Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The Paramount is a big theater and some of these choices make sense for this show in so large a space. Fleming, a gifted performer, is a relatively new director: she clearly was brimming with staging ideas here and casting a passionate ensemble who clearly care about the piece. But when you've got material of this quality, it needs less extra food than you think; a few drops of blood and it can grow on an audience all by itself."
Daily Herald
- Highly Recommended
"...The strong cast, accompanied by music director/conductor Kory Danielson's rock quintet, has a flair for doo-wop pop and blues rock, particularly Jackson, whose soulful, spicy voice is well-suited to the carnivorous Audrey II. A few numbers could benefit from more restrained vocals, but overall the show sounds great."
Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...And Ball as Seymour taps into some of the smoldering resentment of the “nice guy” who turns out to be just as capable of dark acts as Mernagh’s swaggering sadist. It’s an interesting dynamic that sometimes feels like it’s in danger of also being swallowed up by the Paramount’s big stage. But Fleming’s sure-footed work here (aided also by Michael George and Mariah Morris’s vivacious choreography) shows she’s just as adept at adding layers and nuance to high-octane musical comedy as she was in last season’s intimate and elegiac Fun Home in Paramount’s smaller space."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...The Paramount Theatre is a wonderful venue that has been brought back to its glory by the City and those behind the rejuvenation of this glorious theatre. It is a large stage and the set design (Jeffrey D. Kmiec) is a masterpiece. The story takes place in "Skid Row" and in the flower shop owned by Mr. Mushnik ( the always reliable Gene Weygandt is perfect). With the larger set, there is more space to be filled, so unlike most productions of this show, there are far more ensemble members, making it work. Smoothly directed by Landree Fleming, the large stage becomes smaller as the action moves along."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"..."Little Shop of Horrors" provides an electrifying season opener for this highly-respected, much-loved theatre. Also, with Halloween just around the corner, it certainly puts trick-or-treaters in the right mood. This musical is guaranteed to enchant and entertain both the newcomer to the Alan Menken/Howard Ashman classic, as well as those theatergoers who've seen this tuneful, toe-tapping wickedly wonderful comedy many times before. You'll laugh, you'll be horrified and you'll find yourself cheering for Audrey and Seymour. But just one word of warning when you leave the theatre: Don't Feed the Plant!"
Chicagoland Musical Theatre
- Highly Recommended
"...In her mega-house directorial debut having helmed successes in the city and suburbs, Chicagoland stage favorite Landree Fleming's Little Shop of Horrors at Paramount Theatre delivers a vocal and visual delight."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...This may not be a production that redefines Little Shop, but it certainly is one that takes great advantage of everything that Howard Ashman and Alan Menken provided in the musical adaptation. What this translates to is hilarious, campy fun, and what more could a theatergoer want?"
PicksInSix
- Recommended
"...There's a little show about plant food and world domination that's getting a big-stage theatrical revival at a theatre near you. The smash hit 1982 Off-Broadway musical "Little Shop of Horrors" featuring book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken is currently blooming nightly in a fast-paced and highly entertaining production directed by Landree Fleming at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora."
Life and Times
- Highly Recommended
"...When it comes to big, bold, and brilliant productions, the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois, knows the territory well. Paramount’s current production of Little Shop of Horrors is no exception. This show is a feast for the eyes and ears, with incredible production numbers, a talented cast, and a creative team that is at the top of their game."
Chicago Culture Authority
- Recommended
"...It takes a bit of pruning to untangle the creative vines entwined around Little Shop of Horrors. It started as a 1960 B-grade horror comedy shot in two days by director Roger Corman. That spawned a 1982 Off-Broadway musical with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, who then teamed with director Frank Oz on a 1986 film adaptation. That film, starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Steve Martin in the, um, meatiest roles, is the version of the story most people are familiar with. Which means some members of the audience at Paramount Theatre's new production of the 1982 musical are in for a macabre surprise, because the ending of the theatrical version is much darker than the one horrified test screening audiences forced Oz to deliver in his film."
