![]() When Audrey waxes nostalgic for a fantasy that might not come true in “Somewhere That’s Green,” she doesn’t just sing a pretty tune. Seymour (Nick Cearley) and Audrey II (voice by Chaz Rose, manipulation by Stephen Kriz Gardner) in Little Shop of Horrors. The provocative nature of Audrey II’s lyrics also echoes the sultry and rebellious tones of the early days of R&B. In “Feed Me (Git It)” and “Suppertime,” Audrey II entices Seymour to keep feeding him in order to get him more of what he wants, all while using a steady drum beat, bluesy piano and soulful vocals to create a big band effect. The villainous Audrey II takes on its own musical voice with the catchy and devilishly entertaining sounds of early rhythm and blues heard in the 1950s and ‘60s. Ronnette (Ebony Blake), Chiffon (Johari Nandi) and Crystal (Alexis Tidwell) in Little Shop of Horrors. They even reference The Ronettes (of a different spelling) whose biggest hits include “Be My Baby” and “Walkin’ in the Rain.” They take after the popular girl groups of the 1960s, reflecting the soulful yet upbeat tunes popularized by The Supremes, The Shirelles and The Crystals. They serve as the story’s Greek Chorus, informing us of the characters’ backstories and providing access to the story’s themes. Girl Groups of the 1960s Little Shop of Horrors wouldn’t be the musical that we know today without the consistent direction of the Ronnettes. Seymour (Nick Cearley), Ronnette (Ebony Blake), Chiffon (Johari Nandi) and Crystal (Alexis Tidwell) in Little Shop of Horrors. In a twist on the genre, Seymour sings “Da-Doo” with doo-wop flair as The Ronnettes keep background harmony. “Doo-Wop” refers to the nonverbal background vocals provided by group members to create the rhythm. Think “In the Still of the Night” by Fred Parris and the Satins. In what might be the earliest evidence of boy bands, doo-wop is characterized by a small group of male singers singing a cappella in harmony, usually to the tune of softened up, wholesome lyrics. Here’s a look at the genres Little Shop of Horrors uses to create a satirical, musical treat. The play also includes Broadway show tunes and rhythm and blues to stylize the production in an exciting, updated way. ![]() Though the original production of Little Shop of Horrors premiered in 1982, the story vaguely takes place in the 1960s and uses its toe-tapping musical score to invite the audience to examine the pop culture of that era. So did the film, which THR predicted in its review would “solidify the studio’s comeback.” That it did, grossing $225 million worldwide ($550 million today), and launching a string of animated classics including 1991’s Beauty and the Beast and 1992’s Aladdin.The world of Skid Row feels like a kitschy throwback to a time when June Cleaver had dinner on the table by six and rebellious teens donned greasy leather jackets. Katzenberg nearly cut Ariel’s signature song, “Part of Your World,” because “he was just bored” during the sequence, recalls Benson, but Ashman and Ariel’s animator, Glen Keane, “both said, ‘No - you can’t do that.’ ” Katzenberg acquiesced, and the song became a standard. Wright, another Broadway vet, who in 1989 starred with Benson in Cy Coleman’s final musical, Welcome to the Club.) Many months went by, and then I got the call that I had gotten the part of Ariel.”Īshman enlisted his Little Shop of Horrors collaborator Alan Menken to compose melodies for the film and reconfigured a crab character from an English butler named Clarence into a Caribbean crustacean named Sebastian. It was something to do on the way to the unemployment office. “When our show closed very quickly, Howard invited a handful of us girls to audition for The Little Mermaid. ![]() ![]() ![]() “The Disney executives came to see the show, and I got to meet them backstage,” recalls Benson. “Howard approached it in such a beautiful way, like a Broadway musical,” says Jodi Benson, who was 27 and working with Ashman and Marvin Hamlisch at the time, performing in the short-lived Broadway show Smile. Hollywood Flashback: 'The Good Wife' Won Showrunners Robert and Michelle King Their First Case ![]()
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