Thoughts on Kerry Butler in Little Shop
Thoughts on Kerry Butler in Little Shop
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/04
Thoughts on Kerry Butler in Little Shop#0
Posted: 3/21/04 at 3:51pm
i saw little shop of horrors and thought kerry butler was amazing, yet many critics have called her the weakest part of the show and compared her incessantly to Ellen Green, i think thats the name of the original Audrey
Leave your thoughts on kerry butler and any other comments on Little Shop of Horrors
re: Thoughts on Kerry Butler in Little Shop#1
Posted: 3/21/04 at 3:56pmI saw Little Shop and really enjoyed it. I didn't absolutely love it, but it was certainly very entertaining. As for Kerry, I wasn't a fan of hers at all before I saw the show, but her performance was very good. She was adorable, funny, and has a hell of a voice. I wouldn't call her performance the weakest part of the show - it's not weak at all. I have, however, heard it said that many of the comedic elements in Kerry's performance stemmed from Ellen Greene's performance in the movie, and that they aren't exclusive to Kerry's performance. I haven't seen the movie yet, so I can't really compare the two. Eventually I'll get around to seeing it.
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 4:03pm
I thought that Kerry did a wonderful job as Audrey, both times that I saw the show, but there was something missing, it seemed to me. I think that her Audrey lacked depth. Like others have said, Greene sang a heartwrenching "Suddenly Seymour" and was so much more believable than Kerry is. What Kerry does wrong, in my opinion, is she plays the character unrealistically funny. Her walk for example, is unrealistic, as opposed to Greene's in the movie, who I saw realistically bouncing across the street. I think what works to Greene's advantage in the movie also, was the chance to sing "Somewhere That's Green" alone, so that we see who she is when she's by herself with no one around---we also get to see into her daydream. This personal moment is lost in the show, when the urchins are surrounding her.
It's not that Kerry does a bad job. She gets a lot of laughs, and sings the hell out of the role. It's just that her performance, in my opinion, lacks the depth that Greene brought to it. It's going to be hard for any actress who tackles the role, I suppose; trying to find that blend of the traditional Audrey while bringing your own flair to an already beloved role.
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 4:18pm
Agree COMPLETELY with BillyLawlor. Kerry did a good job making the role her own and was certainly not the weakest part of the show, but her character lacked a lot of depth. Particularly her bland performance in Somewhere That's Green, I just couldn't identify with her the way I could with Ellen. I also agree that the way she walked was very funny, but unrealistic, adding to the "unbelievableness" of Audrey.
As for the show, it was very entertaining and I enjoyed it as I was watching it, but days later I didn't care much for it anymore. It was a good day at the theatre, but not one that I feel I need to repeat.
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 4:23pm
My feelings about LSOH are that it should never be played campy. As has been expressed here, depth is needed. The writing is so perfect that actors in any production need only seek the truth in their characters. Menken and Ashman have more or less done all of the work for you. =)
(Note: I am not saying this in reference to the current production on Broadway, but as a general opinion on the musical).
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/24/03
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 5:17pmAbsolutely loved her in Bat Boy and Hairspray, but thought she was lost, confused, and all wrong in Little Shop.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/15/03
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 5:24pmI'm a big fan of Kerry's. I have seen LSOH a few times and I very strongly disagree that she is the weakest part of the show. I think she was funny and her singing is wonderful! Also she's not Eleen Green which I for one am sooo happy about buesce I was never really a fan of Ellen's. I for onw think she's doing a great job in the role, I wouldn't say it was my favirot role she has done but I think she a fine Adurey.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/14/03
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 5:31pm
I am also a Kerry fan and she was great in Little Shop.
I also loved her in Bat Boy and Hairspray.
My favorite role for her was Penny.
She is the nicest kid in town with the best voice.
It is hard to watch Kerry in Little Shop as she is an elegant woman and i just don't see her as a tacky blond broad.
Kerry is a fantastic performer but she is elegant.
Her role Audrey is a tacky Dame and Kerry is the farthest thing from tacky.
She is smart, elegant, talented and gorgeous.
I wish i had her talent, beauty and style.
Updated On: 3/21/04 at 05:31 PM
Broadway Star Joined: 5/14/03
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 6:05pm
It took me seeing it twice to figure out what it was about Kerry's performance that didn't work for me. She suddenly shifts too often from a sweet, sincere portrayal to a cartoonish character. I wish I'd seen more of the sincere "Audrey" so that I would have felt more of a connection to her character -- and felt a connection between her and Seymour. She did have some good moments -- I loved her "Somewhere That's Green". It was heartfelt, passionate, and sincere, but that was the only time I felt the heart of her character.
I thought she was the weakest as far as her interpretation of the role goes -- but I blame a lot of that on the direction. Not her.
