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PlayMakers Rep's Little Shop of Horrors Is
Magically Set, Musically Impressive,
Highly Entertaining, and Thought Provoking

Many middle-aged adults remember the 1986 film version of Little Shop of Horrors, starring Rick Moranis as Seymour, Ellen Greene as Audrey, and Steve Martin as Orin and now considered one of the best movie musicals of all time. But our adult and adolescent children have probably never heard of the original 1960 film version of The Little Shop of Horrors, despite its status as a cult classic. What better way is there to expose them to the entertaining message of this popular dark comedic musical than by seeing Little Shop of Horrors, performed live and locally by PlayMakers Repertory Company, the professional theater in residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?

In order to understand the historical and philosophical relevance of the 1982 Off-Broadway, 1983 West End, and 2003 Broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors, you need to know its background and evolution.

Robert Ariza makes his PlayMakers debut as Seymour, shown here with puppeteer Elizabeth Dye as little Audrey II (photo by HuthPhoto)

The story behind Little Shop of Horrors originated in 1894 in H.G. Wells' short story The Flowering of the Strange Orchid. In 1932, John Collier wrote a darkly comic version called Green Thoughts; and in 1956, sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke adapted the story into The Reluctant Orchid, making the worst intentions of the story clear.

In 1960, the present storyline of The Little Shop of Horrors appeared in the American B movie The Passionate People Eater, a horror comedy written by Chicago-born Charles B. Griffith, directed by Roger Corman, and shot in only two days. The film, whose name changed to The Little Shop of Horrors before release, slowly gained a cult following.

PlayMakers Repertory Company's April 9-27 production of Little Shop of Horrors stars (from left) Breia Joelle Kelley as Chiffon,
Shelby Sykes as Ronnette, Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Mr. Mushnik, and Shayla Brielle G. as Crystal (photo by HuthPhoto)

In 1982, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken adapted the film into the musical Little Shop of Horrors, which was performed in 1982 Off-Broadway before being adapted into Frank Oz's 1986 musical film, which incorporates a "happier" ending and the hit song "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space," written by Ashman and Menken exclusively for the movie.

The current PlayMakers Repertory Company production of Little Shop of Horrors, which is directed by director Jeffrey Meanza and choreographed by Tristan André, with music direction by Alex Thompson, is PlayMakers' first musical since 2019 and has all the makings of a Broadway production, including the strong vocal talents required by characters Audrey, plant Audrey II, and the trio of female "street urchins" who narrate in harmonic doo-wop throughout the production.

PlayMakers Rep's production of Little Shop of Horrors stars Maya Jacobson as Audrey (photo by HuthPhoto)

Scenic designer Regina García's set seamlessly and quickly transforms from the colorful detail inside Mr. Mushnik's plant and flower shop to the store's front stoop and street corner in New York City's Skid Row. Lighting designer Charlie Morrison delivers well-timed effects, accurately pinpointing characters in the aisles among the audience, turning their immediate space into the setting of the moment. And sound designer Morgann Russell, stage manager Sarah Smiley, and puppet designer Martin P. Robinson bring the highest quality to this production.

In his PlayMakers debut, Robert Ariza plays Seymour -- the male protagonist who practices amateur botany while barely hanging onto his job at Mushnik's flower shop -- with gentle, bumbling, lovesick ineffectuality, displaying talents quite similar to Hollywood actor Rick Moranis in the 1986 musical film.

Jim Bray stars as Orin in PlayMakers Rep's production of Little Shop of Horrors at PlayMakers Rep (photo by HuthPhoto)

It is a joy to see Jeffrey Blair Cornell, who is celebrating his 30th consecutive season with PlayMakers, singing as well as acting in his supporting comedic role as Mr. Mushnik.

In her PlayMakers debut, Maya Jacobson pulls off the iconic New York character and belt-it-out vocals of Seymour's love interest Audrey with Off-Broadway appeal that makes the audience cheer before she's finished singing.

Little Shop of Horrors at PlayMakers Rep stars Robert Ariza as Seymour and Maya Jacobson as Audrey (photo by HuthPhoto)

The three "street urchins" -- Shayla Brielle G., Breia Joelle Kelley, and Shelby Sykes -- deliver their melodic narration in joy-filled, gospel-like, doo-wop harmony akin to the three Muses in the 1997 animated Disney film Hercules. There is nothing like hearing live female voices in strong Motown harmony.

And Micaela Shanyce Bundy -- a strong physical presence in her own right -- voices giant, man-eating plant Audrey II, with menacingly strong, broad-ranging vocals that most of us rarely have the opportunity to hear live.

PlayMakers Repertory Company's April 9-27 production of Little Shop of Horrors stars (from left) Maya Jacobson
as Audrey, Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Mr. Mushnik, and Robert Ariza as Seymour (photo by HuthPhoto)

I won't spoil the plot of Little Shop of Horrors for those of you who do not know it. Suffice it to say that PlayMakers' production is magically set, musically impressive, highly entertaining, and thought provoking, and that most adolescents are not new to the "mature themes, language, over-the-top violence, and production effects" that PlayMakers discloses.

