Little Shop of Horrors On Air Now!

Originally published in the December 2023 print edition.

From December 3rd through the 6th, the JCHS Drama department will present this year’s Fall musical: Little Shop of Horrors. Taking place in the impoverished town of Skid Row, Little Shop of Horrors is “not your classical musical where the characters go on a fairytale adventure,” says Jacob Lutterkort ‘26 who plays corrupt businessman Patrick Martin.

The musical horror-comedy is loosely inspired by the German Faustian legend in which a man trades his soul to the Devil for great power and knowledge, ultimately sending himself to Hell. Similarly in Little Shop of Horrors, the protagonist Seymour Krelborn (played by Bennett Taubman ’24), bargains with a carnivorous plant from outer space, Audrey II (voiced by Jeremiah Saks ‘24 and puppeteered by Noah Horton ‘24), who helps his struggling plant shop in exchange for the blood of people in Skid Row. 

Over the years there have been many renditions of Little Shop of Horrors, including the 1960 movie which the show is adapted from, as well as the 1986 Hollywood feature starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and Steve Martin. 

However, as with all musical theater productions, each director and actor has their own vision for the musical. For JCHS Theatre Director Russell Wright, it was important for his production to “bring out the cartoon[like]” aspects of the show. 

Little Shop of Horrors composers Howard Ashman and Alan Menken also worked on animated films such as The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). 

“[Little Shop of Horrors is] cartoon-like because people get so caught up in their emotions that they can’t help but sing,” Wright says, “Howard Ashman had this fantastic imagination and I think he wanted to be a part of this life that he imagined Skid Row to be— with cool R&B singers belting show tunes.” 

Wright’s cartoon-like vision not only honors Ashman, but also confronts stereotypes about people in poverty.

“I think there's an assumption that when someone’s poor or living somewhere downcast, that there's no color or excitement in their life,” Wright says, “but oftentimes you will see people who don’t have a lot of money dressed in the most colorful clothes because sometimes your presentation is all you have.” 

Wright’s cartoon-inspired production of Little Shop of Horrors is brought to life with vibrant costumes and a striking student-created set that depicts how colorful urban life can be even in times of poverty… and flesh-eating plants. 

“But as the show gets grimmer and darker,” Wright says. “The lights are going to change to a red and purple wash.” 

Little Shop of Horrors is famous for its satire, but since its release in 1960, standards of appropriate comedy have shifted. Wright was faced with the challenge of modernizing some problematic aspects of the show without taking away the authenticity of the production. 

While it is important to take into account that the writers were Jewish, there are anti-Semitic stereotypes present in Little Shop of Horrors. “One of the first things that I noticed when I read the script,” Wright reflects, “was that Mr. Mushnik’s opening line is gibberish, but it says in the script that it should ‘sound like Yiddish.’” 

Wright has worked with Arianna Zilberleyb ’24, who plays Mushnik, to come up with potential first lines for Mr. Mushnik which Jewish studies teacher Dr. Ariel Resnikoff then translated into  Yiddish. “In our production, he’s actually going to be saying something instead of it just being gibberish.” 

Another sensitive topic that needed to be addressed is the treatment of the abusive relationship between Audrey (played by Stella Rosen ‘25) and Orin (played by Remy Rosenzweig ‘25).

“It’s played off as a ‘haha’ moment and then the song just continues,” Rosen explains, “but we’re making the scene where Audrey gets abused by her boyfriend into a bigger moment than it is in the original show because it is important to understand that domestic abuse is a big problem.” 

JCHS last produced Little Shop of Horrors in 2009, but given the enthusiasm of the actors and director, the beloved horror-comedy will return to JCHS with a fresh, but just as wicked, take.