Little Shop of Horrors is a horror comedy rock musicalHiggins, Jim. "Skylight Music Theatre revamps 2020–'21 season, plans small-cast shows for limited-capacity audiences", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 31, 2020 with music by Alan Menken and lyrics and a book by Howard Ashman. The story follows a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is loosely based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors. Menken's score features early 1960s-style rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown.

The musical premiered off-off-Broadway in 1982 before moving to the Orpheum Theatre off-Broadway, where it had a five-year run. It later received numerous productions in the U.S. and abroad, and a subsequent Broadway production. In part because of its small cast, it has become popular with school and other amateur theatre groups.TIME magazine reported in its May 26, 2008 issue, p. 51, that this musical ranked as the most frequently produced musical by U.S. high schools in 2007. The musical was also made into a 1986 film of the same name, directed by Frank Oz.

Synopsis

Act I A trio of 1960s street urchins named Crystal, Ronnette and Chiffon set the scene ("Little Shop of Horrors") and comment on the action throughout the show. Seymour Krelborn is a poor young man, an orphan living in an urban skid row. Audrey is a pretty blonde with a fashion sense that leans towards tackiness. They lament their stations in life and the urban blight in their neighborhood ("Skid Row (Downtown)"). They are co-workers at a run-down flower shop owned and operated by the cranky Mr. Mushnik. After a sudden eclipse of the sun, Seymour finds a mysterious plant that looks like a large Venus flytrap ("Da-Doo"). Seymour, who is secretly in love with Audrey, names the plant Audrey II in her honor.

The plant does not thrive in its new environment and appears to be dying, though Seymour takes very good care of it. He accidentally pricks his finger on a rose thorn, which draws blood, and Audrey II's pod opens thirstily. Seymour realizes that Audrey II requires blood to survive and allows the plant to suckle from his finger ("Grow For Me"). As Audrey II grows, it becomes an attraction at the flower shop and starts generating brisk business for Mushnik. As the caretaker of the plant, the timid Seymour is suddenly regarded as a hero ("Ya Never Know"), while Audrey secretly longs to leave her abusive boyfriend. Her dream is to lead an ideal suburban life with Seymour, complete with a tract home, frozen dinners and plastic on the furniture ("Somewhere That's Green").

Meanwhile, the employees at Mushnik's are sprucing up the flower shop because of the popularity of the rapidly growing Audrey II and the revenue that it is bringing in ("Closed for Renovation"). Audrey's abusive boyfriend, Orin Scrivello, a sadistic dentist ("Dentist!"), encourages Seymour to take the plant and get out of Skid Row. Realizing that his store's sudden profitability is completely dependent on the plant (and therefore on Seymour), Mushnik takes advantage of Seymour's innocence by offering to adopt him and make him a full partner in the business ("Mushnik and Son"). Seymour accepts, even though Mushnik treats him poorly ("Sudden Changes"). When Seymour, running out of blood, stops feeding the plant, Audrey II demands blood and promises that, if fed, it will make sure that all of Seymour's dreams come true ("Feed Me (Git It)").

Seymour sets up a late-night appointment with Orin, intending to kill him for his cruel treatment of Audrey. However, Seymour loses his nerve and decides not to commit the crime. Unfortunately for Orin, who is getting high on nitrous oxide, the gas device is stuck in the "on" position, and he suffocates while asking Seymour to save him. Though Seymour cannot bring himself to shoot Orin, he lets him die of asphyxiation ("Now (It's Just The Gas)"). Seymour feeds Orin's body to the now huge Audrey II, and the plant consumes it with ravenous glee ("Act I Finale").

Act II

The flower shop is much busier, and Seymour and Audrey have trouble keeping up with the onslaught of orders ("Call Back in the Morning"). Audrey confides to Seymour that she feels guilty about Orin's disappearance, because secretly she wished it. The two admit their feelings for one another, and Seymour promises that he will protect and care for Audrey from now on ("Suddenly, Seymour").

Before they can go, Mushnik confronts Seymour about Orin's death. Seymour denies killing Orin, but Mushnik wants him to give a statement to the police, who have begun investigating. Audrey II tells Seymour that he has to be rid of Mushnik or he will lose everything, including Audrey. Seymour tells Mushnik that he put the days' receipts inside Audrey II for safekeeping. Mushnik climbs inside the plant's gaping maw to search for the money and screams as he is devoured ("Suppertime"). Seymour now runs the flower shop, and reporters, salesmen, lawyers and agents approach him, promising him fame and fortune. Seymour realizes that it is only a matter of time before Audrey II will kill again and that he is morally responsible, but he does nothing over fear that Audrey will no longer love him if he is not successful ("The Meek Shall Inherit").

As Seymour works on his speech for a lecture tour, Audrey II again squalls for blood. Seymour threatens to kill it just as Audrey walks in asking when Mushnik will return from "visiting his sick sister". Seymour learns that Audrey would still love him without the fame and resolves that following an upcoming LIFE magazine interview at the shop, Audrey II must die. Audrey is confused and frightened by Seymour's ramblings, but she runs home by his order.

That night, unable to sleep and distressed by Seymour's strange behavior, Audrey goes to the flower shop to talk with him. He is not there, and Audrey II begs her to water it. Not sensing the danger, she approaches to water it, and a vine pulls her into the plant's gaping maw ("Sominex/Suppertime II"). Seymour arrives and pulls her out, but Audrey is mortally wounded. Her dying wish is for Seymour to feed her to the plant after she dies so that they can always be together. She dies in his arms, and he reluctantly honors her request ("Somewhere That's Green" (reprise)).

