Carpenter Performing Arts Center, CSULB (Long Beach, CA)
Musical Theatre West presents one of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, Little Shop of Horrors, a musical spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies that was later turned into a movie starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin. The story follows a meek down-and-out skid row floral assistant who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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The last date listed for Little Shop of Horrors was Sunday July 26, 2009 / 2:00pm. (view all dates)
Currently at Carpenter Performing Arts Center, CSULB:
Jonathan Larson's Tony and Pulitzer prize-winning musical uses dance, pop, rock, R&B and salsa to tell an emotional tale about a community of young artists who celebrate life while struggling to make it. Based on Puccini's La Boheme, Rent mixes the classic themes of love and loss, pain and hope, and a need to belong with an energetic score and contemporary attitude. Featuring Emmy Award-winner Jai Rodriquez (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) as Angel. Learn More
I really enjoyed the show. The performers can really sing, especially the plant. I've never seen this play before, so I really enjoyed it! They used the original set, which is a plus. That includes the plant ofcourse.
This event was more than great! Awesome life-like vivid stage setting and catchy tunes with outstanding vocals. Audrey II (the plant) grew well over 6 ft tall! Entertaining from beginning to end. Just about every seat at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center is a good seat.
I read that the set and costumes featured are from the original Broadway National tour! The puppets were crafted the Jim Henson's Creature Shop and were designed by Martin Robertson who originally designed the puppets for the 1982 off Broadway show. Knowing this, I anticipated a top notch set, costumes and props, and they were!!..
Parking was $5. It takes some time to park as there is only one entrance with one lane so it can get crowed so arrive early to avoid getting stuck in the parking lot looking for parking.
Great show! Cast was very good. Sets, costumes from the Broadway revival and National tour were outstanding! I think the show plays better in a house 500-700. Carpenter is pretty big for this show. That said, Broadway caliber on a budget!
A wonderful production of a fun show, off-Broadway has nothing on Long Beach. If you're not familiar with the show, it’s a black comedy set to 50’s doo-wop style music with a Supremes style trio playing the Greek choir. This production was as good as any I’ve seen on Broadway, which is no wonder since they were able to get the Broadway set, costumes and puppets from the national tour. I really enjoyed Peter Paige (from Queer as Folk) playing the sadistic Dentist and several other quick change parts.
I like the Props the music was very animated. We sat in second to last row and the view was decent. I would recommend the play... go an get entertained, don't expect any mental stimulation. Just kick and enjoy. :-)
OUTSTANDING!!!! GO AND SEE IT AT ITS BEST... THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MUSICALS.
I went to see this show because several of the cast are my friends. Although enjoyable, there were some sound problems especially with the "urchins". There were a couple of songs they were singing on that we couldn't even hear them, but could see that they were singing.
I felt that some of the tempos on the songs were a bit under, especially the title song. Some of the "shtick" got stuck. Could have just been an off night, but the pacing was a bit uneven.
Great Cast- Great Theater - Great Seats! Loved it!
Enjoy the Music but
Don’t feed the plants
Don McAfee –Seal Beach
Musical Theatre West closes their 56th season with LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Carpenter Center CSULB - July 10 through 26) the toe tapping 50’s B MOVIE musical.
Originally produced as a B Movie (no music) by Roger Corman starring Jackie Joseph and Jack Nicholson in 1960 the film became a cult classic and following the success of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW was transformed into an off Broadway musical which ran for more than 5 years and was later a big budget musical film with performances from many of Hollywood’s young comics like Rick Moranis and Steve Martin.
Seymour works at Mushniks skid row florist and is in love with Audrey a sex kitten who is regularly abused by her dentist boyfriend-enter a singing man-eating Plant named Audrey 2 and add a penultimate girl group as a combination Greek chorus back up group and you have an evening of good fun.
Little SHOP was meant to be a little show-the “orchestrations” rely heavily on keyboards-Alan Menken composer of many Disney hits wrote the score and musical director Daniel Thomas directs from the pit with verve although sometimes seems to either push or drag the cast along.
The production values of MTW are top notch.
The sound was erratic, lighting is clever and an asset to hiding where corners have been cut on production costs, costumes for this show are minimal but what you do get is an incredible Plant (or rather progression of plants) and the plant IS the show in this as in most productions of this musical.
