Little Shop of Horrors

The Little Shop of Horrors is a 1960 dark comedy/horror film produced by Roger Corman, later adapted as a stage musical and then a 1986 musical film and a 1991 animated television series Little Shop.

2003 Broadway revival

In 2003, a new $8 million revival of "Little Shop of Horrors" was planned with the goal of opening on Broadway on August 14. Despite its popularity, the original show had only played off-Broadway and was thus ineligible for the 1982 Tony Awards. The revival would qualify for the awards despite the fact that the material was two decades old.

Related Topics:
2003 - Broadway - August 14 - Off-Broadway - 1982 - Tony Awards

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Pre-Broadway version

To kick off the revival, a $1 million pre-Broadway start-up production debuted at the Actor's Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida on May 16, 2003 with the following cast:

Related Topics:
May 16 - 2003

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• Seymour Krelborn - Hunter Foster
• Audrey - Alice Ripley
• Mr. Mushnik - Lee Wilkoff
• Orin, Bernstein, Snip, Luce and everyone else - Reg Rogers
• Ronnette - Haneefa Wood
• Crystal - Dioni Michelle Collins
• Chiffon - Moeisha McGill
• Audrey II (voice) - Billy Porter
• Audrey II (manipulation) - Martin P. Robinson
• Prologue Voice - Robert Stack

The revival featured several people involved in the original 1982 production. Wilkoff, who created the role of Seymour was here cast as Mr. Mushnik. The production was directed by Wilkoff's wife, Connie Grappo, who was the assistant to Howard Ashman during the original production. Robinson, who designed the original Audrey II puppets and was a muppeteer for Sesame Street, enlisted his friends at The Jim Henson Company to create new, high tech puppets especially for the show.

Related Topics:
Howard Ashman - Sesame Street - The Jim Henson Company

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This version of "Little Shop of Horrors" received mixed reviews, with some critics complaining that the intimacy of the show was lost by expanding it to a fit a larger (and thus more profitable) theatre. Other critics were harsher, calling the show "flat" and "unispired" with several actors miscast. On June 2, 2003, producer Marc Routh announced that the Broadway production was being canceled because "the magic, the chemistry just wasn't there." Hours after the announcement was made, the producers had the Virginia Theatre paint over the marquee with black paint.

Related Topics:
June 2 - 2003 - Broadway - Virginia Theatre

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Revised revival

Despite the fact that the revival was officially canceled, the production was not quite dead. In an effort to save the show, producers ousted Grappo in favor of veteran Broadway director Jerry Zaks and fired everyone in the cast except Foster and Robinson. New casting began on June 3 and the producers held the lease on the theatre for September previews. Miraculously, the show finally made its Broadway debut at the Virginia Theatre on October 2, 2003 with the following cast:

Related Topics:
Jerry Zaks - June 3 - Broadway - Virginia Theatre - October 2 - 2003

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• Seymour Krelborn - Hunter Foster
• Audrey - Kerry Butler
• Mr. Mushnik - Rob Bartlett
• Orin, Bernstein, Snip, Luce and everyone else - Douglas Sills
• Ronnette - Carla J. Hargrove
• Crystal - Trisha Jeffrey
• Chiffon - DeQuina Moore
• Audrey II (voice) - Michael-Leon Wooley
• Audrey II (manipulation) - Martin P. Robinson
• Audrey II (manipulation) & Derelict - Bill Remington
• Audrey II (manipulation) & Derelict - Matt Vogel
• Prologue Voice - Don Morrow

Hunter Foster was nominated for a 2004 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance.

Related Topics:
Hunter Foster - 2004 - Tony Award

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The revival was faithful to the original 1982 production, although it did use the expanded version of the title song heard in the 1986 film. In addition, the mechanics of stage puppetry had become more advanced to allow for a more "realistic" portrayal of Audrey II, which even leapt off the stage during the show's finale to snap its hungry jaws at the audience.

Related Topics:
1982 - 1986

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The cast album of the production was recorded by the original cast on September 15, 2003 and was released on October 21.

Related Topics:
September 15 - 2003 - October 21

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The Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors closed on August 22, 2004 after 372 performances and 40 preview performances. The closing Broadway cast included Joey Fatone (of the boy band *NSYNC) as Seymour and Jessica-Snow Wilson as Audrey.

Related Topics:
Broadway - August 22 - 2004 - *NSYNC - Jessica-Snow Wilson

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National tour

On August 11, 2004, a national tour of Little Shop of Horrors began just as the Broadway version was about to close in New York. It featured the following cast:

Related Topics:
August 11 - 2004 - Broadway

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• Seymour Krelborn - Anthony Rapp
• Audrey - Tari Kelly
• Mr. Mushnik - Lenny Wolpe
• Orin, Bernstein, Snip, Luce and everyone else - James Moye
• Ronnette - LaTonya Holmes
• Crystal - Amina Robinson
• Chiffon - Yasmeen Sulieman
• Audrey II (voice) - Michael James Leslie
• Audrey II (manipulation) - Paul McGinnis, Michael Latini & Marc Petrosino

In December of 2004, Rapp left the national tour to film the movie "Rent" and was replaced by Jonathan Rayson. Marc Petrosino joined as an additional puppeteer for Audrey II.

Related Topics:
December - 2004 - Jonathan Rayson - Marc Petrosino

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