Customer Reviews

Little Shop Of Horrors: Original Cast Album (1982 Off-Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was lucky enough to see this iteration of "Little Shop of Horrors" in it's original incarnation way Off Broadway back in 1982.
I loved it then, and love it now.
This remastered recording of the original show is cleanly done; this is as good as it's ever gonna sound.
Since now I am more familiar with the film version, there were a few interesting differences.
First, this is more literate - more witty. There is more dexterous wordplay here; you'll find yourself chuckling at lines non-existent in the film. Since the stage version couldn't rely on visuals in the way the film did, this stuff "fills in" a lot around the edges of the story.
Second, the ending is fatalistic...I seem to remember the ceiling covered with Audrey tentacles at the end of the show.
Third, the singing in the film is more over-the-top than this version. Compare Steve Martin's dentist to this one. This one is way more subdued, though no less demented! "Suddenly Seymour', and I realize this may be heresy in some parts, is simply better in the film...the tempo change fits the song, and Ellen Greene's vocals soar. The Greek chorus girls are a bit more sassy in song in the film, although they have more to do here.
Fourth, so many things in the film are "shown" to you, while here there are these delightful patter songs...like the one about his TV contracts and exposures.
Fifth, there are songs unique to each show. They've been mentioned in other reviews, but I have to tell you, they're more fun if you discover them on your own.

A hearty enthusiastic recommendation on this excellent remastered version!

The original cast recording of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS does not have a happy ending. The musical ends with the plants taking over the world and eating just about everything in sight. Nevertheless, we do get to hear some good music along the way making this modernized take on a Faustian tale a little easier to swallow. The songs and lyrics in the show were written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman and is just as good, if not better than anything they ever wrote for Disney (maybe Little Shop depressed them too much and that's why they started working for the Mouse). My favorite songs on the album are:

"Skid Row (Downtown"--a tune which embodies the longing of
achievement that every small town nerd or inner-city nobody
has ever felt.

"Somewhere That's Green"--a lovely song that Audrey sings expressing what she really wants out of life.

"Feed Me (Git It)"--the song where Audrey II begins to reveal her true nature.

"Suddenly, Seymour"--the song that every nice guy wishes the girl he loves would sing about him.

Since this is the original Broadway cast album, there are numbers missing from here that are in the movie and in the revival show. But, this was the first (well, Roger Corman's movie was first) and for that, it's a classic gem.

Of all the incarnations of this story, from Roger Corman's peculiar, delightful B&W quickie, to Disney's lavish adaptation of this musical version, the unadulterated La Mama stage production is the finest. There is an edge to this, a much darker shading, that the cutesified Disney version lacks (even compare Ellen Greene's versions of "Suddenly, Seymour" -- in the movie shy and restrained, here -- she knocks your socks off). And in changing the story to make Seymour more likable, and to give the film a happier ending, they miss the major point: this is, in essence, a retelling of the Faust legend. Seymour sells his soul, and Audrey II is, in fact, Mephistopheles. This ending, complete with Crystal, Chiffon & Ronette's "Subsequent to the Events" Greek chorus and the warning "Don't Feed the Plants" is much more plausible and dramatically satisfying than that in the film; the singing and interpretive performances are uniformly excellent, better than in the film; and the one song they add to the film is no consolation for the ones they drop from the stage production (such as the delightful "Mushnick & Son") -- in short, this is a great recording, and one can only wish they'd filmed the play at the LaMama in the East Village.

I must say that I loved loved LOVED the play when I saw it and just had to run out and buy the soundtrack. I like the original cast CD better than the movie soundtrack because it includes two of my favorite songs, "Mushnik and Son", and "Don't Feed the Plants. I was a little disappointed that Audrey's death song, a reprise of "Somwhere that's Green", was cut out, but I got over it. This is a great CD for anyone who likes a little melody. Much like the play, it keeps your toe tapping and your heart pounding.

I'm a sucker for the whole "This is where it all began" aspect of original cast albums, not matter how simple or rough around the edges they be (The 1973 London cast of The Rocky Horror Show is a perfect example), and it's these humble recordings that are usually, if not always my favorite. That being said, Little Shop of Horrors is quite possible my favorite musical. Of every show that grace smy stereo, this is probably the only show that I truely feel is absolutly perfect. I have no gripes what so ever with this show. Since as far back as I could remember I've always felt that it balanced humor and heart with more then just a dash of coolness like no other show avant or apres has ever been able to do.

But I digress, getting back to the matter of cast recordings. The biggest gripe I could have with a cast recording is that it's incomplete. Anything less then the entire score recorded in it's entirety is painful for me. That's this recordings major flaw. It's pretty sparse. It's more of a highlight recording if anything, as it includes most of the best tracks, with the exception of a few add ons.

The main tracks it does include (Suddenly Seymour, Feed me, Dentist, Somehwere That's Green, Grow for Me...You know the ones) are fortunatly either diffinitve or pretty damn good. The Feed me here is, at least in my oppinion, the best ever recorded. Ron Taylor as Audrey II is amazing. Probably only second best to Levi Stubbs in the movie (although the Feed Me there isn't nearly as good). We also have the Amazing Ellen Greene here, and that NEVER hurts. She's heartbreaking.

