Favorite Little Shop Highlights

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 6:53pm

So what are some of the positive things you guys are enjoying about Little Shop of Horrors?

I love Audrey's 'Somewhere That's Green (Reprise)'. As funny as it is at points, its really sweet! Kerry Butler rocks my world...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 7:01pm

The dynamite ending along with Douglas Sills "Dentist" song does it for me

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 7:22pm

The Ronettes singing "Little Shop", although it is one of the first things to be sung, is phenomenal. I love that version. I also like when Seymour is feeding Orin to the plant, and Dequina sticks her head out of the window of one building and sings "Shing-a-ling. What a creepy thing to be happening." I happen to love the set and lighting designs for that show.

[StraightToHeaven]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 7:28pm

I love watching the Audrey 2 move around. Especially during Feed me (Git it. I love Kerry Butler's voice so Somewhere thats Green is one of the highlights for me. I also think Dentist is great

[Hello Gorgeous]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 7:41pm

Ahh I can't wait to see this show! I *may* be seeing it November 9!!!!

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 8:52pm

The Ronnettes really set the mood of the show in that first number because they come on stage with SO MUCH energy and attitude that you can't help but smile and tap your foot. When they came on and blew me away, I was SO excited to see the rest of the show. Throughout the entire thing I was boppin' along with the music, trying to refrain from mouthing the words to myself, Lol.

Kerry's Suddenly Semour also blew me away, and Ellen Greene. The last time she sings "Suddenly Seymour, Shows me I can!, etc", she friggen' belts that so nicely and adds the whole diva growl thing that people get. I've listened to it over and over on my CD, I can't get enough!

[dotmarie]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 8:55pm

I love Somewhere That's Green...and I agree, the reprise is so so sweet! Makes me want to cry...

[PennyLou]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 9:52pm

I also love the "Somewhere That's Green Reprise" even thought it's funny lyrics I tune more into the amotion of the characters and when Kerry tears up so do I it's so sweet! Kerry rocks my socks! lol. I also Love don't Feed the Plant I have since I was little and they do it really will in this production!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 9:56pm

There is really not one song I dislike. Also, the 3 girls are not called the Ronettes! They are street urchins--one of the girl's name is Ronette. Sorry that just bothered me, lol. My favorite is the urchins. They are amazing. Doug Sills is good. Kerry's "Somewhere Thats Green" is amazing! I just love it all!

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 9:59pm

Bleh, your right, I always call them the Ronnettes, its my damn friend that always calls them that and it just stuck I guess, lol.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 10:00pm

Ya...same here. Sometimes I call them that because other people do. It is wierd to say "street urchins."

[PennyLou]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 10:11pm

Yea I have been seeing people calling them the Ronnettes and it bugs me but I just let it go cause I thought maybe I was wrong but I always call them the Urchins. I leave off the street part lol I'm to lazy.

[StateOfJade]

Posted: 10/30/03 at 10:33pm

The end.

[WillParker]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 11:01am

I really liked the urchins, altho on the CD, they didn't have that "edge" that they had in the theater. I'm really familiar with this show, but they did blow me away with their edginess & grit, esp. in the opening number. I do love Kerry's vocals on the CD (tho I didn't love her as much in the theater)--esp in Somewhere That's Green and the reprise---I LOVE how she says "...there's PLAAAASTIC on the furniture..." And I'm sorry, but am I the only person who absolutely COULD NOT STAND Douglas Sills, either on the CD or in the theater?? Hunter is fine--tho I do think he's miscast as Seymour, but Rob Bartlett was WONDERFUL on the CD.

Posted: 10/31/03 at 11:08am

I bought the cd two days ago and I have enjoyed it. It seesm nice enough, but I am going to have to see it as I cannot get Ellen's unique voice out of my mind when Kerry sings.

[sheekala]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 11:08am

I like your style WillParker, Hunter's phrasing on the cd is a major distraction to my ears. The band seems oddly tentative on the cd, I was hoping it would have the same energy as in the theater as it was one of the bright spots for me.