Updated On: 3/21/04 at 06:05 PM
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 7:04pmshe awesome i have seen her in both lsoh and hairspray. the frist time kerry was a bit annoying but i recently saw it in feb and thought she had gotten used to the role and was awesome. i tihnk shes awesome as audrey and very funny. she sure can sing.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/7/03
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 7:35pmI'll go with the unpopular opinion and say that I really did not like her. My biggest problem is that the effort behind her singing is way too apparent. She has a great voice, but you can hear the push, sometimes even feel the effort going into it, and to me, a good singer should be able to sing seamlessly. The effort would obviously have to be there, but the audience should not know. That really stuck out to me in her performance, so everytime Audrey was on stage, I heard someone trying too hard. Other than that, she was ok for the most part, but again, I didn't enjoy her performance.
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 8:09pmi liked her performance. kinda annoying in the beginning but she has a great voice. i enjoyed her more as penny in hairspray.
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 8:27pmWow, when I saw this on the message board, I was looking forward to a train wreck. It always seems like we are coming down hard on Kerry on the boards, but I am glad this has been a good post! Now, don't anybody make me eat my words!!
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/04
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Posted: 3/21/04 at 8:29pmthanks brdwaybaby, i think we're all just saying it wasnt the best role for her but she handled it great....shes a great actress and singer, but sometimes she does push, i loved her somwhere thats green cause it showed her soft side
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 12:36am
I enjoyed her performance yes, but I could have seen it played better and differently by other actresses - even if I can't think of a name. I thought she was good, but belongs in a different role. She has a cool sounding voice (like in Hairspray) w/ a hint of rock belt, and she should utilize that instead of a squeaky Audrey (squeaky refers to the voice, not Kerry Butler nor her performance).
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 1:43amI thought Kerry as Audrey in LSOH was ok. I do love her voice...but it seems like she's maybe generally...limited, maybe? I feel parts of her performance as Audrey were simialr to Penny, her character in Hairspray
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/03
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 10:18amIf singing and speaking an entire script and score out your nose was the way to go- then she's the tops!
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 10:37am
Gorgeous, an underutilized belt, and a great acting ability...
Kerry Butler is fantastic at what she does. I think that the main complaints that some are lobbying are based on concious decisions on the part of Ms. Butler and the director, to add to the sugary-sweet nature of the parts that Kerry is cast in.
Do I think that she deserves a shot at a lead that isn't slightly goofy (KB as Eponine, aside for now), yes. She does wonerderful things with what she is given.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/19/03
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 1:07pm
No truth, fake, going for laughs, plastic, unstageworthy, in a word--miscast.
I saw her first in october and later in February. I was disappointed to find out that she had actually gotten worse. I have performed this show and it amazes me how this cast apparently forgot to read the book notes in the VERY BEGINNING of the scripts that explicitly states, "this show should not look like a cartoon. this should not be played as camp." It even goes further into the details of EACH character, saying that the characters must be played with real emotional depth, and must believe 100% the circumstances of their own dire situations. Audrey works well as a character IMHO when she is played like Dolly from Hello Dolly, a woman who is funny, but has no idea she is. Kerry Butler's version of the role Ellen Greene so perfectly tweaked, is of a Audrey who not only knows she's getting laughs, but then goes further and further, to the point of pure awful tactlesness to get the laugh. The way she says some lines in that moronic nasal monotone utterance for NO apparent reason is laughable. As someone who deems themself an actor, it's unprofessional. There is 0 truth to her portrayal of the character, and thus, her performance (TO ME) is an utterly void and empty one. And it's a real shame too. She was fantastic in Hairspray.
Updated On: 3/22/04 at 01:07 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 1:15pm
'No truth, fake, going for laughs, plastic, unstageworthy, in a word--miscast.'
Theatreboy, that's not just Kerry Butler, that's the entire production of this classic musical. Every wrong move that could have been made was. For the first two-three weeks of rehearsal, Zaks should have told Butler that she is not allowed to go for a single laugh and to play this like she was actually a battered slut from the Lower East Side. After she found that desperation, she should have been allowed to layer on the comedic aspects of her character. But that should have been done for the entire cast. Schtick-heavy and pandering, I was insulted by that night in the theatre.
I don't blame her necessarily. I blame the basic misreading of the text and the genre it was based on.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/19/03
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 1:19pmAgreed. Fantastic insights.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/03
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 1:34pmI second and third you both :)
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/16/04
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 3:22pm
....no one can compare to ELLEN in that show
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 3:53pmShw was weak. Shw did go for the laughs and often tried too hard. She seemed very fake to me. She was the only one that took me out of the story.
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Posted: 3/22/04 at 3:59pmthats too bad, i havnt seen the show yet, and i want to make my own judgements but i have to say that i basically trust your opinions. im such a fan of the movie, especially ellen green, that i cant imagine watching an actress play the role for just laughs and give it no soul, at least not on braodway where an actress should have sense enough to not make such mistakes.
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