You couldn't ay this is the definitive recording - the 2003 Broadway cast probably takes that honor, if only because it's complete - but this album is a wonderful light into how it all began. Highly recomennded.

"Little Shop Of Horrors" opened Off-Broadway in 1982 and had an amazing run of five-plus years.

Despite not reaching Broadway until recently, the show's score was quite influential (esp. "Hairspray") has been performed countless times in local productions.

Best tracks include:

Prologue (Little Shop Of Horrors)
Skid Row (Downtown)
Somewhere That's Green
Feed Me (Get It)
Suddenly, Seymour

Terrific cd! ... though the ending is very different from the movie version.

The original Broadway recording of the play _The Little Shop of Horrors_ is full of catchy, upbeat songs that are fun to sing along with. However, I only recommend it for people who have been exposed to either the movie with Rick Moranis or the original play and enjoyed it. This CD may also be of interest to fans who like Disney music, as the music corresponding with Howard Ashman's clever lyrics was composed by Alan Menken. If listeners tune to the wistful, soaring love song "Somewhere That's Green" they may be able to recognize musical parts from _The Little Mermaid_'s "Part of Your World."

My favorite songs are "Skid Row (Downtown)," "Somewhere That's Green," "Feed Me (Git It)," and "Suddenly Seymour." The music is, of course, catchy ("Da-Doo"), but the lyrics are what make this CD worth the buy--lines manage to be sweet and satirical at the same time. This CD has much more depth than the movie soundtrack--the only advantage to having the movie soundtrack would be Steve Martin's hilarious version of the sadistic song "The Dentist." All in all, I would recommend this CD for fans.

Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, best known for their superb songs for the Disney classics Beauty and the Best and The Little Mermaid, were also prominent in the theater. However, the crowning achievement of their work for theater (mostly Off-Broadway) was Little Shop of Horrors. Menken perfectly blends theater music and pop music and Ashman's lyrics are always witty and excellent.
The small cast has plently of talent. Let's begin with Ellen Greene, an exceptional actress who will be best remembered for this role of Audrey. Although her dialouge reading isn't prominent on this album, her singing certainly is. And what a singer she is! She's perfect.
Ron Taylor, best known for his role of Bleeding Gums Murphy on The Simpsons, is great as Audrey II. I prefer him to Levi Stubbs in the film and the fellow who played him in the overblown Broadway production.
Lee Wilkoff, an Off-Broadway veteran (later to star in the original Playwrights Horizons production of Assassins) is a fine Seymour. He sings nicely and pulls the role off well.
The guy playing Mr. Mushnik is just fine and the man who plays Orin the Dentist among other parts is excellent.
The Greek Chorus of Urchins, a creation of Mr. Ashman's, make a great musical excellent. These girls are perhaps give the best performances for a recording of this show.
This is a great musical. It's slowly becoming a modern classic and deserves to become one!

To hell with all those shows from the so-called golden era of musical theatre (I.E. High Society, South Pacific, Singin' In The Rain). I like my musical theatre to be dark, dismal, and depressing (I.E. Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, Rocky Horror Show). This is Little Shop in all it's horrific splendor, all of it's terrifying glory. That is, before Hollywood got hold of it and turned it into a damn muppet movie. All of the great tunes that didn't make the final cut to the film are here, the "Ya Never Know," the "Mushnik and Son," the "Closed for Renovation," and of course the glorious ending song "Don't Feed The Plants." If you want a definitive cast album, this is it. Trouble is, though, you can't get this version of the play anymore, so it really isn't a good reference disk for people who are in performing the show. Unfortunately you'll have to look to the revival cast recording for that. Some of the songs are a little bit different, and in a different order. For example; Mushnik and Son doesn't have all those crazy names in it on the new cast recording, which could be a blessing in disguise for any actor who has trouble memorizing all that stuff. As much as I prefer the original version to the new version, when I played Mushnik this past December, I was somewhat relieved that we had in our script the new version of that song. There are other subtle improvements on the new recording, but you can look to my other review for that.

What can I say? "Little Shop of Horrors" is one of my favorite musicals. I own both films--the original 1960 non-musical and the 1986 musical version, and have met Mel Welles (orig. 1960 Mushnik) and took an acting class with him. So this CD brings back a lot of great memories.

But anyway, I digress. The singers on this one are quite good. Ellen Greene, of course, is amazing as Audrey, she was so nice they had her record her part TWICE (she's also on the movie soundtrack). But she sounds infinitely better on the original cast CD. Lee Wilkof is only an adequate Seymour, however. He's not as "sweet and innocent" as Rick Moranis, half the time he sounds like he's mad at the world. Ron Taylor is an amazing Audrey II. He has that booming voice that jumps out at you, and he puts a lot of soul into "Feed Me (Git It)" and "Suppertime".

The supporting cast is also very good. Hy Anzell does a bang-up job with "Mushnik and Son", and Franc Luz is a very intimidating Orin (the dentist), he sounds a bit like the lead singer from Bauhaus at times on "Dentist!" but he's still really awesome. The doo-wop girls are very soulful, too!

As Audrey II says, GO GET IT!