Next up at Theatre Calgary is a musical that will turn the Max Bell Theatre green and red, as a cult-classic hit musical about a little plant that bites back, takes the stage in Little Shop of Horrors.
With book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and music by Alan Menken, this deviously delightful blend of comedy, romance, and rock ’n’ roll, follows timid shop assistant Seymour Krelborn, who works in a struggling flower shop on Skid Row. When he discovers a mysterious plant and brings it back to the shop, little does he know that it comes with a taste for blood. As the plant grows, so do the stakes, leading to a darkly comic tale about ambition, love, and the price of getting what you wish for.
Featuring an unforgettable score inspired by 1960s pop, doo-wop, and Motown, this satirical and macabre musical is equal parts charm and bite. If you aren’t familiar with the music, fear not, as you will no doubt leave the theatre humming the show’s favourite numbers like "Feed Me," "Suddenly Seymour," "Skid Row," and the title tune "Little Shop of Horrors."
Directing and Choreographing Little Shop of Horrors is Tracey Flye, whose career at Theatre Calgary spans 35 years as an actor, choreographer, and director. Flye compares the journey of Seymour in this musical to a Faustian legend, where someone seeking knowledge and power sells their soul to the Devil in exchange for all their desires being fulfilled. “When Seymour makes the discovery of a lifetime in his plant, the promise of success and his wildest dreams offered by the plant proves too much for the impoverished Seymour to resist,” says Flye. “He soon finds himself facing a terrible dilemma. In order to attain his dreams he must pay a price by continuing to feed the demands of the plant, in an increasingly grisly fashion, or risk losing everything his has realized. What should he do?”
Originally a 1960 B movie, directed by the legendary Roger Corman (and featuring a very young Jack Nicholson), Little Shop of Horrors found it’s way to the stage Off-Broadway as a musical in 1982. There, it would run for over five years and more than 2,200 performances, and become the third-longest running Off-Broadway musical in history. That success led to a new film in 1986 featuring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and Steve Martin. Both films and the musical have cultivated legions of cult-classic fans worldwide.
“The show is often described as camp and outrageous, and it is. The circumstances our hero finds himself in are fantastical and worthy of the B Movie genre,” says Flye. “But for me, at its core, the show balances its camp comedy with the beating heart of humanity. Our basic need for love and validation and that truth is the basis for what drives each of the characters in their own way, just as it does each of us.”
The cast of Little Shop of Horrors features new and familiar faces to Theatre Calgary. Returning to our stage in the role of Seymour is Tenaj Williams, who was last seen at TC in Ragtime: A Concert Performance (a co-pro with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Werklund Centre). Making their TC debuts in the role of Audrey and Dr. Orin Scrivello (the Dentist) are Kate Blackburn and Gaelan Beatty, who just happen to be married in real life. Rounding out the cast are Mark Bellamy, Jessica Jones, Jamie Konchak, Michael-Lamont Lytle, Inez Mugisha, Michelle Yu, and standby understudies Jessica Eckstadt, Troy Goldthorp, and Scott Olynek.
Little Shop of Horrors runs September 29 – October 25 in Werklund Centre’s Max Bell Theatre. If you’re brave enough to step into the plant shop, tickets for all performances can be purchased online at theatrecalgary.com.
Header image: Tenaj Williams and Kate Blackburn. Photo: Emily Cooper.
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