'Little Shop Of Horrors' - The Off Bway Legend

A Wacky and "Out There" Musical that's a lot of Fun!

A nerdish florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant, man-eating plant who demands to be fed in the hit musical Little Shop of Horrors, presented April 26-May 6 by the Miami Children's Theater.

"It's a mixture of horror flick and sardonic musical tale," explained show director Damaris Lopez-Canales, Artistic Director for the theater.  "The journey of shop clerk Seymour Krelborn is hilarious and gruesome to watch."

The musical has that old science fiction movie feel. That comes from the fact that Little Shop of Horrors originated as a 1960 movie directed by Roger Corman, the master of B horror movies for more than 50 years with titles such as Attack of the Crab Monsters, The Undead, A Bucket of Blood, Death Race 2000, Piranha and movie versions of several Edgar Allan Poe stories like The Raven, Masque of the Red Death and The Pit and the Pendulum.  Corman's Little Shop of Horrors is notable for two things. The entire movie was filmed in two days and it featured an unknown actor named Jack Nicholson in a small role.

Twenty-two years later Little Shop of Horrors returned as a musical comedy and became one of Off-Broadway's longest-running shows. It opened in the Orpheum Theatre July 27, 1982, and ran for 2,209 performances and the highest-grossing production in off-Broadway history.  That prompted a new movie version in 1986, directed by Frank Oz and starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin, with appearances by Jim Belushi, John Candy and Bill Murray.  It then returned to Broadway in 2003 and earned Hunter Foster a Tony Nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Seymour.

The show's music is by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, who later went on to write songs for Disney's "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin."  Menken's musical score, composed in the style of 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, has several show-stoppers, including "Skid Row (Downtown)," "Somewhere That's Green," and "Suddenly Seymour," as well as the title song.
 

Meek, mild-mannered Seymour Krelbourn (played by Victor Legra and Gabriel Schichi) discovers an exotic plant and brings it back to the skid row flower shop where he works. As the plant grows at an alarming rate, so does its hunger for human flesh. Seymour, who is secretly in love with co-worker Audrey (played by Dina Kaloti), names the plant Audrey II and strikes a deal to keep feeding the plant in exchange for fame and fortune.

Audrey II (played by Riley Brack) becomes an instant sensation with its blues singing and its own backup singers, but Seymour begins to wonder if the plant has its own agenda as its thirst for blood keeps growing.

The production will be presented at 8:00 p.m. each evening April 26, 28, May 3 and 5 and at 2 p.m. on April 29 and May 6 at the Alper JCC Theater at 11155 SW 112^th Avenue in Kendall.   Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children if pre-ordered and $18-$20 at the door.  Tickets may be purchased at www.miamichildrenstheater.com or by calling 305-274-3595.

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