Act I | Little Shop of Horrors | Pasadena Playhouse
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- čas přidán 12. 05. 2020
- Here is act one of Pasadena Playhouse's production of Little Shop of Horrors, recorded (illegally) from the audience on October 14, 2019.
Running from September 17 to October 20, 2019, as opposed to the off-Broadway revival directed by Michael Mayer, which strived to honor and emulate the tone of Howard Ashman's original production, and which happened to begin previews on the exact same night, Little Shop of Horrors was completely redirected and reconceived from the ground up by director Mike Donahue, with a slightly grittier, contemporary edge. Donahue told Vanity Fair near the beginning of the production: "It’s not like Audrey is on Snapchat. But it’s not like you’re walking into a period version of the 1960s. [Our production] is a little looser than that. The thing I became really excited about was: What if we don’t make any assumptions about how all this is supposed to go? What if we just started working on it as if we’re working on a new play? Yes, it’s sort of a B horror movie, and there’s a lot of deliciousness and fun in that, but what if we don’t think of having to make it schtickier? What if we approach it from a place of it is real and it is pedestrian?”
Coming out of Pasadena Playhouse’s producing artistic director Danny Feldman's desire to stage a production of Little Shop with Mj Rodriguez as Audrey, who would be the first trans woman of color to play the role in a major production, Donahue offered her the part during a lunch meeting. Rodriguez immediately said yes. “But in my head,” she told the LA Times, “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, those are some big shoes to fill. And also I’m a different Audrey. I’m not the Ellen Greene; I’m not the Kerry Butler; I’m not the other Audreys that have been played. I’m a very different Audrey. I’m a woman of color. And that scared me a bit.”
She went on to explain to EW: “Audrey is usually played by a Caucasian cis woman, and that’s not to take anything away from the many amazing women who have played this role and done a wonderful job, but now she’s being played by a black woman, a woman of color, and also a trans woman of color, so already there are so many elements to the character that can be brought out now that she’s a part of a different sector of life. I love diving into dark areas - naturally, I love drama - and I saw Audrey as the perfect character to do that with. So many people see or portray her in a certain way, but I saw so much realism in her. I saw somebody who was being abused, who was being taken advantage of, and yet still had a lot of heart in believing she could get out simply by dreaming.”
The rest of the show was soon reconcieved as well, even down to Audrey II, which strayed far from the path created by original designer Martin P. Robinson, with a completely new design by Sean Cawelti, who told the LA Times: “I wanted to make something that seems alien and extraterrestrial but also that gives an emotional reaction - you can’t help but smile. And when the plant opens its petals for the first time and reveals what’s inside, it’s not inherently scary but surprisingly whimsical and magical.”
According to Donohue, in the same LA Times piece: “The classic look can be nostalgic but also predictable. All of the language that’s in the piece is about how the plant stands out, how it catches people’s eyes immediately when people are walking by. There’s gotta be something about it that, in this drab and depressed and bleak world, just pops.”
The production also follows a recent trend of casting a woman (in this case, Amber Riley) as the voice of the plant. According to Donohue in EW: “One of Amber’s immediate insights was that [Seymour's] never actually had a mother, so [for the plant to be] channeling that energy and preying upon that and finding ways to manipulate and maneuver him by unlocking what kind of presence he needs in his life… I had never thought of that because of how the plant has always been cast, but Amber had that really incredible insight almost immediately,”
Little Shop at the Pasadena Playhouse also stared George Salazar as Seymour, Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Crystal, Brittany Campbell as Ronnette, Tickwanya Jones as Chiffon, Kevin Chamberlin as Mushnik, and Matthew Wilkas as Orin (and others).
Book and lyrics by Howard Ashman. Music by Alan Menken. Direction by Mike Donahue. Choreography by Will B. Bell. Music direction by Darryl Archibald. Puppet direction and design by Sean Cawelti. Scenic Design by Dane Laffrey. Costume design by Danae Iris McQueen. Lighting Design by Josh Epstein. Sound Design by Veronika Vorel.
Based on the film by Roger Corman. Screenplay by Charles Griffith.
Originally produced by the WPA Theatre (Kyle Renick, Producing Director). Originally produced at the Orpheum Theatre, New York City by the WPA Theatre, David Geffen, Cameron Mackintosh, and the Shubert Organization.
