Little Shop of Horrors Plays Philadelphia March 15-20

"Giant killer plant conquers Broadway!" said Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal. And now, Broadway In Philadelphia announces that LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is coming to conquer Philadelphia, March 15th through 20th at the Merriam Theater. This all-new production is directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall.

Tickets are priced from $20 to $77. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at (215) 336-1234, go online at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com or visit the Merriam Theater Box Office located at 250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA. Group discounts are available for 20 or more by calling (215) 732-1366. Evening performances will be March 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 at 8 p.m. and March 20 at 6:30 p.m. Matinee performances will be March 19 at 2 p.m. and March 20 at 1 p.m. Tickets go on sale January 30, 2005.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, the show Clive Barnes of the New York Post dubbed "wondrously entertaining," features book and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) and includes such well-known musical numbers as "Somewhere That's Green," "Suddenly Seymour" and the title song.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is the story of Seymour Krelbourn, a meek Skid Row florist who makes a Faustian pact with a tiny plant in order to win the heart of Audrey, the girl he loves. While Audrey doesn't notice the romance blooming between them, she does recognize the moneymaking potential of the exotic little plant. Soon money pours in and Seymour becomes a celebrity, but behind the glamour and fame lies a secret Seymour can't reveal – this strange and unusual plant's favorite food is…human blood. As the plant grows, its demands for food grow too, and Seymour starts to suspect that the plant might have an agenda larger than light and soil.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS features a spectacular, planet-panicking plant designed by The Jim Henson WorkshopTM and Martin P. Robinson. "Sexy, smooth, witty, ruthless, and hungry, the plant dominates this sharp and funny revival," says the New York Post. Mr. Robinson previously designed the plant used in the original 1982 Off-Broadway production. Audrey II, as the bloodthirsty puppet is called, features a main pod the size of a Mini Cooper and has the ability to rise 20 feet into the air. Orchids are the inspiration for Audrey II's color scheme, more specifically, a Venus Ladyslipper.

Starring in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS are Jonathan Rayson as Seymour Krelborn and Tari Kelly as Audrey. Michael James Leslie will provide the voice of Audrey II. James Moye will appear as Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. and Lenny Wolpe will play Mr. Mushnik. Rounding out the cast are LaTonya Holmes (Ronnette), Amina Robinson (Crystal) and Yasmeen Sulieman (Chiffon) along with puppeteers Michael Latini and Paul McGuiness and understudies James Alexander (Audrey II), Iris Burruss (Chiffon, Crystal, Ronnette), Darin De Paul (Mushnik), Yvette Lawrence (Audrey), and Jim Poulos (Seymour, Orin, et al.).

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS features scenic design by Scott Pask, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Donald Holder and sound design by T. Richard Fitzgerald.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is based on the 1960 Roger Corman film of the same name. The musical had its world premiere at the WPA Theatre on May 6, 1982. It subsequently transferred to Off-Broadway's Orpheum Theatre on July 27, 1982, where it ran for an unprecedented 2,209 performances. In 1986, the popular movie version staring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin hit the big screen, leading to the opening on Broadway in August 2003.