Playmakers’ Little Shop of Horrors Justifies the Multigenerational Cult Classic
This article was published by Triangle Review on 10 Apr 2025.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
