Howard Ashman - Little Shop Of Horrors: Original Cast Album (1982 Off-Broadway Cast)
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Free Music Notes for Little Shop Of Horrors: Original Cast Album (1982 Off-Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: A Charming, Often Brilliant Little Musical
Hit: 5 Stars
Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, best known for their superb songs for the Disney classics Beauty and the Best and The Little Mermaid, were also prominent in the theater. However, the crowning achievement of their work for theater (mostly Off-Broadway) was Little Shop of Horrors. Menken perfectly blends theater music and pop music and Ashman's lyrics are always witty and excellent.
The small cast has plently of talent. Let's begin with Ellen Greene, an exceptional actress who will be best remembered for this role of Audrey. Although her dialouge reading isn't prominent on this album, her singing certainly is. And what a singer she is! She's perfect.
Ron Taylor, best known for his role of Bleeding Gums Murphy on The Simpsons, is great as Audrey II. I prefer him to Levi Stubbs in the film and the fellow who played him in the overblown Broadway production.
Lee Wilkoff, an Off-Broadway veteran (later to star in the original Playwrights Horizons production of Assassins) is a fine Seymour. He sings nicely and pulls the role off well.
The guy playing Mr. Mushnik is just fine and the man who plays Orin the Dentist among other parts is excellent.
The Greek Chorus of Urchins, a creation of Mr. Ashman's, make a great musical excellent. These girls are perhaps give the best performances for a recording of this show.
This is a great musical. It's slowly becoming a modern classic and deserves to become one!
Free Music Review: Puts the petal to the metal!
Hit: 5 Stars
Until just this month, I had never seen "Little Shop" or heard any of its music. But when my kids put on the show at their high school, suddenly I was fascinated by all things Seymour and Audrey. This 1982 cast production of the music is a perfect memento of the play and a capable tribute to the terrific work of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, respectively, the composer and writer. This is one of several versions of "Little Shop" that are in circulation, and adds a layer of campiness to the dark original. Like the original (and unlike the movie) it does shrink from the dealing with the Faustian consequences of its characters' choices.
After listening to them, it's guaranteed that these songs will be running through your head for weeks. I'm especially tickled by "Skid Row," the urban ensemble piece that sets the scene for the action. "Somewhere That's Green," sweetly showcases Audrey's warped dream of a better life in the suburbs -- "a grill out on the patio...and an ironing machine". And everyone loves the "Dentist" piece, sung partially through a gas mask - a risky proposition that works, at least on the album.
The 1982 version of "Little Shop" may not continue to wear well, with its many dated references to 1950s personalities - Donna Reed, Jack Paar and Hedy Lamarr. But no matter, there is plenty of wonderful music to keep your car stereo or IPod busy for weeks.
Free Music Review: Not a Happy Ending.
Hit: 5 Stars
The original cast recording of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS does not have a happy ending. Like the cult Roger Corman film that the musical is based upon, the musical ends with the plants taking over the world and eating just about everything in sight. Nevertheless, we do get to hear some good music along the way making this modernized take on a Faustian tale a little easier to swallow. The songs and lyrics in the show were written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman and is just as good, if not better than anything they ever wrote for Disney (maybe Little Shop depressed them too much and that's why they started working for the Mouse). My favorite songs on the album are:
"Skid Row (Downtown"--a tune which embodies the longing of
achievement that every small town nerd or inner-city nobody
has ever felt.
"Somewhere That's Green"--a lovely song that Audrey sings expressing what she really wants out of life.
"Feed Me (Git It)"--the song where Audrey II begins to reveal her true nature.
"Suddenly, Seymour"--the song that every nice guy wishes the girl he loves would sing about him.
Since this is the original Broadway cast album, there are numbers missing from here that are in the movie and in the revival show. But, this was the first (well, Roger Corman's movie was first) and for that, it's a classic gem.
Free Music Review: A Wonderful Musical!
Hit: 5 Stars
Of all the incarnations of this story, from Roger Corman's peculiar, delightful B&W quickie, to Disney's lavish adaptation of this musical version, the unadulterated La Mama stage production is the finest. There is an edge to this, a much darker shading, that the cutesified Disney version lacks (even compare Ellen Greene's versions of "Suddenly, Seymour" -- in the movie shy and restrained, here -- she knocks your socks off). And in changing the story to make Seymour more likable, and to give the film a happier ending, they miss the major point: this is, in essence, a retelling of the Faust legend. Seymour sells his soul, and Audrey II is, in fact, Mephistopheles. This ending, complete with Crystal, Chiffon & Ronette's "Subsequent to the Events" Greek chorus and the warning "Don't Feed the Plants" is much more plausible and dramatically satisfying than that in the film; the singing and interpretive performances are uniformly excellent, better than in the film; and the one song they add to the film is no consolation for the ones they drop from the stage production (such as the delightful "Mushnick & Son") -- in short, this is a great recording, and one can only wish they'd filmed the play at the LaMama in the East Village.Free Music Review: A fun addition to a CD collection
Hit: 5 Stars
The original Broadway recording of the play _The Little Shop of Horrors_ is full of catchy, upbeat songs that are fun to sing along with. However, I only recommend it for people who have been exposed to either the movie with Rick Moranis or the original play and enjoyed it. This CD may also be of interest to fans who like Disney music, as the music corresponding with Howard Ashman's clever lyrics was composed by Alan Menken. If listeners tune to the wistful, soaring love song "Somewhere That's Green" they may be able to recognize musical parts from _The Little Mermaid_'s "Part of Your World."My favorite songs are "Skid Row (Downtown)," "Somewhere That's Green," "Feed Me (Git It)," and "Suddenly Seymour." The music is, of course, catchy ("Da-Doo"), but the lyrics are what make this CD worth the buy--lines manage to be sweet and satirical at the same time. This CD has much more depth than the movie soundtrack--the only advantage to having the movie soundtrack would be Steve Martin's hilarious version of the sadistic song "The Dentist." All in all, I would recommend this CD for fans.