Little Shop of Horrors (1999)[Past Shows] [Prev] [Next] Cast(In order of appearance)
Chiffon Lisa Frechette Crystal Cindy Fisher Ronnette Mary Beth Lyon Girls Tajoura Davis, Erin Hadley, Robyn Nace Mushnik Greg Tarsa Audrey Heather Burnap Seymour Jeff Goumas Wino Steven Walsh Businessman Steve Damboise Hooker Alene Bonner Customer #1 Gary Locke Radio Announcer Gary Locke Audrey II main puppeteer Dan Loya Orin William Prest Audrey II (speaking voice) William Prest Audrey II (singing voice) Steve Walsh Customer #2 Alene Bonner Bernstein Steve Damboise Mrs. Luce Alene Bonner Skip Snip Steve Damboise Patrick Martin Chuck Emmons OrchestraBass Erik Thomas Percussion Kevin Reed Piano Drew Dhabolt Acknowledgments We wish to thank the following local merchants who donated items for our intermission raffles: Anni Etelli's Restaurant, Merrimack Toadstool Bookshops, Milford The Pasta Loft Restaurant, Milford The Ground Round, Nashua Chili's, Nashua Brookdale Fruit Farm, Hollis | Production and Technical StaffProducer Charles Emmons Director Glen Grimard Music Director Rob Goeke Choreographer Lynne Wifholm Stage Manager Craig Brennan Set Design Glen Grimard, Steve Damboise, Charles Emmons Lighting Design Craig Brennan, Glen Grimard Sound Design Laurie Brown Properties Traci Bisaillon Costumes Alene Bonner Make-up/Effects Jonathan Fisher Scenic Artists Gifford Scanlon,
Glen Grimard,
Jillian Cote,
Lynne Mueller,
Meaghan Bassett,
Charles Emmons Stage Running Crew Traci Bisaillon,
Joe Flores Lighting Technician Josh Friedman Set Construction Steve Damboise,
Debra Hull,
Glen Grimard,
Charles Emmons,
Gifford Scanlon,
Jonathan Fisher,
Bob Lovering,
Joe Flores,
Craig Brennan Sound Equipment Dennis Schneider,
John Sauter,
David Kasok Photography Tom Gallo Publicity Amy Friedman,
Charles Emmons,
Glen Grimard Tickets Betty Badeau, John Liljeberg Poster Design Gifford Scanlon Lobby Display Lorraine Cote Raffle Deb Walz Audrey II Handler Joe Flores Program Barry Bonner Rehearsal Pianist Drew Dhabolt Afterglow Corinne Hall,
Glen Grimard,
Lynne Wifholm Concessions Val Levesque, Brian Mehlman Auditioning Board Amy Friedman,
Lowell Williams,
Glen Grimard,
Lynne Wifholm,
Rob Goeke,
Jed Holland,
Ed Wall |
Forward by Roger Corman
Our producer, Chuck Emmons, wrote to Mr. Roger Corman, director of the
1960 film The Little Shop of Horrors on which this musical was based,
asking for comments that we might use as a forward for our program. Mr. Corman
graciously replied:
Of all the films I've directed the one that has survived the longest as a
"cult classic" is the one I made the fastest and the cheapest.
It was written for a standing set, principal photography was completed in
two days (after three days' rehearsal), the total cost was about $30,000,
yet it has lived on for nearly 40 years now in midnight shows on campuses,
revival cinemas, videocassette outlets and remakes for stage and screen.
One of the reasons for its astonishing durability may be that when I made
the film, I was creating a new genre--the black-comedy horror film. I was
tired of the straightforward horror genre and wanted to try a different
kind of film--something more cynical, darker, more wickedly funny.
This new mix had worked in my previous film "A bucket of Blood" and I wanted
to make another in a similar tone. I called Chuck Griffiths (who wrote
"A Bucket of Blood") and told him I wanted a variation on the "Bucket of Blood"
story line. I wanted a somewhat gruesome premise, a quirky plot and unconventional,
well-sketched characters. We brainstormed for a night and Chuck first suggested
cannibalism as a premise, but the censors would have not allowed it so he came
up with the premise of a maneating plant, and wrote the screenplay in a week.
In order to pull off the tight shooting schedule I turned to Corman 'regulars'
for both cast and crew. I wanted actors I had used before and could rely on.
For example, the role of Seymour was originally written for Dick Miller (who
had played the lead in "A Bucket of Blood") but he decided not to do it.
Instead he added his own deadpan style of humor as a customer who eats plants.
One sequence that helped turn the film into a cult favorite was an inspired bit
of bleak humor by an actor I began to use more regularly--Jack Nicholson, who
plays a masochist at a dentist appointment.
We adhered quite closely to the script and despite a loose, improvisational feel
to the witty exchanges, this film was in no way created on the set. Any changes
made were worked out in the three days of rehearsal before rolling. Everyone
just came in very well prepared.
In a sense, the creation of "The Little Shop of Horrors" may have been closer to
the theatrical tradition of designing plays for a stock company than to standard
film making. Perhaps this is why the original movie translates so well into the
stage version. I thought the 1982 musical adaptation by Howard Ashman and Alan
Menken was wonderful: it caught the spirit and youthful energy of the movie.
Running off-Broadway helped since I always believed both my film, which was
reminiscent of a college humor show and the musical would have been diminished
with a more expensive, slicker production in which the lavish appearance might
work against the comedy.
Musical SynopsisAct One
Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors) Girls Skid Row (Downtown) Company Da-Doo Seymour and Girls Grow For Me Seymour Don't It Go To Show Ya Never Know Mushnik, Seymour and the Girls Somewhere That's Green Audrey Closed For Renovations Seymour, Audrey and Mushnik Dentist! Orin and the Girls Mushnik and Son Mushnik and Seymour Feed Me (Git It) Seymour and Audrey II Now (It's Just the Gas) Orin and Seymour | Act Two
Call Back in the Morning Seymour and Audrey Suddenly Seymour Seymour, Audrey and the Girls Suppertime Audrey II and the Girls The Meek Shall Inherit Bernstein, Skip Snip, Mrs. Luce, Seymour and the Girls Sominex/Suppertime (reprise) Audrey and Audrey II Finale (Don't Feed the Plants) Company |
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