The plants in this production are from the national tour according to the program notes as are the sets.
Voiced by Michael A. Shepard and puppeteered by James W. Gruessing and crew the evil monster plant Audrey 2 comes to life as a hungry man eater that is set to take over the world.
Shepard’s voice is expressive and rich and may be a more original characterization than some other members of the cast.
Fredericka Meek, Kamilah Marshall and Melony Collins as the singing trio Chiffon, Crystal and Ronette take the biggest bow of the evening.
Well choreographed, amusingly businessed and with big, professional voices they are everything a production of Little Shop hopes for and more-not easy to become a trio working as one in a few weeks of rehearsal but here it works and mighty well.
Well known actor comedian Stuart Pankin plays Mr. Mushnik owner of the shop like a road show Tevya and herein may be the only problem with this production-the director’s concept.
Steven Glaudini shows remarkable sense in some details; a few subtle nods to Michael Jackson in the choreography (choreography by DJ Gray), skilled use of a small cast and a well paced performance.
This show however was meant for a small, intimate theatre NOT the Carpenter Center.
In other areas one wonders where he was headed with this production and how it got away from him.
This production of LITTLE SHOP bows too much to the film musical, Lowe Taylor as Audrey pretty much redoes the style of the film from hair and costumes to inflections although occasionally there is a little Barbra Streisand impression in the performance.
Danny Gurwin as Seymore seems to have dropped in from a college production of HELLO DOLLY (where he was the ideal Cornelius Hackle).
Ineffectively costumed and poorly directed he is anything but the guy who does the dirty work of a man eating plant from outer space-he misses the joke and in doing so misses in the part
The nerdy nervous bumbling of Seymore and the empty headed blonde bombshell who doesn’t know she’s beautiful make the chemistry and the pathos. Both Taylor and Gurwin seem to have fine voices and talent as actors but that elusive click just wasn’t there.
Peter Paige (ORIN SCRIVELLO DDS) borrows heavily from Steve Martin’s performance in the film and does a fine job as he chameleons from part to part playing any number of smaller character bits. Too bad he wasn’t allowed to find a character of his own for ORIN that better suited his personal attributes.
All in all this was a fun evening despite an uneven production.
The enthusiastic audience supported the cast from start to finish and it was nice to see a wide variety of ages from very young to very seasoned enjoying a night out at the theatre.
It is important that groups like Musical Theatre West are supported by the local community.
In these hard times many theatre, opera and ballet companies are cancelling their seasons, cutting back and going under.
MTW is a company with guts-for their next season they are attempting MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS and SWEENEY TODD along with 3 other productions including one of the first independent productions of RENT.
In his welcoming curtain speech, executive director/producer Paul Garmen said his company is in the black but thanked the many members of the local community who help underwrite the difference between ticket sales and actual production costs.
Ticket prices for MTW are very reasonable-their website lists season prices and offers online seating charts and sales (visit their website at http://www.musical.org ).
My GOLDSTAR seats were great=row N-near center-unobstructed-this is a great theatre-I don't think there are any bad seats and GOLDSTAR is a great service!!!
Still time to grab a ticket for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS and share in the fun weekends with some matinees through the 26th, just remember don’t feed the plants.
Caught the Sunday matineee yesterday..a lot of fun and a first class production. Terrific Broadway-quality performances from experienced actors all the way around.I wouldn't single anyone out because they were all great. Great sets and puppetry for Audrey II. Some very minor sound amplification/mix issues made just a few lyrics a little hard to understand when multiple voices were in use but that's a minor quibble. This was a very enjoyable two hour event. As a bonus, our Gold Star tickets were supposed to be somewhere toward the back middle--but they were actually second row center..amazing seats!