The next day, Patrick Martin from the World Botanical Enterprises tells Seymour that his company wishes to sell leaf cuttings of Audrey II in florist shops across America. Seymour realizes the plant's evil plan: world conquest. He tries shooting, cutting, and poisoning the plant, but it has grown too hardy to kill. Seymour, in desperation, runs into its open jaws with a machete planning to kill it from the inside, but he is quickly eaten ("Bigger Than Hula-hoops"). Patrick, Crystal, Ronnette and Chiffon search for Seymour. Not finding him, Patrick tells the girls to take the cuttings.

Crystal, Ronnette and Chiffon relate that, following these events, other plants appeared across America, tricking innocent people into feeding them blood in exchange for fame and fortune. Audrey II, bigger than ever, appears with opened new flowers revealing the faces of Seymour, Audrey, Mushnik and Orin, who beg that the plants must not be fed ("Finale Ultimo: Don't Feed the Plants"). Audrey II slithers towards the audience threateningly.

Early productions 1982 Off-Broadway The musical premiered off-off-Broadway, at the Workshop of the Players Art Foundation (WPA Theatre), playing there from May 6, 1982 to June 6, 1982."Theater: Little Shop of Horrors" , Howard Ashman website, accessed April 21, 2014 The show moved off-Broadway to the Orpheum Theatre in Manhattan's East Village, opening on July 27, 1982. The production, directed by Ashman, with musical staging by Edie Cowan, received generally positive critical reviewsAbraham, pp. 85–86. and won the 1982–1983 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, as well as the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award. In the original WPA cast were Lee Wilkof as Seymour, Ellen Greene as Audrey, Hy Anzell as Mr. Mushnik, Franc Luz as Orin, Jennifer Leigh Warren as Crystal, Sheila Kay Davis as Ronnette and Leilani Jones as Chiffon; Ron Taylor was the voice of Audrey II, and Martin P. Robinson, the Audrey II puppeteer, designed the puppets.

The production ran for five years. When it closed on November 1, 1987, after 2,210 performances,Abraham, p. 209, note 126 (stating that some sources misstate the number of performances as 2,209 because of an error in the original production reports; the error was discovered by stage manager Donna Rose Fletcher). it was the third-longest running musicalSedore, Clair. "Long Runs in the Theatre" , World-theatres.com. Retrieved on April 20, 2008. and the highest-grossing production in off-Broadway history.Gordon, James. "Plymouth-Whitemarsh: 'Little Shop of Horrors'", philly.com, 30 March 2009, Accessed 13 August 2009 Though a Broadway transfer had been proposed for the production, author and director Howard Ashman felt the show belonged off-Broadway. Since it was not produced on Broadway, the original production was ineligible for the 1982 Tony Awards. The producers were the WPA Theatre, David Geffen, Cameron Mackintosh and the Shubert Organization. Ashman wrote, in the introduction to the acting edition of the libretto, that the show "satirizes ... science fiction, 'B' movies, musical comedy itself, and even the Faust legend".Ashman, Howard. Introductory notes, Little Shop of Horrors acting edition (1982)

An original cast recording, released in 1982, omitted the songs "Call Back in the Morning" and the reprise of "Somewhere That's Green", and had abridged versions of "Now (It's Just the Gas)", "Mushnik and Son" and "The Meek Shall Inherit". It also shifted the location of the song "Closed for Renovation," appearing in the show after "Somewhere That's Green" while appearing on the cast album after "Now (It's Just the Gas)" to serve as an upbeat bridge from Orin's death to the Act II love ballad, "Suddenly, Seymour". The recording features Leilani Jones, who originated the role of Chiffon at the WPA and replaced Marlene Danielle two weeks after the musical opened off-Broadway.

1983 West End A London West End production opened on October 12, 1983, at the Comedy Theatre, produced by Cameron Mackintosh. It ran for 813 performances, starring Barry James as Seymour, Greene reprising her role as Audrey and Harry Towb as Mr. Mushnik, with Sinitta (then surnamed Renet) understudying Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette. Zeeteah Massiah took over as Chiffon in 1984. Greene was replaced as Audrey by Claire Moore (1984) then Sarah Payne (1985). Orin was played by Terence Hillyer (1983), David Burt (1984) and Bogdan Kominowski (1985). Audrey II was puppeteered by Anthony Asbury, and the costumes were designed by Tim Goodchild. It received the 1983 Evening Standard Award for Best Musical and closed on October 5, 1985.Lewis, David. "Little Shop of Horrors", The Guide to Musical Theatre"History and Awards" , Lyric Opera musicals site

1984 Australia and 1985 Canada An Australian production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, Perth on January 14, 1984, starring Christopher Pate as Seymour and Denise Kirby as Audrey. It then moved to the Theatre Royal in Sydney from November 7, 1984, and the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne from February, 1985.

A 1985 Canadian production starred Sheila McCarthy as Audrey and Michael Crossman as Seymour. Gerry Salsberg was Orin.Czarnecki, Mark. "The plant that ate New York", Maclean's, July 1, 1985, accessed May 23, 2020

Musical numbers

Act I Prologue ("Little Shop of Horrors") – Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette "Skid Row (Downtown)" – Company "Da-Doo" – Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette (with Seymour speaking) "Grow for Me" – Seymour "Ya Never Know" – Mushnik, Chiffon, Crystal, Ronnette and Seymour "Somewhere That's Green" – Audrey