You probably know something about the popular off-broadway musical Little Shop Of Horrors, or the 1986 movie of the same name, but did you know that it has been around in some iteration since 1894?
H.G. Wells wrote The Flowering of a Strange Orchid in 1894 which sparked the curiosity of other writers throughout history. This short story spoke about a young orchid collector who bought a mysterious, blood-sucking plant that ultimately ended up attacking the man.
Many others wrote stories in different genres after this popular short story, such as John Collier with Green Thoughts in 1932, which was a comedic version of the original story, and Arthur C. Clarke with The Reluctant Orchid in 1956, a sci-fi story that decided the plant had not so pure intentions.
All of these stories inspired screenwriter Charles B. Griffith to put together a humorous and dark iteration of the original stories that was filmed in just three days, on a different movie lot, and entered the public domain as The Little Shop of Horrors, truly beginning the path to the story many of us know today.
Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who you may know from familiar soundtracks such as, the Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and other Disney classics, saw the potential of this story. Something thematically different from anything they had seen before, and adapted their own musical version that debuted off-off broadway in 1982.
Ashman and Menken took a movie filmed in three days and created it into something that will never be forgotten in popular culture. This adaptation reimagined the main characters, Seymour, Audrey, and Mr.Mushnick, along with changing the name of the Dentist to Orin Scrivello and expanding his role into the main plot. They also added the chorus of girls who narrate the plot throughout. And most importantly, they created the iconic Audrey II, the singing, life-size venus flytrap, with a mind of its own. Although the killer man-eating plant was present in the original movie, this story shows he is sentient and conscious of his choices, and he is truly an evil plant.
This musical inspired another movie in 1986, starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Green. This movie followed the same plot as the broadway musical, except the ending. They tested audiences and decided the dreary ending of the musical was not suited for a movie. So they opted for a lighter, happier ending. This movie was a household staple when many of our parents were growing up, but so many do not know that it is not the proper ending to the beloved story.
In 2003, the show moved theatres and was officially a Broadway show, with an all new cast recording that people still listen to today. They ran on Broadway for almost a year spanning 372 performances before closing. The show was revived off-Broadway in 2019. Now the show runs 8 shows a week with a revolving cast of high profile actors and actresses. You may recognize some of the many that have played the lead, Seymour, such as, Milo Manheim, Jordan Fisher, Thoman Doherty, and Jeremy Jordan.
The show now has a public license where high schools and universities all across the country can purchase show rights to perform this piece in their own hometowns. Radford University included!! Little Shop of Horrors has been taking place for the last three months here on campus and is finally open to the public just this week.
One little short story almost 135 years ago sparked so many writers and creators to try their hand at making something worthwhile. And while all these little steps along the way had a huge impact on the final result, Little Shop of Horrors, will always be remembered for the raunchy, sweet, hilarious, and downright groovy R&B style musical that has graced the stage for 7 years.
Edited and Reviewed by Rebecca Price
