomas Hobson star in the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts/McCoy Rigby Entertainment production of “Little Shop of Horrors,” directed by Michael Matthews. Photo by Jason Needle.

By Stepheny Gehrig

La Mirada became a little corner of New York this weekend as La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts opened its 2026–27 season with an impressive production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

With a cast of nine, including Audrey II puppeteer Betsy Zajko and voice actor Wilkie Ferguson III, the show finds room for both the grotesque and the romantic.

At Sunday’s matinee, understudy Matthew Taylor Smith stepped into the lead role of Seymour Krelborn. An announcement before the performance explained that Smith had not yet completed a full rehearsal in the role; understudy rehearsals were scheduled for the following week. What followed was all the more impressive. Smith played Seymour with confidence and charm, delivering a thoughtful, fully developed performance. It was one of the strongest lead performances I’ve seen on the La Mirada stage.

Marissa Moenho, Janaya Mahealani Jones and Joslynn Cortes were equally captivating as Chiffon, Ronnette and Crystal. Their voices soared individually and blended beautifully, setting a high bar early in “Skid Row (Downtown).”

Grace Stockdale, as Audrey, was at her best in “Somewhere That’s Green.” She brought real emotion to a woman imagining a future she fears she can never have.

Ferguson and Zajko made Audrey II impossible to ignore. Sassy, stern, grotesque, cute, rude and funny, the plant becomes the show’s horror and much of its delight. Its personality grows as convincingly as its appetite.

The costumes and set were striking, though Audrey’s wig proved distracting. Her look plays into the blonde bombshell trope, but the wig appeared too large and, at moments, piecey, misshapen or see-through. When Audrey turned away from the audience, it sometimes drew more attention than her performance.

That distraction aside, “Little Shop of Horrors” is a gothic hit. It’s a pleasure to see La Mirada Theatre embrace something this weird and peculiar. The production feels like a piece the theater has been missing.

“Little Shop of Horrors” runs through Oct. 11, with a final performance at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $28 to $115, and parking is free.