Saturday, we headed to the Carpenter Center and the opening night of Little Shop of Horrors, a jaunty little gem about a man-eating plant that manipulates a meek little guy into helping him take over Skid Row and the world. I've seen both versions of the movie (love Roger Corman's classic) but never the live stage musical, and I thought it would be a fun time for us all. Which is was. The music was fantastic, catchy '50s flavors with very witty lyrics. The sets were from the National Tour as were the puppets for Audrey II, the man-eating plant. (Amazing how they made the plant seem so realistic, and what a great voice from Michael A . Shepperd.) The actors did a fine job: Stuart Pankin as Mr. Mushnik; Peter Paige as Orin Scrivello DDS (along with almost every other character); Lowe Taylor awed everyone as Audrey; and Danny Gurwin played a wonderfully meek Seymour Krelborn. And not to forget Meloney Collins, Kamlah Marshall and Fredericka Meek as Ronette, Crystal and Chiffon -- kind of like the Greek chorus as a '50s girl group.
They encountered a few mic problems early on but corrected them as the show progressed, and I think the puppeteer was still getting used to the large Audrey II. But all in all, a good show.
I really like this theater (Carpenter theater) because there really are no bad seats. The times I have been I have booked the last two rows with no regrets and the price is great. At other theaters the last two rows would be questionable but here they are really good.
Absolutely hilarious!!
Very enjoyable evening, and a professional performance. Enjoyed the Carpenter Theatre, and the memorabilia.
I enjoyed the production
Terrific acting and singing. Loved the scenery, too. And Audrey II was beautifully done, though I think the roots should have been less anthropomorphic (no arms and legs). I went home and watched the movie. I enjoyed both the stage play and the movie equally, but understand what Frank Oz said in his commentary about making the conclusion lighter for the audience.
I was very excited to watch this musical because I really like the movie. Audrey II was so lifelike! I loved the music and especially Audrey's voice. She almost sounded like the one from the movie. My family and I had a great time.
What a weird concept, but I enjoyed it, The music was great.
This was an outstanding production for the following reasons:
1. Great singing voices
2. Excellent screen play
3. Super staging, esplecially the plant
4. Clever lyrics and foot-stomping melodies
I would highly recommend this musical comedy.
Since the Arts Center was not very large, we still got very good seats.
It was a very nice Center, and the sound and stage was great.
GREAT CAST, NICE FACILITY, PARKING GOOD
Stage, singing, and overall atmosphere was great! I've seen the movie, but there's nothing like live theater. Confirmation email said to expect seating between rows N-T, ended up front row, center!!
Show was done well, they were able to do justice to the movie. Venue was clean, sitting had lots of leg room. Parking was full but well controlled staff immediately opened up more parking.
I went to Little Shop of Horrors with 3 people in family who had never seen it and didn't know too much about it. They all loved it. They thought it was really professional, the acting and singing was very good.l The plant was funny but appropriately "scary". My husband and I have seen the play at 3 other venues. This is the best one by far. The set and the actors are quite professional. We all left singing the songs
Also, we paid for the lowest price tickets and were seated in the last row as expected. The seating was fine for all of us. The seats in the last half are well graduated, with a lot of leg room between rows. We could see clearly and hear well. I highly recommend this theatre.
Summary: 3.5 stars
Fun production made for a fun night out with family - may be great for some children but not for others.
Production:
MTW's productions are always top notch with great scenary and costumes. While I have seen other plays with more scenary transitions, the plant stole the show with its interesting transitions from venus fly trap status to world domination. Overall the small cast did a great job with some stand outs - including the bully dentist boyfriend how was amazing and there was also one more standout of one of the trio girls that did a good job but seemed like she was holding back a little.
Okay for Children?:
While there are some dark undertones (human eating plant), "inappropriate" behavior (verbally/physically abusive boyfriend, drug use (dentist), and some gyrating - elvis-like hips), and cussing in this play it is really dependant on your child and your parenting methods. While I took my aunt and uncle and their 3 daughters - ages 8-13, who were fine with the show's nature and found it entertaining…if you are a parent that wants to keep your child in a bubble of Disney character-like happiness and perfect morals to the stories they see - this may not be the play for them.
Dress:
The dress code for this production was more casual than the show I had been to in the past (The Producers) with people in dresses and jeans. This was perfect for my out of town guests who had not planned on the event and had to pull something together last minute.
Parking:
Is $5 (I think - or maybe it was $10). Park in the exit row when you go in for easy access on the way out. There is some street parking available if you go really early but even at 45 minutes before show time we didn't get a spot there.
