Little Shop of talent horrors

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 6:47pm

Wow- I sat today through the tradegy that is the revival of Little Shop of Horrors. I was amazed after reading the bio of Kerry Butler that I would end up wanting to strangle her by the time the show was over. She was just dreadful; she has a good singing voice but I've seen high school students do a better job. I hated her performance as it seemed to be a one-note delivery from beginning to end without any true emotion. It could have also been matinee-itis.

I thought Hunter was a great Seymour but between he and Kerry trying to sing nasal renditions of the numbers, the squeeky voices began to grate on my nerves.

Steal the show!! I was also sorely disappointed with Douglas Sills' interpretation of Orin. This character is usually one of the highlights of the entire production but I didn't even crack a smile in his delivery. Perhaps I just loved Steve Martin in the move that anyone else fails in comparison.

I loved watching the plant coming out over the audience. You could tell people were surprised and enjoyed the effect. I sure do miss Mean Green Mother From Outer Space....

Sigh.

[shermanslave]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 6:52pm

I still have not seen LSOH, but when I saw Kerry Butler in Bat Boy, I thought she was really realy lame.

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:17pm

I've heard mixed reviews on Kerry. Some say she's amazing, others hate her. Based on the CD, I love her interpretation.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:19pm

That's ashame you did not have a good time.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:21pm

Kerry is miscast. The show in general isn't very good. Like Broadwaylilhead said, maybe it's because of the movie, but no one can replace that cast. Steve Martin, Ellen Greene, and Rick Moranis. They were just great. So maybe it's because of the movie I was expecting too much of the show.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:25pm

I'm very disapointed in the show. I returned the CD after I heard Kerry's interpretation. Was the tempo slowed down just for the CD or is it really like that? I agree with wickedfan it was a miscast. Kerry was fantastic in Prodigal. Audrey is just not her role.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:27pm

I really hate when people say: "nothing can replace the ______ cast!" Well, the LSOH movie was not even a stage version! There are going to be differences in each production/cast, so get used to it.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:28pm

EXACTLY! No one can play Audrey like Ellen. At a party, one of my friends brought in the cd of the revival. She is now obsessed. Having never seen the movie she thought it was perfect. She looked at us with a smile and said "Well?" Me and my ten other friends shook our heads and said "She's okay, just, not Audrey."

[BillFinn]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:29pm

Now Alice Ripley and Felicia Finley. THOSE are Audreys, but hey! who's bearing a grudge? (innocent look)

[wickedfan]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:32pm

It's interesting because Alice Ripley was fired from the original revival because Jerry Zak's said she was "too much like Ellen Greene". That is SO NOT a problem.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:33pm

That was pretty smart. If I was the director, I would not want a similar cast.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:39pm

I can see where Jerry Zaks is coming from. She was a lot like Ellen Greene, but that's what the people want. Ya know? I didn't know she was fired though. I thought she chose to leave the production. I remember she called it "Little Shop of Humiliation". I would have really like to see what Felicia Finley would do with "Somewhere That's Green" though. She's got the voice for it. She was great in Evita.

[thirdrowcenter]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:48pm

I had a good time at LSOH. I was absolutley delighted when the plant went out into the audience right over my head!! I loved Doug Stills and Hunter Foster and the actor who played Mushnik
(I can't remember his name). I have seen LSOH off broadway, in London and also the movie version. I don't think I have ever seen LSOH without Ellen Greene playing Audrey. Kerry Butler didn't do justice to the role. She kind of just walked through the part, I didn't care about her Audrey at all. BUT, I enjoyed the show.

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:52pm

Billy Porter was fired too as the voice of Audrey which is too bad because I bet he tore it up... that boy can sing. The guy doing it now is okay but I still wanted a little more.

I bet Alice Ripley was amazing as I would listen to her sing the phone book. You couldn t pay me to go watch Kerry butcher that role again. I'm all for people making the role their own but at least make it enjoyable. Her entire performance was FLAT.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:54pm

Unless you are a Broadway performer (got to be careful), I wouldn't be talking...she is on Bway, you are not.

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:57pm

The difference is I DONT WANT TO BE ON BROADWAY-- I'm not an actor, but when I pay good money to see a show I want to leave feeling like I had a good time...she ruined the whole show for me.

Everyone is so sensitive to personal reviews on here.. they are just opinions.. by no means are they right or wrong..just personal views.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 7:59pm

And I was just giving my personal view.

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 8:05pm

Alice Ripley was awful as Audrey. You couldn't even understand her.

[Benzy92]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 9:27pm

I dont know why, but I have a thing for Kerry. She just seems so lovable :)

She was fine in Bat Boy-- not much you can do with the role..

She was amazing in Hairspray..

And she was mis-directed or not directed at all in Little Shop which is not her fault..

there is a rumor that he had her doing the Ellen Greene lisp up until two weeks until previews and then had her change it entirely.

[Dude]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 9:49pm

what were they thinking of casting sills in this show?

the role he does requires a skilled comedian. he'a about as funny as adam brody hosting saturday night live.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 10:25pm

Sills makes an excellent mad man. He is really not supposed to be hilarious, he is supposed to be CRAZY!

[suddenlyseymour]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 10:57pm

i loved kerry in little shop! i know everyone says that ellen greene is better but you know what...of course ellen was better she originated the role! ellen greene is a legend, no matter who was cast as audrey for the broadway show whether they have no talent or all the talent in the world, they're not ellen greene. you can't go into it with high expectations of kerry butler performing exactly or as well as ellen did because ellen IS a legend

[Corine2]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 11:16pm

I saw the original show and this version.
I loved both. Kerry did a fine job. I do think she was worth seeing and I ADORE her voice in Suddenly Seymour.
She is very talented.
I do however think that she was the best performer in Hairspray.
No one is better then her Penny.
Well her and Edna(Harvey) blew me away.
Kerry has one of the best belts in the business. Updated On: 1/2/04 at 11:16 PM

[lovinlife]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 11:49pm

I liked her character (Kerry's), however, she has a voice that should be banned from any Broadway stage. She should have left her singing voice in high school where it belongs.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/2/04 at 11:53pm

Trust me...her voice can be very powerful.