TAGS: #MjRodriguez #GeorgeSalazar #LittleShopOfHorrors #LittleShopPasadena #HowardAshman #AlanMenken - Zábava
My rule for bootlegs on The Little Shop Archive and Disney Ashman Demos is to place a one year hold on uploading clips and a 5 year hold on uploading a bootleg in full.
Because of the quick run for this production, the innovative direction and design for the piece, and with all apologies to everyone involved in the Pasadena Playhouse production, and with Little Shop, I felt this seemingly once-in-a-lifetime production needed to be seen and is the one exception I will make to the rule.
thank you, really s2
“thank you LittleShopArchive” we all say in unison
The line in Suddenly Seymour where Seymour sings ‘The girl that’s inside you’ is so much more emotional and meaningful when Audrey is a trans woman. It shows Seymour truly loves her for who she is... it's beautiful.
@@jdpatrick1106 in this bootleg she's portrayed by a trans actress :)
As someone who presents as female but is expected to present masculine, I love that line too, I’m non-binary and until meeting my best friend, no one respected my female self properly
She is a wonderful Audrey. I think what happens in most productions is that focus too much on emphasis on the comedy and stock characterization that they lose any emotional realism. Hence why The dumb blonde stock is used. Whether it’s Ellen or Mj, she has to be portrayed sincerely and real. She is strong in her way.
Sad to see transphobia even in the musical fandom; I think Mj was the strongest Audrey we’ve had in a while and she did a phenomenal job, this whole show was amazing to me.
Mj is absolutely fantastic, I'd never truly been moved by "suddenly Seymour" until I heard her and George's version. She brings so much depth to the character, and her voice is wonderful.
She’s the best I’ve seen since Ellen Greene AND SO DIFFERENT I love little shop and I LOVE CAMP but it’s interesting to see a realistic production done RIGHT
Kaitlyn Crockett other musicals might include Billy Elliot (no trans people, but there’s a whole scene where Billy and his friend wear dresses and it’s treated like comedy. Also The Producers (not trans again, just a gay man in a dress played off as comedy)
@@Ok-ge1od same, I love Ellen Greene but MJs is really realistic. It just shows how good this show is, it's equally good whether it's campy or realistic.
She was OUTSTANDING
The POWER in this girl group is very good. THIS is what I like to see. Not any soft, bubble-gum song. These chicks are hardcore.
They were truly INCREDIBLE!!
To anyone curious, the parts where it's all black are when the puppeteers are using shadow puppets to show Audrey 2's arrival to Earth at the beginning and Seymour feeding her body parts at the end.
aw man, spoilers :((
@@kuribo2305 dont read the comments before watching if you don't want spoilers
Wait, that’s such a cool interpretation holy shit
@@fangirlfortheages5940 the shadow puppets were SO GOOD and I'm sad they didn't get captured here. The beginning one showed the total eclipse of the sun while a big meteor puppet floated on rods, then a tiiiiiny Audrey 2 broke off and floated away. So great!!
Can we just talk about the sound mixing of the Urchins for a second. You can hear every harmony and it’s glorious.
its a shame this rendition had such a short run time with no professional footage
Well, technically they have pro footage from when they performed on national TV... but I know what you mean. I saw it and it was brilliant.
Seeing a leading lady use her head voice more and her lower register makes me feel so validated as an alto!
I know I love it! I believe she’s trans, so she uses her mix to hit those coordinations, and it sounds so refreshing and amazing!!
mood. alto representation
as someone who saw this production live, a bootleg does not do this production justice. little shop is my favorite musical, i know it like the back of my hand. but this production still managed to have me on the edge of my seat the entire time. i have never experienced a piece of live theater like this.
I watched Feed Me with my jaw actually on the floor. Not only because of the voice, but the puppetry is INSANE. So insanely different and creative.
Is it marionette work for the littlest audrey? Amazing.