Facilities:
CSULB Carpenter theatre is a great theater. Every seat is good and with Gold Star Events we have gotten 2 out of 2 sets of seats in the P/Q area on the far right side of the stage (when facing it). While initially you go in and you think you are skewed in the location and might "miss out" - we have seen 2 productions here and I don't recall either of the times thinking "man - I wish would have gotten a better seat". Bathrooms are big - perfect for the intermission, but lines still form, as they do at all plays during this time….and they are kept very clean. There is even a live camera playing via a TV in the lobby in case you need to step out for any reason, such as a coughing fit or a unruly child.
There were 7 in our party and I could only purchase 6 tickets at a time via the Gold Star website. I did 2 transactions and sent an email to ask if we could be seated by eachother - the theatre had us all together.
Great show!! The singers where great!
It was terrific. Good seating, excellent performances.
Everything about the show was top notch! All the best for the next season!
The show was fun and thoroughly entertaining. All the performers were talented and great!
It was a good show but not great. The actors, although talented, were miscast. Seymour was not nerdy enough, Audrey was not ditzy enough (although we know she isn't), Mushnik was good. The staging was good but not great and it didn't have a lot of the fun that I have had in other productions of the show. It played too much to the dark side and not enough to the camp. Disappointing from a theater company I always feel does Broadway better than Broadway.
I enjoyed the show and all the singers were amazing except the dentist who couldn't sing a note. It's a fun show that leaves you with a smile.
An excellent production with the best Seymore and plant we had ever seen. What an incredible set and the direction was top knotch. Great job.
Overall a good evening of theater. The cast was very good except for Danny Gurwin (Seymor) who while he had a great voice, missed alot of the musical tempo's of his songs. He also spent the entire evening swinging from flat to overdone as far as his character was concerned. Lowe Taylor (Audrey), Peter Paige (Orin Scrivello) and Stewart Pankin (Mr. Mushnik) were all wonderful and along with Michael Sheppard (Audrey II) and the three greek chorus girls made for a great evening of entertainment. The sets and puppetry were wonderful and really added a profesional touch to the production. The only bad thing I would say about the production is that this is the second show I have seen at this theater and both shows suffered from a bad audio technician. Who ever is running the mic's at this theater needs to learn how to balance the cast members on stage so they can all be heard. The three greek chorus girls in this show was a good example. While all three girls had phenominal voices at times you could only hear two of the three, or one over the other two. Too bad that such a good performance on those girls part was marred by bad audio. Fortunately the cast is so good you can easily overlook this one setback and enjoy a great night of entertainment and fun.
Great venue! Every seat is a good seat. Top-notch show. Wonderful sets and costumes. Sparkling cast! Celebrity names, even!
A very well done production of a fun and fast-paced show. There wasn't a weak member of the cast. The "urchins" Ronette, Crystal and Chiffon stood out for me with wonderful vocals and charisma from start to finish, as did Michael Shepperd in providing the voice to Audrey II. The sets and lighting were excellent, and the ever-growing star of the show, the killer plant, never ceased to impress. It's the kind of show that almost everyone in the audience leaves humming one of it's many catchy tunes under their breath.
A great production!! The performance was top-notch! MTW always puts on a fantastic show! We really enjoyed it and Goldstar took care of the one party in our group that needed Handicap Access. Thanks!!
I think the entire set was borrowed from the recent Broadway revival. It was intimate and effective. The ingenious design of the "Audrey II" was indeed the highlight of the show. Peter Paige was miscast. His rendition of "Dentist!" was flat and often off-key (should've been crazier or more hysterical). Danny Gurwin has always been my kind of leading man -- his portrayal of Seymour Krelborn does not disappoint.
The urchins were a bit dissapointing - I really wanted more gusto and sass. I really loved Seymour, Audrey and the voice of Audrey II. The production was top notch in terms of technical elements. The set was amazing. The changes were great. Everything seemed to moved at a great pace.
The band was okay. I was lookinf for the 2003 orchestrations, but it seemed like they had a different combo.
The only thing I really hated was the sound design - or sound mixing. You couldn't always hear the performers over the music. And sometimes, mic's would come in late during a song.
Other than that, had a great time.
