Don’t Feed the Monster in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’!

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Photo by Mark Frohna

Skylight Music Theatre - LIttle Shop of Horrors

Ashley Oviedo (Audrey) rehearses Skylight Music Theatre's 'Little Shop of Horrors'

Roger Corman was thinking B movie when he put Little Shop of Horrors on screen, but like the predatory plant at the heart of the story, his 1960 flick had an unexpected life of its own. After blossoming into a camp classic, Little Shop of Horrors inspired Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s 1982 Off-Broadway musical. When the show moved to Broadway, its long run led to Frank Oz’s 1986 film. Through cross-cultural pollination, Corman’s seed of an idea was transformed into a standard for theater groups across the U.S. This weekend, Little Shop of Horrors takes the stage at Skylight Music Theatre.

For some, the star of the show has always been the fly trap-cum-killer, Audrey II. At Skylight the plant will be animated by four puppets, each differently sized to match its growth as Seymour the florist lovingly feeds it. “Audrey II is a dream role for many puppeteers, but there are a lot of physical mechanics that go into it,” says Gabriella Ashlin of her Skylight debut.

She explains the process: “I’m working with three out four Audrey II puppets. The first plant is the smallest, a hand puppet, which I am controlling out of sight during the song ‘Grow for Me.’ Kevin James Sievert, who plays Seymour, is puppeteering the second plant—also a hand puppet, but on a larger scale. Numbers three and four are huge puppets that our assistant stage managers strap me into; then I use my entire body to manipulate.” She’s sitting down for number three but standing up for number four. “They’re both real workouts to puppet each night, and it took several weeks of weight training to work them effectively.” 

‘Perfect Theatrical Experience’

Skylight’s Artistic Director Michael Unger debuts as stage director for the company with Little Shop of Horrors. He’s been a fan since seeing the original Off-Broadway production, calling it “a perfect theatrical experience.” On the surface, Little Shop may seem like campy good fun, but not unlike the innocent-looking plant, it conceals larger significance.

“So much about Little Shop of Horrors interests and excites me. First of all, it is one of the greatest pop musical scores with a fairly perfect dramatic structure. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken created this gem of a show that, like Audrey II, took on many lives of its own,” Unger says.  

Then he adds, “To me it is extremely timely to do this show in the age of a pandemic, and in the midst of political division. Through the camp and fun is a message about giving ‘oxygen’ (and water and sunlight and other nutrients) to dark forces. Audrey II could represent the pandemic, a politician, a personal demon. The warning is the same. If we as a society allow these monsters to exist, we must work as a society to not feed ‘the plant.’ Obviously, conflict comes from different people believing that different forces are ‘the plant.’ It is my hope that through the laughter in this show, people will see how a seemingly innocent little thing can have horrific consequences and that the only way to stop it is to work together.”

Little Shop is set in early ‘60s New York. “The audiences can expect to be transported back to another era, that speaks to our own, and through massive fun, laughter, and compassion, learn a big lesson that can be applied to today about unchecked ambition,” Unger says. “In terms of the physical production, the set was actually designed one year ago when we thought we’d be back in business, albeit with social distancing onstage as well as off. We actually staged the entire musical last year over Zoom before putting it on its feet for two days in the theatre, only to be shut down again.”  

The Meaning of Live

Unger started at Skylight two years ago but all plans were put on hold by the pandemic. “I think the unanticipated, forced time away from the way we conventionally do things proved the monumental resilience of humanity in general and theater in specific,” he says. “We at Skylight never stopped working. I actually feel very fortunate to have had been working through the entire pandemic—something many of my colleagues are not able to say. There was so much virtual programming during the pandemic that I think it proved to audiences a theater’s commitment to them.

“But, on the other hand, and upon our return to live theater with The Full Monty, it proved to all of us how much people missed that live interaction. To hear the laughter in the house night after night during The Full Monty reminded all of us how unique is our art form. One of my favorite things as a director and artistic director is to watch an audience watching a show. I can’t wait to see the reactions to this Little Shop.  

“The arts are such an important part of society, and we are seeing a movement across the nation for theatre to be more responsible, diverse, inclusive. These are all good things that should have been happening all along. In many instances, the events of the past few years, at terrible cost, are helping to make positive change.”  

Little Shop of Horrors runs Nov. 19-Jan. 2 at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. For more information, visit skylightmusictheatre.org or call 414-291-7800.