@@MagicMakerProduction it's radio animatronic (I'm guessing, there were no wires or anything) and I guess maybe another puppeteer behind the counter making it walk? I thought the walking was BRILLIANT. When it runs across the table in Grow For Me, I squeal like a kid every time 😂
@@MagicMakerProduction I can’t speak to exactly how she worked but can definitely confirm she was not a marionette! So wonderful
also excited to see Seymour played by Filipino-Ecuadorian George Salazar
aromaticchicken and so excited to see audrey played by a black trans woman! So happy they cast insanely talented people and it also happens to be good representation
it goes from "my mothers would be thrilled!' to "if I had a mother"
Jessica Truong "Boyf?! What does that even mean?!" 🤣
LMAOOOO damn what happened in-between those few months 😳
PLZ I CANT DO IT
The original line in the play is "if I had a mother..."
bye bye
The first time somewhere that’s green has ever made me cry. MJ is sublime.
Same here. MJ's performance of the song is so tender and vulnerable, I'm absolutely floored.
i basically cry through the entire production but i love her :')
RIGHT?!?!?!
I can't find it in here--the cam is too shaky for me to watch the whole thing, do you have a timestamp?
@@overnightsiren 24:40 is when it begins
THE WAY THE PLANT SCOOTS OMG IM DEAD
I love how they made the plant pink. Idk it’s more fun and shows it’s an alien plant.
I shouldn’t be shocked because that’s the whole character, but I was genuinely impressed and surprised at how fast the dentist (can’t figure out how to spell his name and I don’t wanna be embarrassed) went from charming and hot to an evil piece of shit. Fantastic actor.
Its orin, but I agree, he's fantastic
Every member of the cast is great in this, but what's really getting me is how this production gives Skid Row a real sense of place. With the camp and the 50s references, it's easy to make it feel like theme park poverty. But the casting choices, and things like Mushnik's throwaway line at the beginning suggesting he's gay or bi, gives a sense of LGBT and POC outsiders scraping by. Audrey's references in Somewhere That's Green have a new edge of wanting to fit into the ultimate heteronormativity as a trans woman. Orin's very much Not From Here, he's a rich guy slumming it from uptown because with a girl like Audrey he can get away with it. Mushnik goes from a bit snarky to increasingly severe and uncaring as they're more successful. Long before the plant even speaks, you get the sense of money as a corrupting influence. I've never thought about Little Shop this way before, and I love it.
Hot take: That design for Twoey is probably my favorite interpretation of the plant in recent memory. It just emphasizes just how "Strange and Unusual" an alien plant like that would really be.
OH MY GOSH I LOVE MJ RODRIGUEZ HOW IS SHE BETTER IN THIS ROLE THAN I IMAGINED??
My favorite part of this is the treatment of Audrey, the giant monster of the plant being Seymour's hallucination is a really cool take and seems like it would be difficult to do onstage
losing my mind at the "recorder (illegally)" in the vid description. but i'm so happy the youtube algorithm put this in my reccomended, i had no clue this production even happened! i love seeing new interpretations/stagings of classics.
I knew about this production, and like a week before this was uploaded I was searching CZcams for a bootleg. I found nothing so I gave up, and then this was recommended to me. CZcams blessed me two days ago with this wonderful production of Little Shop.
Why didn’t the album from this specific revival of Little Shops of Horrors get recorded. It’s so sad bc George and MJ are so talented 😭😭 also thank you for posting this. You have made this year slightly more bearable 👍
Basically because the off-broadway version held all the recording rights. So this production wasn't allowed to make their own album. Which is a shame.
Tracie George thats bullshit. How annoying
because this was not considered a "Revival" like normal revival's. This was a professional regional production which don't usually get a recording unless there is a special request and or in this case too like Tracie George said, the rights for any recordings were already taken. I wouldn't even call this a revival unless it was an "out of town" tryout, which it was not, but I am sure producers were toying with the idea. This was a simple professional regional production with a professional equity cast that got a lot of press and attention.
even though it’s not a professional recording, here’s a playlist of the soundtrack for this version: czcams.com/play/PLOafGreUaz8GgLuKXKztHIY8Vmr7WZRJN.html
Didn't realise this was the version with Amber Riley so when she started singing and I realised it was her the grin on my face was so frikkin wide. All the performers are great but I wish she could be Audrey II in the new movie adaptation (hell any of this cast would be awesome), there's not many who could match Levi Stubbs (I hope Billy Porter does). Still not sure why Scarlett Johanson (never heard her sing) is in the running for Audrey, especially compared to Ellen Greene or after watching this Mj Rodriguez. I would have loved to see this (well hear it mostly) in person.