Good performance. This venue is always easy to get in/out of.
Other than some technical issues with some of the lighting, the production and cast for this show was spot on. Definitely would recommend seeing!
Well done, enjoyed the show.
The show did not work very well for me. I have seen at least two other productions of this musical and this was by far the worst. The actors seemed unsure of themselves. The mikes gave a distorted sound. But worst of all, the actor who played the dentist was just plain awful. I think it all boils down to poor direction. Too bad. It is a fun show.
This was a good play. I went with my daughter and son who are adults already and we all enjoyed it very much. The actors were very good. The way they did the plant was great. How they took it from the start until the plant became huge. I loved how they made the roots of the plant. It was a very well put together play. We enjoyed very much. It was at the Richard & Karen Carpenter for the performing arts arena and it is a very nice place. Not too big, but not too small. You can see the stage pretty much from anywhere you sit.
The only thing I would complain about is that they were not selling any souvenirs (magnets, t shirts, etc.).
All in all is very nice.
I would and will recommend it to my friends and family.
This was a very enjoyable show. This production included the original Broadway sets and costumes which were fabulous. When we picked up our tickets the man at will call upgraded us to seats in row G which was very nice.
Enjoyed this quirky & colorful story.
The production was excellent as they used the scenery and props from the Broadway production. The subject matter was gruesome in very funny way. We enjoyed it as did our teenage grandson.
Good singing and dancing, but a few minor issues. Don't know if it was the theater or what the trouble was, but the sound was somewhat muffled and off-balanced, making the lyrics difficult to understand at points. The songs and dialog seemed oddly rushed, like everyone was hurrying to finish. It made the comedy harder to catch for the audience and laughs were missing. Still, it was a fun evening, especially at a nice discount. The puppetry is especially neat.
Didn't really care for the actors portrayal of Seymour and the actress who played Audrey kept switching between an accent and non. The three girls who sang together were fantastic, along with Mr. Mushnik and the plant!
Tips are provided by Goldstar members and Musical Theatre West. Goldstar is not responsible for their content or accuracy.
The Carpenter Performing Arts Center seats 1,079 patrons in a lush and intimate configuration. The stage area was modeled after the New York State Theater of the Arts at Lincoln Center, and can accommodate large or small performing ensembles, film screenings, concerts, conferences and other special events.
Website: http://www.musical.org/h904littleshop.html
Musical Theatre West is proud to present Little Shop of Horrors. The story follows a meek down-and-out skid row floral assistant who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon “Audrey II” grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination!
One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become a house-hold name, thanks to a highly successful film version and a score by the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who redefined the animated musical film with Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Charming, tuneful and hilarious, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, Little Shop of Horrors never fails to entertain.
Paul Garman, Musical Theatre West’s Executive Director/Producer is, “pleased to present this delightful show with sets and costumes direct from the recent national tour."
Steven Glaudini, Associate Artistic Director of Musical Theatre West, who recently directed the critically acclaimed MTW production of The Producers will direct this Little Shop of Horrors. “It has always been one of my favorite shows, and I am thrilled to be able to guide this terrific cast in this contemporary classic by the songwriting team of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.”
The cast in the Musical Theatre West production of Little Shop of Horrors features Danny Gurwin as Seymour (Broadway’s Little Women, The Full Monty, The Scarlet Pimpernel), Peter Paige as Orin and Others (Emmett in Television’s “Queer as Folk”), Lowe Taylor as Audrey (The Marvelous Wonderettes, Divorce, The Musical), Stuart Pankin as Mr. Mushnik (HBO's “Not Necessisarily The News”, MTW’s Silk Stockings), Michael Shepperd as the Voice of Audrey II (Artistic Director of the Celebration Theatre, Little Shop on Broadway), Kamilah Marshall, Meloney Collins and Fredericka Meek.
* Cast current at time of publication. Subject to change without notice.
Musical Theatre West is one of Southern California's oldest and most respected regional musical theatre companies and draws more than 60,000 patrons to Long Beach's Carpenter Performing Arts Center. Now in its 53rd season, Musical Theatre West is the fastest growing arts organization in Long Beach and is dedicated to preserving musical theatre as a unique American art form.
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