Little Shop of Horrors

Not Your Typical Musical

By Dillon Paul

Edwardsville, IL – The morbidly dark comedy in Little Shop of Horrors is not something you would normally associate with a musical. Little Shop of Horrors bends genres more than any other musical. Sure there is romance and singing and dancing which is typical of every musical, but there is also suffering and death and killer foliage.

“I love this show because it is funny and funky and it combines different genres in ways that no other musical does,” said Wendy Greenwood. Greenwood directed the version of Little Shop of Horrors that debuted at SIUE on Wednesday June 25. “I directed The Sound of Music last summer, and directing Little Shop is a completely different experience. I like that the cast is so small for this show, because it really allows us to bond with one another,” said Greenwood.

Caitlin Mickey who played Audrey in the SIUE production of Little Shop of Horrors loved the cast. “Everyone is so talented and we’ve all been working really hard,” said Mickey. Rehearsals for Little Shop of Horrors started on May 5 with two weeks of music rehearsal and then choreography and then characterization. “Audrey is my dream role. I remember I was 11 when I first saw the movie and I just fell in love with Audrey. It is an absolute privilege to get to play her,” said Mickey.

Little Shop of Horrors ran from June 25 to June 29 at the Dunham Hall Theater, and audience members seemed to really enjoy it. Lisa Hinrichs a senior at SIUE particularly enjoyed the show. “I thought it was really good. Everyone seemed really prepared and they all look like they enjoy being on stage,” said Hinrichs. “I liked that the show was different than the movie. The musical was a lot more sexual than the movie,” said Hinrichs.

During the school year SIUE only produces straight plays, or non-musicals, so when Summer Showbiz rolls around and musicals are performed it is quite a spectacle. “Musicals are a lot more work than straight plays. They have a higher production value,” said Greenwood.

Because of the higher production value, musicals are only produced at SIUE during Summer Showbiz. Little Shop of Horrors was an excellent offbeat musical that was quirky and charming and incorporated everything traditional musicals have plus so much more. Because of the killer plant and numerous sexual innuendos, Little Shop of Horrors is definitely not your typical musical.