Ok so basically if you wanna hear the Seymour and Audrey (Scarlett) sing, watch the movie Sing. Seymour is the Gorilla and Audrey is the Porcupine.
I love how the sound mixing for the Urchins in this production really brought out some of the dissonant harmonies in the songs, especially the ones in Skid Row!
The Urchins were SO incredibly good. The whole production was very special!!
This production deserved all the hype the Off-Broadway got. TRANS Audrey! BOTH leads are Hispanic/Latinx! Female Audrey II(is there anything Amber Riley can’t do?!). I’ll be mad FOREVER abt this
mj’s version of somewhere that’s green is so beautiful both in the way she sings it and in the way she played audrey so vulnerable and hopeful
If there's anything perfect,it is this production.This deserved to go to Broadway so much.
OK. This is the single best rendition of Feed Me that I have seen in my entire life. The fact that I was not and will never be able to see that brilliant performance in person is a tragedy in and of itself.
My new favourite Orin, his cockiness and his sadism feel so disturbing and real, absolutely scary performance. I love how the director treated Audrey's abuse, letting the scene go silent for it was very effective.
yeah, and he’s so funny in the creepiest way possible
Not to mention that he gave "Now, spit" a totally different meaning.
Steve Martin was good, but it's hard to picture him as a threatening villain. This guy actually comes across as a menacing abuser.
nobody gonna talk about George Salazar and his AWESOME performance????? kejsjdod
If Howard Ashman could see this, he would be extremely proud.
I enjoyed this production so much last year, and I am so bummed it was a one time thing in this one location. Like I never felt Skid Row until I watched this version. I do love how contemporary it feels.
Right?? And I felt like it was a nod to the original Roger Corman film that was set in LA. Hearing that song and being just a few miles from the REAL Skid Row gave me CHILLS!
Yeah I wish this was filmed for network broadcasting like the _NBC_ live musicals.
OMG AMBER RILEY IS AUDREY || YESSSS
No she’s not
Nettie Kay OHHH you mean the nickname. Sorry, I was just looking through the comments and everyone was calling her Amber Riley so it finally makes sense
@@jamies9040 amber riley is audrey 2. That's not her nickname.
I think the original comment might be confusing because to some (myself included at first) it might look like you're saying Amber Riley is Audrey. Not Audrey 2. Lol I thought the 2 lines were just separating your words.. like a comma. Anyhoo.. I'm probs just slow lol.
Is it bad that I started crying while watching this because Pasadena playhouse Little shop was the first musical I had ever seen live, and this brought back so many memories
Why would that be bad?
Okay, so in the act finale, I love how they added the lines from the title song “stop right where you are, don’t move a thing” and “run away, child, you’re gonna pay if you fail” right along with “what a creepy thing to be happening”, in that more sober tone than in the opening. It just completely puts those lines in a new context for me. Before I just kinda saw them as sort of filler lyrics to set the tone, but now it’s like... holy crap, they’re warning Seymour not to go any further with this, and it’s foreshadowing, and just... *chills*
I got literal chills from the girl group, they just sounded so mesmerizing compared to other groups I’ve seen.
Such a sweet, tender portrayal of Audrey. MJ knew the assignment 💕
I've only ever seen the 1986 movie and watched it over and over again. I was smiling while watching this whole thing. Props to whoever recorded this but I just wish there was a professional recording 😪
Ok I NEED to know how they made that first Audrey II puppet move so naturally!!!
saw this show on closing night and it was amazing!! it was super last minute but my mom and i decided to see it for fun, and we were blown away! george was so nice too!
I was in the middle of a show at the time and could not find the time to watch this run. Little Shop is one of my favorite shows of all time and this is the best thing I could ever ask for. Thank you so so much 💖💖💖
I was supposed to see this in Pasadena but my car decided to die the week before I was to go. Thank you so much for this!! I finally get to see it.
Bro I just realized that Mr. Mushnik is Kevin Chamberlin (the person who played Bertram’s Jessie) and I was like.
