Sometimes revivals seem to go in an alternate direction from the original. Why do we feel the need to bring back the old and try to make it new by adding a little flair and new young blood into the mix (blood pun intended)? With the announcement that Ghostbusters, Blade Runner, The Blob, It, and Point Break will be reborn and with the not so successful Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Total Recall, Carrie remakes still box office wounds, do we desire more?
Broadway is a little different it seems and I am actually looking forward to this remake. Little Shop of Horrors, able to be redone revived? It was in 2003, but maybe we all missed that try. Sure, this time we are placing a Hollywood star into one of the lead roles, but maybe Jake Gyllenhaal will be amazing as Seymour. One thing that we can be sure of is the return of Ellen Greene as Audrey, the one and only. Who else will pop in? Taran Killam will take over where Steve Martin left off as Orin the not so loveable dentist. See Playbill.com's full recap of the cast below.
Casting is now complete for New York City Center's Encores! Off-Center production of the Alan Menken-Howard Ashman musical Little Shop of Horrors this July.
As previously reported, Ellen Greene, who created the role of the lovably ditzy Audrey both on stage and screen, will reprise that performance under the direction of Dick Scanlan. Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, who was seen on Broadway earlier this season opposite Ruth Wilson in Constellations, will play down-on-his-luck plant-shop worker Seymour with Taran Killam ("Saturday Night Live") as Orin. The Urchins will be portrayed by Caroline, or Change's Tracy Nicole Chapman (Chiffon), Marva Hicks (Crystal) and Ramona Keller (Ronnette) – playbill.com
There's a special place in my heart for this one. No, I was never in it myself, but I did direct the pit orchestra for a successful run of the musical. I hope Jake and Taran treat "The Shop" well. I have no worries about Ellen for she is more of a draw for me than the other two combined.
Will you go see the new production of Little Shop of Horrors?
Do you think Rick Moranis was asked to be Seymour once again? I wish!
Little Shop of Horrors, according to City Center, is a "sci-fi musical about Seymour Krelborn (Jake Gyllenhaal), a hapless florist shop worker who pursues a doomed romance with his ditzy, lovable co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene) by acquiring an R&B-singing plant (Eddie Cooper) that feeds on human blood."
Performances will take place July 1 and 2 at 7:30 PM. Due to ticket demand, a 2 PM matinee has also been added for July 2.
Little Shop of Horrors is based on the 1960 cult movie of the same name. The musical version debuted Off-Broadway at WPA Theatre in 1982 starring Lee Wilkoff and Ellen Greene in a role that would become her signature. A Broadway production was mounted in 2003 co-starring Hunter Foster and Kerry Butler.
Tickets begin at $25. Phone (212) 581-1212 or visit NYCityCenter.org. – playbill.com
PS. It is amazing how many people got their theater panties in a twist when I used the word remake instead of revival. And yes, I hated the remake, revival, resurrection of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I'll keep it in the "it sucked" category.
I’m with Tanner who writes
I'm with Tanner who writes this clickbait schlock?
First off, this isn’t a
First off, this isn't a remake, it's a revival. It is common (if not standard) for plays and musicals to be revived with a new cast.
And secondly, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was both a financial and critical success. it grossed almost $500 million. Even Dahl's family praised it over the 70s movie musical version.
Get your facts straight.
Thanks for the zingers Tanner
Thanks for the zingers Tanner and with such a helpful tone. So if it is revived with a new cast, but not all the cast is new, what is it called? Is there a name for that? I love how helpful comments are so cordial. And secondly, yes, Charlie could possibly be considered a success, but ugh, it was so bad. $200 million domestic is not a total success and that was with them milking the awful movie for 21 weeks in the theaters (27% of profits made during the first weekend). With a budget of 150 million, thank goodness for the foreigners.
If it is revived with a new
If it is revived with a new cast, but not all the cast is new, then that means that the other roles were recast, or that someone was cast again. If time passes, but one or more actors come back, it is still a revival. The same thing happened to The Rocky Horror Show in the beginning. The process does not need to be named. And if you are trying to undermine my comment by asking what that process is called, then how about you give a name?
And it is ignorant to say that a domestic gross is more important than an overall gross. It doesn't matter that it made $50 million more than its budget here in the U.S., because it made more than the U.S. gross in other territories alone. And when you add all that up, and subtract the budget (including marketing), then it is still a profit of $150-200 million. How is that not wildly successful? And the critical consensus was very positive, given that anything over 80% is considered critical acclaim. And the most important acclaim it got was from Dahl's family.
Just because you thought it was "so bad" doesn't mean all other praise is deemed invalid. Especially when it is obvious that the general consensus goes against your opinion.
Everyone has different tastes I guess.