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Theatre Calgary stages Little Shop of Horrors, based on Roger Corman's 1960 film and the 1982 Off-Broadway musical, running through Oct. 25 at Max Bell Theatre.
Theatre Calgary is presenting its adaptation of Little Shop of Horrors at the Max Bell Theatre in Werklund Centre, running through Oct. 25. The production brings the beloved musical to local audiences just in time for a month devoted to scary, silly thrills.
Origins of Little Shop of Horrors
The story began in 1959 when B-movie king Roger Corman discovered a set left over from his previous film, A Bucket of Blood. He set out to shoot a completely different feature in two days to beat a change in actor union laws. He had no script but enlisted screenwriter Charles B. Griffith, who had written A Bucket of Blood and would later write Death Race 2000.
Griffith came up with an idea for a film about a house plant named Seymour that lives off human blood. That film became Little Shop of Horrors, released in 1960. The original horror-comedy came and went without much fuss, despite a cameo appearance by three-time Oscar winner Jack Nicholson before he was on Oscar's radar.
From Film to Off-Broadway Hit
In 1982, Little Shop of Horrors was adapted into an Off-Broadway musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics and story by Howard Ashman. The musical was a huge hit in New York City, running for an astonishing 2,210 performances.
The musical struck a note with Theatre Calgary artistic director Stafford Arima, who acted in a production as a Toronto emerging artist and later saw the musical at the Orpheum Theatre on Second Avenue in New York's East Village. In a media release, Arima said that beneath the outrageous comedy, irresistible score, doo wop rhythms and one extremely hungry plant, there is a surprisingly human story about wanting more and family.
He added that Seymour wants to be seen and Audrey dreams of a better life, with both believing happiness exists just beyond their reach. Into that longing comes Audrey II, offering everything they think they desire, for a price. Arima also noted that Little Shop of Horrors is hilarious, theatrical and deliciously dark, but underneath the fun is a cautionary tale about ambition, temptation, love and the choices made when opportunity knocks.
Theatre Calgary's Production Details
The Theatre Calgary adaptation runs through Oct. 25 at the Max Bell Theatre in Werklund Centre. For more information, visit the Theatre Calgary website.
Theatre Calgary Little Shop Of Horrors Roger Corman Stafford Arima Max Bell Theatre Off-Broadway Alan Menken
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