Local patrons of the arts can now see Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s rock musical “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Alhambra Theatre & Dining in Jacksonville, where it will run through March 25.
“Little Shop of Horrors” opened at the Orpheum Theatre in Manhattan's East Village on July 27, 1982, and ran for five years and 2,209 performances. When it closed in 1987, the show was the third-longest running musical and the highest-grossing production in off-Broadway history. It won several awards, including the 1982–1983 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award. Adapted for film in 1986, the show would eventually make its way to Broadway in 2003, receiving several Tony Award nominations.
The show’s plot centers on a meek floral assistant named Seymour, who discovers a talking, singing plant that he names Audrey II after his co-worker crush, Audrey. The sassy, rhythm-and-blues-singing plant promises Seymour unending fame and fortune as long as he keeps feeding it its special diet. Over time, however, Seymour discovers the plant’s secret plans for taking over the world and must make a difficult decision. Based on the 1960 film “The Little Shop of Horrors,” the musical includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, “Skid Row (Downtown),” “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly, Seymour.”
Set to music in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, the Alhambra production will feature Sarah Sanders – known locally as Mama Blue – as “Crystal,” Linzy Lauren as “Chiffon” and Meka King as “Ronnette.” The show will also feature a live-action, mechanical puppet for Audrey II, which will be co-piloted by Luke Holt and Victoria Miller.
Alhambra tickets start at $38 and include a three-course meal that changes for each show, a Broadway-style performance and complimentary parking. Tickets can be purchased online at www.alhambrajax.com or by calling (904) 641-1212.
