Exclusive: Director and Stars of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Pioneer Theatre Company on Their More Realistic Approach

BroadwayWorld was given an exclusive look at Pioneer Theatre Company’s new professional production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, the cult classic musical from the team behind THE LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken) that first premiered off Broadway in 1982, inspiring a 1986 musical film and leading to a still-running 2019 revival. 

In a basement rehearsal room decked out with renderings of the imposing two-tiered set by Bryce Cutler (Broadway: GRAND HORIZONS) and detailed, custom-made costumes by Tina McCartney (ROMY AND MICHELE: THE MUSICAL), the cast gathered to rehearse two fully staged songs from the show. 

First was Maya J. Christian (JAGGED LITTLE PILL) as Chiffon, Tyler Symone (RENT) as Ronnette, and Lauren Wilmore (STEREOPHONIC) as Crystal performing the title number with sparkling vocals and a knowing glint in their eyes. 

Next was “Suddenly Seymour” from Alanna Saunders (Broadway: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, TV: NBC’s PETER PAN LIVE!) as Audrey and Andrew Faria (WEST SIDE STORY, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS) as Seymour in a performance that felt incredibly intimate and realistic.

Saunders, Faria, and director/choreographer Gerry McIntyre (Broadway: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, PTC: BONNIE & CLYDE) later spoke exclusively with BroadwayWorld about this different approach to the material.

“I tried not to do the cookie cutter character thing, you know,” McIntyre said. “To just try not to go into that voice that every girl has, you know what I mean? I know she was such a great Audrey, but now everyone does that, ‘Sorry, doctor. Sorry, doctor.’”

“The thing about Audrey is that she's really pure,” Saunders said. “Her intentions are so clear, and what she's doing in the show is so clear, and so to look at it from that perspective, the show really does feel like a tragedy, and in a really heartbreaking way.”

“We talk about how real these characters are, like there's so much truth in this script,” she added.  “What's so good about this whole cast is that everyone is really grounded in truth despite being also very funny.”

“There's just something so raw about this show,” Faria said.  “It's just beautiful. It's a tragedy, like you said. Like, I'm crying. I would cry my eyes out the first time she was singing ‘Somewhere That's Green.’”

“I mean, there's a certain level of camp that's just amazing, perfect for the show, that needs to be there, but something that we've been able to find, something we've been able to talk about and discuss, is that heart,” he continued. “And that's the tea about the show is that your heart is that difference.”

“We cast you because you're you, so let's do our production of it,” McIntyre said. “Our spin on it is more real.  It's not a caricature. And you know, Seymour doesn't talk like baby talk, I call it. Trying to just do the strengths of the people that we have in the room that we hired.”

“What is unique about this production is that it is really grounded in the truth of the story,” Saunders said.  “Even every person's bits, character choices, all of those things—they only work, and why they're so funny is because they sit on top of like the truth of the text. I don't know, it sounds very cheesy and actory, but I do think that this particular production has that in it.”

“I don't think that's cheesy at all,” Faria replied.  “That's the way it is for life. I mean, everyone brings their own thing to the table.”

“This is why I also love working with Gerry, because he's that way,” Saunders continued. “Like really, it's important to him.”

“Working with Gerry's so amazing because he's offering perspective,” Faria said. “It's something fresh, and it's like trying a new rub on a marinade on a beef, you know what I'm saying?”

“There's no fat—it's all meat,” McIntyre said.  “The book is really lean. It gets straight to the point.”

“It's not like those scripts that you try to cover up and do a lot of smoke and mirrors to make it good for the audience,” he explained.  “This one you don't need to. You just need to say the words and say them like you talk.”

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS plays through November 7, 2026. For tickets, call the box office at 801-581-6961 or visit www.pioneertheatre.org.

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