The 1982 musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ made its comeback here at Naperville North in its four- show run this past weekend. Living up to the music wing’s exceptional reputation for outstanding vocals and realistic acting came to life in the funny, witty and sophisticated show.

The show consisted of a nerdy flower shop clerk, working on skid row with the girl of his dreams. Everything seems to be going well when he discovers a new and interesting plant, until he discovers that it feeds on human flesh and blood. With the pressure to become and remain amazing, he follows through with the nurturing of this horrific plant.

The dark themes of the story of the personified yet cannibalistic plant surprised it’s audience with a fair amount of humor, seen from the beautifully apparent rapports among the whole cast.

It was quite obvious that the genuine love for the show and working in the music wing added a great deal to the overall perception of the performances.

I saw utter charisma in so many of the actors which immediately brought a smile to my face. It was the smallest characters that made me fall in love with the idea of a carnivorous plant.

Senior Geon Ruffin strut across the stage adding a touch of well-crafted irony as a rich man, captured by the sight of the life-like plant resting (but not) in the shop window. He mastered everything from body language to the ideal announcer voice, sophisticatedly bringing out the humor in an otherwise dark and horrific show.

It was indeed a musical, therefore I was hoping to be impressed completely with the vocals and instrumentals. There were moments when my head would turn to the side just a little, my knowing tell for Randy Jackson’s well put way of saying things got a little “pitchy.”

The sheer power of the vocals were especially impressive; it hardly sounded like high school musicians to me, especially with the beautiful foundation laid down by the pit. The ensemble was spot on, with facial expressions adding a fresh and new layer to the shows that I’ve never seen in the past.

When you put a carnivorous plant in the spotlight, it has to be convincing and what made the show was Junior Jake Diaz’s “James-Earl-Jones-esque” voice, both singing and speaking. The low bass of the iconic “FEED ME” matched with the hilarious riff of his voice when he exclaimed his desperation for human flesh.

I thought it was impossible to find a voice that could express the perfect melody and rhythm both while speaking and singing.

The NNHS Theater Department has once again blown my mind. I’m always excited to see what will come in the future — there seems to be no limit to the bar they can set, and then top.