Little Shop of Horrors plays at the Paul Green Theatre in Chapel Hill through Sunday, April 27th. Tickets start at $20 each. Get there 15 minutes early so you can appreciate the display of carnivorous plants provided by the North Carolina Botanical Garden and take your photo with Audrey II.

PlayMakers Repertory Company's April 9-27 production of Little Shop of Horrors stars (from left) Breia Joelle
Kelley as Chiffon, Shelby Sykes as Ronnette, and Shayla Brielle G. as Crystal (photo by HuthPhoto)

Note: You can stream 1986 film Little Shop of Horrors online, renting or purchasing it via video-on-demand. But it is far better to catch one of PlayMakers' remaining professional performances and spend your dollars (and your time) locally.

Little Shop of Horrors stars (from left) actress Micaela Shanyce Bundy -- plus puppeteer Matthew Donahue -- as the full-
grown mean-green mother from outer space Audrey II and Robert Ariza (right) as Seymour (photo by HuthPhoto)

Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 15-20 and 22-27), directed by Jeffrey Meanza, choreographed by Tristan André, with music director Alex Thompson, and starring (in alphabetical order) Robert Ariza as Seymour, Jim Bray as Orin, Micaela Shanyce Bundy as Audrey II, Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Mr. Mushnik, Shayla Brielle G. as Crystal, Maya Jacobson as Audrey, Breia Joelle Kelley as Chiffon, and Shelby Sykes as Ronnette, plus an Ensemble that includes Matthew Donahue and Elizabeth Dye (PlayMakers Repertory Company in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC-Chapel Hill's Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art). PLAYBILL: https://online.fliphtml5.com/gtelh/knhr/#p=1. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gUzxqJAyq0&t=3s. PRESENTER: https://playmakersrep.org/, https://www.facebook.com/playmakersrep, https://www.instagram.com/playmakersrep/, https://www.tiktok.com/@playmakersrep, https://x.com/playmakersrep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayMakers_Repertory_Company, and https://www.youtube.com/@PlayMakersRepertory. 2024-25 SEASON: https://playmakersrep.org/season/2024-2025/. PRC BLOG: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/our-blog/. VENUE: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/paul-green-theatre/ and https://museum.unc.edu/exhibits/show/names/paul-green-theatre. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://playmakersrep.org/visitor-info/directions-and-parking/. THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (original 1960 film, a.k.a. The Passionate People Eater): https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/53212, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054033/, https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/81592/the-little-shop-of-horrors#overview, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Shop_of_Horrors. WATCH FREE (with ads): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r3OOJ0DLAc. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1982 Off-Broadway, 1983 West End, and 2003 Broadway horror-comedy rock musical): https://www.mtishows.com/little-shop-of-horrors-broadway-version, https://www.howardashman.com/howards-work/little-shop-of-horrors, https://www.spectra.theater/playhub/pr/a9277734-9805-5ea3-bbb0-90c136f6451c, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/little-shop-of-horrors-11223, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Shop_of_Horrors_(musical). THE SCRIPT (Libretto Vocal Book): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CZDIpDkaorNPRLhrqkvv5sRFGwbIU9J6/view. STUDY GUIDE (Utah Shakespeare Festival): https://www.bard.org/study-guides/little-shop-of-horrors-study-guide/. ALAN MENKEN (New Rochelle, NY-born composer): https://www.alanmenken.com/, https://playmakersrep.org/artists/alan-menken/, https://www.mtishows.com/people/alan-menken, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/alan-menken-12135, https://www.spectra.theater/explore/artist/27598432-61d6-4609-b029-6f56411da578, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0579678/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Menken. HOWARD ASHMAN (Baltimore, MD-born playwright, lyricist, and screenwriter, nee Howard Elliott Ashman, 1950-91): https://www.howardashman.com/, https://playmakersrep.org/artists/howard-ashman/, https://www.mtishows.com/people/howard-ashman, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/howard-ashman-6356, https://www.spectra.theater/explore/artist/8bce64df-265e-479e-8189-d91f1738ea0e, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0039141/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Ashman. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1986 musical-comedy film): https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/little-shop-horrors, https://www.alanmenken.com/work/little-shop-of-horrors, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091419/, https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/18242/little-shop-of-horrors#overview, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Shop_of_Horrors_(1986_film). NOTE 1: The 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 15th, show is a Pay-What-You-Can performance. NOTE 2: The 2 p.m. Sunday, April 20th, show, will be an open-captioned performance, allowing the audience to read the dialogue. A post-show discussion, with members of the cast and creative team, will follow. NOTE 3: The show's 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22nd, performance will be UNC Faculty Night, with FREE with free drinks and snacks on the patio for faculty members who take advantage of their 15%-off ticket discount. NOTE 4: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and American-sign-language interpret the show's 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23rd, performance. TICKETS: $20 and up ($10 and up students and youth), plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-962-7529 or prcboxoffice@unc.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: PlayMakers Repertory Company.

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