LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS returning Off-Broadway this Fall?- Page 4

[Robbie2]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 8:05pm

barcelona20 said: "Such diverse casting..."

the casting is sublime!!!

[victoriafr]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 8:34pm

You could say it's not diverse enough now, but we literally know three cast members. I'm almost 100% certain the Ronnettes will add diversity if nothing else does.

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 9:41pm

NOWaWarning said: "Am I missing something? Is Blanchard more than just a passable singer?"

Yes, I'm afraid you are (missing something).

I don’t mean any disrespect toward Tammy Blanchard as I am a big fan of hers. I’ve just never seen her in a musical where she displayed the pipes Audrey typically has. In Gypsy, How to Succeed, and Into the Woods, she struck me as a great actress who could carry a tune. Not a bring down the house belter.

 

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 9:44pm

Rats! My short October weekend trip to NY is already fully booked. Maybe I'll unload Slave Play.

[missthemountains]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 10:51pm

TNick926 said: "Hot Pants said: "I love Jonathon Groff, and he’s likely going to do a great job. However, I think he’s way too handsome to play Seymour. No matter how homely they dress him, he’s still going to look too good. I personally would’ve preferred Brandon Uranowitz. I also would’ve liked Ethan Slater as Seymour if they wanted to go for a younger actor. I think Blanchard will likely be a very good Audrey, and Borle is perfect for Orin."

In my humble opinion, you can't get any hotter than Jake Gyllenhaal, yet he was believably nebbish-y in the City Center Encores version of LSOH not too long ago (and with the incomparable original Audrey, Ellen Greene!!). I love Groff and think he can do nerdy/nebbish-y very well...

I can't wait to see this!! Love Groff, Borle, Blanchard!! Excited.... :)"

Gyllenhaal was also the wrong choice. We can't just have one Seymour that's legitimately unattractive? Or at least not like a model who we're "roughing up"? Or "nebbish-ing" up (in this context)? I love Groff and I love Gyllenhaal but there are so many "traditionally unattractive" men who deserve this part. It really does bother me. It feels like it defeats the point. I also am not holding my breath for Blanchard. Borle, on the other hand, seems perfect. To the comments above, if the Urchins were played by anything other than non-white women, I think we'd have a bigger problem. That being said, I'm sure those characters will be the only POC, aside from the Voice of Audrey II.

've only seen one Mushnik that was a person of color, and that was with a mostly black cast when I lived in North Carolina. It would be interesting to see that kind of casting in a commercial production, however, seeing as Mushnik is at this point, a stereotype of old Russian Jews which is already dicey--it seems unlikely. It would be much more exciting to see a person of color play Audrey or Seymour. Larry Owens in particular strikes me as perfect for Seymour.

[swanjewel]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 11:32pm

Got tickets for October. Cant' wait to see Groff on stage again. 

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 11:57pm

missthemountains said: "Gyllenhaal was also the wrong choice. We can't just have one Seymour that's legitimately unattractive? Or at least not like a model who we're "roughing up"? Or "nebbish-ing" up (in this context)?I love Groff and I love Gyllenhaal but there are so many "traditionally unattractive" men who deserve this part. It really does bother me. It feels like it defeats the point.I also am not holding my breath for Blanchard. Borle,on the other hand, seems perfect. To the comments above, if the Urchins were played by anything other than non-white women, I think we'd have a bigger problem. That being said, I'm sure those characters will be the only POC, aside from the Voice of Audrey II."

I give credit to the original production for casting Lee Wilkof as Seymour. There’s no way to say this without sounding rude, but Wilkof was not a very attractive man when he played the role. It’s not like he was ugly, but he was a very normal looking man who happened to have lost his hair by the time he reached his early 30s. The team behind the show could’ve easily chosen an actor who was cute and then made him up to look nerdy and homely. But instead, they cast the plain yet talented Wilkof because he was right for the role. The success of the show proves that casting him was a smart decision. The kind of decision that most productions would be afraid to make nowadays.

[msac0904]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 1:26am

This sounds like it will be a fun time for a family. Can someone please tell me what the youngest age this would be appropriate for. My youngest will be 10 in Sept. Thanks in advance!

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 1:43am

msac0904 said: "This sounds like it will be a fun time for a family. Can someone please tell me what the youngest age this would be appropriate for. My youngest will be 10 in Sept. Thanks in advance!"

Besides physical abuse (which is mostly offstage, minus one instance), the rest of the show is kind of violent, usually with people being eaten whole. Also some mild language iirc. 10 seems like a good age (depending on the kid), but maybe watch the movie beforehand if you are still not sure. 

