O.C. STAGE REVIEW : A Special Treat for Halloween : A witty revival of the musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ arrives in Huntington Beach in time for the holiday.

“The Little Shop of Horrors,” which is being revived on weekends at the Huntington Beach Playhouse, makes a perfect match for Halloween with a special performance Thursday of this funky musical spoof about a man-eating plant from outer space and the Skid Row flower-shop clerk who tends it.

For that matter, any regular performance is worth seeing. This infectiously entertaining production has personality, buoyancy and wit. It is community theater at its best, an amateur production directed with imagination and brought off with flair. The horrors of the title turn out to be giddy pleasures indeed.

“Little Shop” has always had the built-in appeal of a doo-wop score and the quirky charm of an offbeat story, which explains its popularity as a perennial choice for revival. But so many times when community troupes get their hands on Howard Ashman’s and Alan Menken’s 1982 musical adaptation of Roger Corman’s 1960 movie, both score and story are lucky to even survive.

This time, however, director Gregory Cohen and musical director-choreographer Kysa Cohen have done the show justice in everything from the wonderful casting to the pre-curtain hint of things to come, from the hilarious staging of individual numbers to the keep-it-moving pace between numbers that lends a refreshing briskness without seeming rushed.

If they have scanted on anything, it is in not having a live band--although the taped musical accompaniment to the unmiked singers is surprisingly lively--or in settling for a rather bland-looking flower shop, although Martin G. Eckmann’s overall set design (flanked by a pair of fire escapes and an alley running behind the shop) has plenty of colorful Skid Row details with a few hidden theatrical tricks besides.

Among the chief delights of this “Little Shop” are the players in the principal roles. Their musical talents and their comedic acting skills are melded so nicely that the resulting combination far surpasses what would otherwise be less-satisfying ingredients on their own.

Bradley Miller anchors the production as Seymour, the nerdy clerk who pines for the love of his co-worker, Audrey. With a green thumb more accurately described as red, Seymour nurtures his blood-sucking plant--named Audrey II--into a giant-size carnivore that attracts the notice of the media, turning the formerly deserted shop into a thriving business and Seymour into a sought-after celebrity.

By not caricaturing his role too much, Miller grounds the fantastical plot in a semblance of reality, which is needed to the extent that his various dilemmas are meant to elicit empathy as well as giggles. And when it comes to his songs, Miller delivers cleanly. His voice may not be a great instrument, but it stays sweetly on key and gets the job done with deft musicality. He even manages to persuade us of Seymour’s romantic yearning, notwithstanding thinning hair and a plumpish figure.

Alli Spotts plays Audrey, a dim bulb of a blonde whose dream of happiness is to escape from Skid Row to a suburban tract house with a disposal in the kitchen sink and a protective “fence of real chain link.” There she can “cook like Betty Crocker” and “look like Donna Reed.” Instead, she’s a human punching bag for her sadistic boyfriend, a motorcycle-riding dentist given to kinkier habits than mere sexual bondage.

Spotts--clad in tight dresses and stiletto pumps--is a tall, buxom Kewpie doll with a speaking voice squeezed into a nasal register reminiscent of Judy Holliday and having a droll New Yawk accent that would give a Brooklyn cabbie pause. (She invariably turns sure into a two-syllable word--among the other phraseologies natural to places like Canarsie and certain sections of New Jersey.)

Despite her purposeful mangling of the King’s English, Spotts could stand some improvement in enunciating the lyrics of her songs. She has a capable soprano--not nasal at all, it’s good to report--but the songs are hard to understand. Also, although not essential to her cartoonish role, she could stand some improvement in the acting department.

Meanwhile, David E. Hickey more or less steals the show (as well he should) with his satirical caricature of Audrey’s boyfriend, Orin Scivello, a demented knight in black leather who jousts with a rusty dental drill and insists on being called “doctor.” Not only does Hickey brings demonic grace and energy to that hilarious role, he also comes back again and again in a half-dozen or so different cameos.

Rounding out the cast of principals, Michael David turns in a funny portrayal of Mr. Mushnik, the middle-age proprietor of the flower shop, that couldn’t be more endearing. David, a graceful performer in his own right, animates his down-at-the-heels role with a gravelly voice and an ever-present cigar to punctuate his gestures.

Annette Miranda distinguishes herself among the three women of the roving chorus, and Jeff Weeks has a bluesy sound as the voice of Audrey II.

Although the Playhouse management is urging theatergoers to attend the Halloween performance in costume--with door prizes for best costume--this is one production of “Little Shop” not likely to turn into a pumpkin.

‘The Little Shop of Horrors’

Bradley Miller: Seymour

Alli Spotts: Audrey

Michael David: Mr. Mushnik

David E. Hickey: Dr. Orin Scivello

Jeff Weeks: Audrey II (voice)

Elizabeth Maher: Ronette

Annette Miranda: Crystal

Tonya Steele: Chiffon

Kimerly Uhlry: Derelict

Cherylrenee Rendes: Audrey II (manipulation)

Timothy White: Audrey II (manipulation)

A Huntington Beach Playhouse presentation of the musical by Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (music). Produced by Bill Verhaegen. Directed by Gregory Cohen. Choreography and musical direction by Kysa Cohen. Assistant director Terri Foy. Set design by Martin G. Eckmann. Lighting design by Eckmann and Bob Ashby. Costume design by Melissa Lanning. At the Huntington Beach Playhouse, 21141 Strathmoor Lane, Huntington Beach. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through Nov. 23. Special Halloween performance on Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10; seniors, $9; children $7. Information: (714) 832-1405.