“ *H O L’ U P*
*SO THIS IS WHERE YOU WENT AFTER JESSIE* “
Yes to this but he's adorable as Horton though!
I KNEW it was him! I couldn’t tell with the video resolution but it looked vaguely like him and the voice seemed like it fit, barring the thick accent lmao. This is officially my favorite Little Shop cast.
Hands Down! The best Urchins I have heard since the movie. People usually cast the Urchins as dancers first and they should be three SANGIN DOLLS!
EXACTLY!!!! Their singing is too important. I honestly dc if they never danced I wanna SEE JESUS when u sing
“I’ll make it worth your while!”
“Whaaaat” 😂😂
Haha that part reminds me of be more chill where Mr heere asked michael "do you love him?" And he responded with "Whaaaa"
This is vocally the best urchins i have heard since the movie!
I saw this production live. It really is the best this show has ever been.
I saw this on the very last day it was showing and I still think about it, it’s easily one of the best days of my life so far. I appreciate you uploading this!
How lucky am I to live in NZ & be able to see a truly revolutionary version of one of my favourite musicals. Just amazing. Seen MJ on telly. Who knew she could sing like that! Remake the movie with this cast.
SHEEEESH!! That was one of the tightest Ya Never Know’s ever!! Not easy!! They better sing!!
I'm OBSESSED with Amber Riley's performance. My favorite Audrey II.
i owe you my life ive been looking for this so long i loved being in little shop last summer and this cast looks absolutely amazing
I OWE YOU MY LIFE MY TINY LITTLE SKID ROW BRAIN HAS BEEN FED
Modernized LSOH? Yes plz.
It's a crime that this cast/production did not get a cast recording. I'd rather have this than the recent revival
Same here! There is SO much talent here!
@@tylerbarrios9762 Yes, even if you’re a Little Shop purist there’s already a recording from the original cast to listen to! This version is so fresh, we needed an album! 🥺
this version is the fucking bomb ! MJ rodriguez is so talented and a trans woman playing audrey adds so much to the lyrics of some songs. Also love the little inclusion when Audrey II asks at 48:19 “Men ? Girls ?” instead of “Money ? Girls ?” its a nice little touch and im glad they made this tiny change
Even though the cast in NYC was very good, I wish this case was put in that production, or at least invited to be replacements.
YES
idk what the song is called, but the song at 54:35 always gives me chills. i love the way it starts off (plus george’s voice obviously), and matthew’s acting is absolutely phenomenal.
It's called "Now (it's just the gas)" and I completely agree with everything you said
I NEED THE CAST RECORDING! Cheyenne Wells is EVERYTHING!
I have been in Little Shop of Horrors and seeing this made me happy. Now all we need is the off Broadway Original cast one
Abby I second this! I had tickets to see the show but, as we know, broadway shut down :(
Hopefully they’ll release a bootleg if they have one
@@elladrew4045 that sucks:( Hopefully they will!!
I was lucky enough to see this live and I was so happy to find this. Thank you so much for uploading it!
Oh no, now with the convent blackout, there's reason to believe the plant talking is all in Seymour's head.
Funny, I thought that was the plant literally getting into Seymour's head.
George Salazar fits Seymour so well! Everyone is incredible.
This is a sensational production.
I consider myself so utterly lucky to have seen this. My friends had been so sweet and got tickets for my birthday for us to go as a group as a surprise. I love this cast so frickin much!!
I am excited to see this! Thank you for uploading, so many people would have missed out on it!
So there is a new Little Shop Of Horrors film that is planned for sometime in the future. Instead of just remaking the Little Shop Of Horrors film like the 80s version, they should remake it like this and with these actors. It'll be appreciated a lot more, cuz It'll be less like a remake and more like a different take.
This cast is phenomenal. I just want to visit the US for the musicals, lol.
Bless this production I’ve been wanting to see this production for a WHILE
It broke my heart that I couldn't go see this show. I live in California so I don't always get shows or casts I'm super excited for but we were just too busy and the run was so short.
thank you so much for uploading this amazing production
Imagine a world where this brilliant production was produced in LA, and then Broadway gave us a cookie cutter rinse and repeat version we always see and was so poorly executed in comparison to this one... le sigh. That's the world we live in.