[shari evelyn]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 10:15am

Hmm. I'm hoping more tickets in the center orchestra end up being released? I went on right when they announced the show and went through every date, and couldn't find any aisle pairs (besides the second row) closer than row M. Seemed pretty much the same blocks of tickets were coming up for each date...

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 11:06am

Well, we *had* one free weekend in November.  Now we don't.  One $69 seat available for each show, so that didn't work.  For $109 we could sit in back or way over the side, so we paid the $149 for really good seats. 

 

Not happy about the pricing, but really looking forward to the production.

[joevitus]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 12:09pm

DoTheDood said: "msac0904 said: "This sounds like it will be a fun time for a family. Can someone please tell me what the youngest age this would be appropriate for. My youngest will be 10 in Sept. Thanks in advance!"

Besides physical abuse (which is mostly offstage, minus one instance), the rest of the show is kind of violent, usually with people being eaten whole. Also some mild language iirc. 10 seems like a good age (depending on the kid), but maybe watch the movie beforehand if you are still not sure."

One problem here: the movie is MUCH more violent than the show, because the deaths and body pieces are  much more realistic. And now that the Blu-ray contains the original ending, it is much more pessimistic for the same reason: it's got the same ending as the play, but the movie makes it look disturbing whereas onstage it's campy and silly. 

Updated On: 7/23/19 at 12:09 PM

[kofler22]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 12:22pm

Will this extend? Let´s hope so! 

[ren598]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 12:47pm

kofler22 said: "Will this extend? Let´s hope so!"

Probably, but not with this same cast.  I could see this show running a long time.  Just rotate out the 3 leading players every 3 months and you can keep the show fresh for people who've seen it before.  I think people will keep coming back to this show if you have high-profile people playing Seymour, Audrey and Orin.

[hveasey]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 2:11pm

Got tickets for the end of September. Very excited for this, and glad it’s being done in such a small house as opposed to getting a big budget revival that would probably end up not working as well.

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 3:12pm

shari evelyn said: "Hmm. I'm hoping more tickets in the center orchestra end up being released? I went on right when they announced the show and went through every date, and couldn't find any aisle pairs (besides the second row) closer than row M. Seemed pretty much the same blocks of tickets were coming up for each date..."

Fairly typical for every show anymore. Everything else is potentially being held as premium. So if anything else opens up, it will be close to the performance date, if they can't sell them all at premium prices.

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 4:13pm

The Pasadena Playhouse has just announced a production of LITTLE SHOP. Previews begin September 17 (the same day as the new Off-Broadway production).

Danny Feldman, Pasadena Playhouse producing artistic director, has high hopes for the Southern California run, telling THR, “Our new electrifying production of Little Shop of Horrors will give our audiences the opportunity to see a show they know and love in a way they never have before."

Starring George Salazar as Seymour, MJ Rodriguez as Audrey, and Amber Riley as Audrey II.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mj-rodriguez-amber-riley-george-salazar-tackle-little-shop-horrors-1225156

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 4:23pm

Updated On: 7/23/19 at 04:23 PM

[perfectliar]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 4:32pm

CoffeeBreak said: "Meh. Off-Broadway cast more exciting.

And CA will be lucky if Amber makes all those performances (her UK Dreamgirls attendance wasn'tgreat). Multiple female Audrey II's (and drag queens) in regionalsnow - nothing new.

Intimate nature of Westside theater makes it worth seeing in NYC - and cast."

I think the casting of a black trans woman as Audrey is pretty damn exciting.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 4:39pm

YEP!

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 4:43pm

perfectliar said: "I think the casting of a black trans woman as Audrey is pretty damn exciting."

Yes, but whether or not she'll be good in the role remains to be seen. She's fine on Pose, but I really can't see her doing Audrey justice.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 4:43pm

I have zero desire to see the off-broadway production, but that Pasadena announcement made me want to start looking at plane tickets. That's an incredible cast.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 4:51pm

Updated On: 7/23/19 at 04:51 PM

[Fetus]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 4:52pm

MJ Rodriguez is inspired.  I think casting Audrey as a black trans woman will give a new depth to the physical abuse Audrey endures and the life she's longing for in Somewhere That's Green. I wish I had the same excitement for the Off-Broadway cast, but I'm still eager to see it this fall.

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 4:52pm

CT2NYC said: "Yes, but whether or not she'll be good in the role remains to be seen. She's fine onPose, but I really can't see her doing Audrey justice."

Well, she was good in Rent, though? It's not like she is new to the theater...