It shouldn't have worked. Really. A musical about a man-eating plant from outer space, based on a cheap, black-and-white 1960s film that was shot in two days on leftover sets? On paper, the Little Shop of Horrors musical sounds like a fever dream or a tax write-off. Yet, decades after its 1982 debut at the WPA Theatre, it remains the most resilient piece of musical theater in the American canon. It's the show every high school does, every regional theater relies on for a box-office boost, and every New York tourist eventually finds their way to.
There's something deeply weird about it. It’s a comedy, but it’s incredibly bleak. It’s a love story where the leads basically end up as plant food. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken—the duo who eventually saved Disney with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast—crafted something here that is deceptively sophisticated. They took the "Splatter Movie" aesthetic and wrapped it in the most infectious 1960s doo-wop and Motown pastiche ever written.
The Skid Row Roots of a Cult Classic
Howard Ashman was a genius of the "I Want" song, and "Skid Row (Downtown)" is perhaps the best example of the genre. It sets the stakes immediately. We aren't just in a flower shop; we are in a dead-end existence. Seymour Krelborn is a schmuck. He’s a well-meaning, clumsy, orphaned schmuck who works for the abrasive Mr. Mushnik. Then there’s Audrey. She has the bleached hair, the abusive boyfriend, and a heart so big it’s a wonder it fits in her chest.
When people talk about the Little Shop of Horrors musical, they usually focus on the plant. Audrey II. Twoey. The Mean Green Mother from Outer Space. But the show's actual engine is desperation. Seymour doesn't find the plant because he wants to be evil; he finds it because he wants to be seen. During a total eclipse of the sun, he buys this "strange and interesting plant," and suddenly, his life changes. The shop becomes a success. He gets the girl. The cost? Just a few drops of blood. Then a few pints. Then a whole person.
The transition from "Da-Doo" (a silly, rhythmic backstory song) to "Feed Me (Git It)" marks the shift from a quirky comedy to a Faustian bargain. It's a classic morality play disguised as a puppet show.
Why the Puppetry Matters More Than CGI
We live in an era where everything can be rendered on a screen, but the Little Shop of Horrors musical demands physical presence. In the original Off-Broadway production and the long-running Westside Theatre revival, the plant is a series of increasingly massive puppets designed originally by Martin P. Robinson.
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There are four stages to Audrey II:
- Pod 1: A small hand puppet, often nestled in a coffee can. It looks innocent.
- Pod 2: A larger version that Seymour operates with his arm hidden behind the counter. This is where the plant starts moving its "lips."
- Pod 3: A massive, seated puppet that requires a dedicated operator inside. This is when the plant starts talking back.
- Pod 4: A room-filling behemoth. It’s terrifying. It’s heavy. In the recent New York revival starring actors like Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, and Andrew Barth Feldman, the sheer scale of the final puppet makes the audience gasp.
You can't fake that. The sweat of the puppeteer is part of the magic. When the plant "sings," it’s a collaboration between the person inside the foam and the actor offstage (the Voice) who provides the booming, R&B-infused vocals. If they aren't perfectly synced, the illusion breaks. When they are, it’s visceral.
The Tragic Ending Google Searchers Always Ask About
If you’ve only seen the 1986 Frank Oz movie with Rick Moranis, you might think the story ends happily. Seymour and Audrey defeat the plant, get married, and move to a house with a white picket fence in "Somewhere That’s Green."
Nope.
The Little Shop of Horrors musical has one of the darkest endings in musical theater history. In the original stage version, Audrey is attacked by the plant and, as she dies, she asks Seymour to feed her to it so she can finally be "somewhere that's green" inside the plant's leaves. Seymour, broken and hysterical, eventually gets eaten too. The show ends with "Don't Feed the Plants," a warning to the audience as vines drop from the ceiling, implying the plant's offspring are now being sold across America and will eventually consume the world.
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Test audiences in the 80s hated this. They threw a fit. So, the movie changed it. But the stage show keeps the tragedy. It’s more honest that way. It’s a story about the price of fame and the danger of "feeding" your own greed. If you take the shortcut to success, it eventually eats you alive. Literally.
The Menken and Ashman Secret Sauce
Before they were the kings of Disney, Ashman and Menken were downtown rebels. The score of Little Shop of Horrors musical is a masterclass in genre-bending. You have "Suppertime," which is a greasy, low-down blues number. You have "Suddenly, Seymour," which is a power ballad that rivals anything on Broadway.
- The Trio: Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon. Named after 60s girl groups, they act as a Greek chorus. They are the only ones who see the whole picture.
- Orin Scrivello, D.D.S.: The masochistic dentist. It’s a role that requires a high-energy performer to play a truly despicable human being. The song "Dentist!" is a terrifyingly catchy ode to professionalized cruelty.
Common Misconceptions and Trivia
Many people think the show started on Broadway. It didn't. It spent five years Off-Broadway because Howard Ashman felt the intimacy of a smaller house suited the "B-movie" feel better. It didn't actually hit a Broadway stage until 2003.
Another weird fact? The original 1960 movie featured a very young Jack Nicholson as the dental patient who loves pain. In the musical, that role is a brief but hilarious cameo.
Is it a kids' show? Schools do it all the time, but honestly, it’s pretty dark. There’s domestic abuse, murder, and a literal apocalypse. But because the music is so "bubbly," we let it slide. It’s the ultimate Trojan Horse.
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How to Experience Little Shop Today
If you're looking to dive into the Little Shop of Horrors musical, you have options. The 1986 film is a masterpiece of practical effects, even with the "happy" ending (you can find the "Director's Cut" with the original tragic ending on most Blu-ray releases).
However, seeing it live is the only way to get the full effect. The current revival at the Westside Theatre in New York has been running for years for a reason. It strips away the glitz and returns to the gritty, smelly, Skid Row roots of the story.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and Newbies
- Listen to the 1982 Original Cast Recording: Ellen Greene as Audrey is irreplaceable. Her vocal choices—the "squeak" in her voice—defined the character for forty years.
- Compare the Endings: Watch the theatrical cut of the 1986 movie, then watch the "Lost Ending" on YouTube. It features a massive miniature sequence of the plants destroying New York City that cost millions of dollars and was cut after one bad test screening.
- Check Local Listings: Because it only requires a small cast (usually 8-10 people) and one set, it is one of the most frequently produced regional shows.
- Look at the Script: If you're a theater geek, read Howard Ashman's stage directions. His vision for the "attitude" of the plant—part street-smart hustler, part cosmic horror—is a masterclass in character writing.
The Little Shop of Horrors musical isn't just a parody of sci-fi. It’s a brilliant, catchy, and heartbreaking look at what happens when we stop caring about the "how" and only care about the "what." It’s a warning wrapped in a show tune. And as long as people are desperate for a way out of their own version of Skid Row, Audrey II will be waiting in the shadows, telling us to "Feed me."
Don't feed the plants. Or do. The music is worth it.