Usually, I am a purist. If I am madly in love with a show, I want to see and hear the characters the way I fell in love with them. That’s not uncommon for lots of people, which is why Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors” is usually played by a thin actress in an ugly blonde wig who brings you to your feet with her surprising Broadway Belt abilities. Lucy Maria Godinez, Audrey in the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s “Little Shop of Horrors,” is not Ellen Greene.

She’s better.

Benjamin Hanna directs the first musical at the IRT since 2013, closing out his first official season as the IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles artistic director. Hanna and Godinez created an Audrey who is a little less stupid, a little bit stronger and one hell of a singer. The Chicago native has performed in myriad productions across the country, and it’s easy to see why. “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly Seymour” were simply perfection.

Dominique Allen Lawson, making his IRT debut and who also has an impressive list of credits, is adorkable as the sweet, clumsy, naïve Seymour. He and Godinez are a smart match – they work well with each other, but they each can shine on their own.

The trio of Chiffon (Tiffany Theona Taylor), Ronnette (Jessy Jackson) and Crystal (Raquelle Viteri) are so much more than narrative filler. I normally don’t condone “whooping” at a theater production, but it’s impossible not to because they are just that damned good.

The male characters definitely have their moments, but this production feels like a showcase of disarmingly talented female vocalists aided by music director Andrew Bourgoin.

One of only two locals on stage, Ryan Artzberger gets lost in the talent pool, but his Mr. Mushnik gets the job done. Kyle Patrick Orin the dentist, et al.) sounds good in leather, and he gets to show off some hot moves in “Dentist,” but his et al. is a surprise – he takes those tidbit characters that have a line or two and shows range and comedic aptitude in less than 20 seconds each.

And, of course, the plant, Audrey II, is magnificent. The other local onstage, Rob Johansen, works the puppet while Allen Sledge voices it.

Everything about this show is top shelf, from the live band, choreography (Breon Arzell), scenic design (Czerton Lim), costuming (Izumi Inaba), lighting (Dawn Chiang) and sound (Todd Mack), with stage manager Nathan Garrison and assistant Becky Roeber keeping it moving from backstage.

In case you haven’t figured it out, this is probably one of the best productions I’ve ever seen at the IRT.

A suggestion: Plan a sing-along performance post-haste. It’s almost impossible to stay still and quiet in your seat for this musical.