'Shop of Horrors' cast great; Krall, Botti shake up Harveys

I figure I owe an apology to the cast and crew of the Brewery Summer Stock Company about their production of the musical "Little Shop of Horrors," which closed after a boffo two-weekend run at the outdoor stage at the BAC campus. I wrote about the show based on a brief exposure to a few scenes during rehearsals, and while I was correct about what I wrote, I failed to really offer more than a smidgen of the musical delight that it was.

I saw the show closing night last Saturday amid a sold-out house. Truly, the show was terrific. The ensemble cast was as professional as could be, with Andie Anderson and Dominic Procaccini II as headliners. Anderson, flighty and funny, belted out some fine songs, and Procaccini was a blast as the timid, confused flower shop clerk Seymour.

But they were just leads. Jim Godwin as the flower shop owner was a fine foil. Rob Garrett as the nasty dentist was just that - leeringly nasty. And the three women of the Greek-chorus - Susan Sonnemaker, Briana Valley and Weston Spann - stole the show whenever they bopped onto the scene. Jacob Linstrom as the puppeteer made the monster come alive deftly, with the monster's voice chillingly furnished by Andy Sonnemaker. Many cast members doubled as walk-on characters. What a marvelous cast.

Of course, they had to have direction, and Karen Chandler did a deft traffic-cop's job of keeping the action moving. Susan Sonnemaker made sure the music flowed and Andie Anderson was also choreographer.

The six-piece band, tucked away to one side, sounded like a full orchestra: Andy Sonnemaker, Ann Cosens, Kate Lauder, Mark Johnson, Cameron Shirley and Russ "Boom Boom" Law.

More kudos: Laurent Durant, stage manager; Kris Garret, company manager; Rich Garrett, tech director; Scott Anderson, assistant stage manager; Gary Guberman, lights; Dakota Dutcher, sound board; Sarah Gubber, light board; and Ben Guberman and Carinne Powell, spots. They made it all work.

Happily, Carson theater folk knew better than I did and turned up to make five of the six performances SRO (one even needed 30 extra seats hastily unfolded). Director Chandler promised an expanded summer season next year by two shows. Forget the beach; the Brewery is the place next summer.

MUSICAL NOTES

The Crystal Bay Club hosts Eclipse - A Tribute to Pink Floyd Friday at 10 p.m. in the Red Room for guests 21 and over. This show is free. See www.crystalbaycasino.com.

India.Arie plays at the MontBleu Casino at 9 p.m. Saturday with tickets $40-$55.

The Smothers Brothers are a comedy team, but they also play guitar and bass - at Harrah's Lake Tahoe Friday and Saturday night.

Diana Krall Quartet and Chris Botty Quintet were a total smash at Harveys outdoor arena Tuesday night. Botti blew a hole in the blue sky and Krall started out slow but finally lifted the non-existent roof. A grand night for music. Two encore pieces yet.

FROM THE VAULTS

Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal, Rinko Kikuchi are just the ostensible stars of "Babel," an interlocking three stories all hinging on a rifle given to a Moroccan guide and used for target practice by shepherd boys. Pitt shows rate depth as Blanchett's husband; she's hit by the stray bullet and shows desperation in holding onto life. Bernal and Kikuchi are critically vital as pivots for the story. Alejandro González Iñárritu put three stories together in tense, entwining moments to make one of the best films of 2006, rated R, 143 minutes. See it!

• Contact Sam Bauman at 881-1236 or sbauman@nevadaappeal.com.