Little Shop of Horrors (1999)
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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
Orchestra
Bass 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 Staff
Producer 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
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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 Synopsis
Act 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
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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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