This cast and production could definetly go to broadway
I just wanna see MJ Rodríguez with a Tony
Michaela Jae Rodriguez was perfect in this. Her performance gives me chills every time I watch/listen.
wait bertram from jessie is in musical theater. WHEN WAS ANYONE GONNA TELL ME THIS
IKR!!!!
FYI he was Horton in the Seussical original cast!
He was the wizard for the 15th anniversary cast of wicked with jessica vosk
@@maryfletcher5834 That's what I know him from the most!
Subscribing to this channel asap bc not only is Audrey ii my dream role but also I love to see how various shows pull this thing off since the puppetry is a goddamn tech *nightmare* 😊 thanks for being here Archive-San 🥰
WOAH wait I made that comment at the start of the vid, is *this* the show the show that cast a bunch of trans ppl??? I only ever saw ‘suddenly Seymour’ from it once and could never find the video again… Holy crap I’m blessed to be able to see it!! I’m a nb person who aims towards masc (explaining why my dream role is a genderless character voiced by men) so being able to see this show is incredible!!!! Consider this video saved and you subscribed to!! this is awesome!!! 😁😁😁😁 (also Audrey being trans recontextualises the whole thing including her bf being a pos and also the meaning behind naming the plant after her)
Anyway this is epic!! I love this show and particularly this version ❤
i recently started watching Pose and i instantly fell inlove with MJ Rodriguez! thank you for posting this!
I SCREAMED when I realized what production this video was of omfg
the puppetry for the vines is incredible! does anyone know how they make the vines so flexible and still remain unseen??
OMGG I never thought I would see this again in my life!!! I went to see it twice and got to meet George and the cast!! It would Incredible!!
Oh my gosh is that Bertram!!
He was SO GOOD. My niece had to tell me who he was later 😂
That is indeed Bertram
Yep, Kevin Chamberlain is amazing! He’s a great performer!
A list of things I love about this version:
The casting of George Salazar and Kevin Chamberlain as Seymour and Mushnik and their bizarre relationship.
Audrey being played as a trans person of color, which adds quite a bit of dimension to an already great character.
Everything about Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronette.
The realistic portrayal of Orin and Audrey's relationship.
The lack of humor in the scenes with Orin and Audrey, making him seem make dangerous.
The amount of humor in the scenes where Orin isn't with Audrey and Matthew Wilkas's portrayal of both sides of the sadistic dentist.
The plant's cool and unique design, as well as Amber Riley's epic vocal performance.
The grittyness present throughout every aspect of the show.
I’ve been lusting after a single snippet of this run for a while and I’m so happy
awwwee I saw this live and this really brings back good memories :,)
The girl group members sound so beautiful!
Hope you guys can upload Jonathan Groff’s Little Shop run! You’re doing God’s work i love this sm :,)
I was so excited for borle too!!
@@raekarkoc928 YES!! I've seen some clips of him and he's wearing leather 😭
YES YES YES
How do we get the Pasadena Playhouse to bring back this production? It's a damn shame it had such a short run, and wasn't even properly recorded :(
you know, I always knew in “Feed Me,” the plant was seducing him. But with Audrey II being voiced by a woman, that aspect of the musical works sooooo so so good
Finally! Hold up...Was that the voice of Billy Porter in the beginning?
Yesssss!!! :)
i saw the notifications and sprinted
WOW!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVED! Such imagination! Bravo!
Thoughts while while: Seymour kind of looks like Michael from BMC, Mr. Mushnik looks like that guy from Jessie and Seymour sounds a lot like Mercedes from Glee.
Finally reads description: Oh...
MJ YOU ARE INCREDIBLE!!!!!!
MJ DESERVES THE WORLD
OH MY GODDD I MISS THIS PRODUCTION I SAW ITS FIRST PREVIEW
I have no idea about this musical but George (and everyone else) sounds lovely!
...same
Okay but if Audrey II looked this intimidating in “feed me Seymour” in the original musical, the original musical wouldn’t have to exist. Why would you help something that’s grabbing and big already.
Chills. Thank you!
FINALLY WE GET TO SEE THIS
I juts finished Pose season 2 and I’m just dying for more MJ Rodriguez vocals