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frogboy4
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LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - SAN FRANCISCOI have been kicking myself for over a decade after having missed the original off-Broadway run of Little Shop of Horrors by a matter of weeks. Last Saturday night was an event in my life that has been over fifteen years in the making. The spankin’ new Broadway production traveled to my neighborhood this month. Professional New York critics have penned mixed reviews after its initial launch, but to my knowledge none of those guys have created anything half as enduring as the music and dark humor of Little Shop. So forget ‘em.
A little back history. “Little Shop of Horrors” began years ago as a Roger Corman B movie featuring a very young Jack Nicholson. The film still has a cult following, but is hardly similar to the superior musical and second feature film it inspired.
The original show played off-Broadway for most of the 80s. The production was reportedly understated compared to the contemporary big money musicals of Broadway. They have retained much of that charm this time out. The stylishly simplistic set pieces allow the music and the people-chomping plant to shine without distraction. I’d like to believe the new Broadway production has the same cozy, yet creepy film noir feeling.
The Jim Henson Company crafted several spectacular puppets complete with lip muscles and animatronic parts. The smaller plants are traditionally puppeteered. It’s moot to report that Audrey Two steels the show. The creature is no mere clone of the iconic blockbuster flytrap. The designers crafted puppets that reflect the roots of the character in contrast to the pink-lipped plant of the Frank Oz masterpiece. Both beautifully serve these two unique visions.
The cast has big shoes to fill. They don’t appear to mimic the motion picture actors, yet don’t entirely ignore the performances either. This is apparent throughout the production. The three Skidrow divas play a more integral part of the stage version. My only disappointment is the absence of the Oscar nominated song, “Mean Green Mother From Outer Space”. It is one of my particular favorites created for the movie. Hearing the several songs dropped from the film, including the finale “Don’t Feed the Plants,” along with the superior original ending more than make up for it.
The music is phenomenal. You won’t see much meddling with the arrangements. For the few people left in the world that don’t know - Howard Ashman and Alan Menken who scored Disney’s “Aladdin”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid” (my favorite Disney film) are the creative team behind the music. They helped bring Disney’s now defunct traditional animation department back into the spotlight. Their brilliant work on “Little Shop” is what got the ball rolling and brought Disney into the live musical business. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing in the long run.
This current production receives a full four out of four stars from me. It rates a slim second to Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” featuring Patty LuPone, and right before Anthony Quinn in “Zorba” and Tyne Daly in “Gypsy”. If you have the privilege to see it in New York or in a town near you – get tickets. I always believe that great live theater is good for the soul. The performance was particularly significant to me because I shared it with one of the most discerning theatergoers, my Dad.