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 11:15am

I have to agree with Billy, the urchins are the highlight of the show, and "Little Shop of Horrors" is my favorite number. They do exert so much energy and attitude! I LOVE it. You don't understand. Everytime I hear the vamp after the opening speech, my heart starts to beat really fast, and I get excited....and then the scrim comes up, and there are my beautiful girls posed with attitude....and then they begin...."Little Shop....Little Shoppa Horrors...." the first time I saw that, I almost squealed with delight....my friend had to tell me to calm down. I just think these are the best urchins I have ever seen in any production of Little Shop. Really. (Ok, enough of my rant). My other favorite highlights are "Somewhere That's Green", "Suddenly Seymour" and "Sominex/Suppertime (Reprise)" Those numbers are so fun to watch.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

Updated On: 10/31/03 at 11:15 AM

[WillParker]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 11:58am

Thanks, Sheekala--it's good to have approval, being a newbie!! I'm not sure exactly what it is about Hunter that bothers me...his phrasing, yes...the last line in 'Grow for me' that he speaks instead of sings bugs the hell out of me, and his voice in general is a bit to "pop" for me--all in all, I think he's just too hip or cool to be totally convincing as Seymour. Doug Sills doesn't seem to be to have any of the campy fun in his small roles that I think is required (his Mrs. Luce pisses me off), and his 'Dentist' does nothing at all for me--especially grating is the loooooooong note that he holds in the song--"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII am your Dentist'--seems a little (no, a LOT) masturbatory & self congratulatory...I dont get why everyone is raving about him so much. What is so magnetic about this fey, non-threatening, rebel wanna-be that drew Audrey to him in the first place? Oy. Also, tempos on the CD are a bit too slow for me--esp in the opening number and 'Downtown.' And tho I did like her well enough but I'm not compltely wowed by her in general, Kerry's solo section on this song ("Downtown, where the guys are drips...") is the only time where she did very much disappoint me. BUT, I LOOOOOOOOVED the intro to "Dont Feed the Plants"--the "Subsequent to the events you have just witnessed" section.

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 12:05pm

Will, I totally agree with you on your post. As I have stated all that you have said before in my review of the show. And shared with Sheekala and others. However, I don't agree about Kerry's vocals on Skid Row. I think they are the highlight of the number. Just my humble opinion. And the tempos are too slow in the opening number and Skid Row....all the intensity and energy seem to be lost in those tempos. Ah well.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

[WillParker]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 12:08pm

I know how you feel about the intensity and energy--it had lost alot from stage to disc. I was SO excited to finally find the CD down here in Nashville, and after one listening it went back into it's case, and Avenue Q went back into the CD player. What a shame.

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 6:45pm

Balladeer -- I know exactly what you mean. When the prologue voice came on and the music started up, I was SO energized and excited. ITs just such a great beginning, and then when the Urchins come and blow you away - you know it's going to be an AWESOME show!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 7:13pm

Yes...the prolouge is great! The strong voice comes on over the speakers and DRUM DRUM SAX SAX Little Shop! Little Shop Of Horrors! Also, is it just me or does Kerry NOT keep the "new york" accent throughout the recording?

[PennyLou]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 10:28pm

"I don't agree about Kerry's vocals on Skid Row. I think they are the highlight of the number."

That has always been my favorite part of the song and Kerry does an awesome job with it, But I do think it's a little strange how they recorded it where you can hear her singing the "Downtown" over the rest of the cast. But that's not Kerry's problem it's the recordings problem and she still sounds great.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 10/31/03 at 11:41pm

I completely agree. The tempos are WAY WAY WAY too slow, and Skid Row kind of lacks the rhythm it had in the show. But overall, I enjoy the recording, and I disagree about Hunter. I think he is great in the role, and I really, really enjoy his vocals on the CD. One thing that bothers me a lot- in the original "Ya Never Know" after some dialogue, one girl goes "Whoooooooooooooo'da believe'd it?" but here, the girl just says it and sings. That upsets me, but the girls are still awe-inspiring. Updated On: 11/1/03 at 11:41 PM

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 11/1/03 at 10:44am

I thought the two standout performances for the show I saw were given by Doug Sills as the Dentist et all and Rob Bartlett as Mushnik. Oh, and of course, the urchin chorus was wonderful as well. I loved how Sills played the role exactly as specified in the character description: An Elvis wannabe tough guy with a radio announcer voice. It was perfect. And as for the prolonged IIIIII being "masturbatory" in the dentist song, if he can do it, and is probably the only one in the cast who can do that, and it's cute and clever, why not do it? Butler's Audrey did little for me. I found myself pitying her, thinking, she must be trying soo hard to live up to Ellen Greene, and she never will. I agree about the slow tempos on the cd? Why were they holding back so much? The original Skid Row on the original cd was 10X better than this recording. Plus, Greene could hit many powerful notes in that song that Butler just can't.