Little Shop of Horrors - Shool Play
The original "Little Shop of Horrors" got its start as a 1960 black comedy/horror cult movie directed by the legendary Roger Corman. It was made into a musical in 1982 and in 1986, was turned into yet another film, this time directed by Frank Oz and starring Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, and Bill Murray. The musical version of Little Shop of Horrors has been done on both a high school and collegiate level as a fun, unusual musical filled with '60s doo-wop type music and traditional, Broadway-style belters. This quirky, cautionary tale is the story of the nerdy Skid Row flower shop assistant, Seymour who happens upon a mysterious new, Venus Flytrap-like plant. The plant, which he names Audrey II, after the girl who works with him in the flower shop that he's secretly in love with, can only be nourished through blood. Human blod. Seymour finds out too late that this sinister plant (who happens to talk and express himself/herself through song) is actually a "mean, green mutha from Outer Space," an alien life form bent on draining humans of blood and world domination. Suddenly, it's up to Seymour to save his girl and the world [b]Seymour Krelborn[/b] The nerdy florist's assistant has a crush on his co-worker, the lovely Audrey. He happens upon a small Venus Flytrap like plant which he names Audrey II, which he reluctantly acquiesces to feed human blood at its urgings. Seymour should be outfitted accordingly to his nature with horn-rimmed [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/nerd+glasses/]nerd glasses[/url] and even a [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/nerd+wig/]nerd wig[/url]. Break out the white shirt with a [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/bow+tie/]bow tie[/url] and hike those pants up nice and high! [b]Audrey[/b] The sweet, girl-next-door who happens to work in the same Skid Row flower shop as Seymour, Audrey is dating the sadistic dentist, Orin Scrivello, DDS and suffers from low self esteem. In spite of it all, she's perky, sweet, and usually speaks with a character voice similar to that of [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/betty+boop/]Betty Boop[/url]. It's Audrey's dream to someday live "somewhere that's green." Sweet, yet sultry, Audrey's costume would undoubtedly be topped off with a [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/blond+flip+wig/]blonde flip wig[/url], similar to the bubble-cut style worn in the '60s. Cute heels, [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/black+fishnets/]black fishnets[/url], and a longsleeved or black shift dress would make for attractive, character-appropriate wardrobe choices for the Skid Row sweetheart. [b]Audrey II[/b] The villain of the play, Audrey II is the "Mean Green Mutha From Outer Space," a plant that starts off small and grows significantly larger (larger than most men!) thanks to a diet of human blood that Audrey II strong arms wishy-washy Seymour into feeding him. Intent on dominating the whole of the human race, Audrey II is far from being a "shrinking violet." This is one costume that your school's prop department can have a field day building! The actor (or actress) portraying the mouthy plant can stand inside a giant [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/flower/]flower pot[/url] brimming with vines and a Venus Flytrap-like creation. If you want, you can make it any sort of flower, but perhaps a painted, clamshell type design would work well with the person inside costumed with a green bodysuit spraypainted with earthy tones to give it a nice effect. Drape some rope-like strands of green yarn to resemble tentacle-like vines growing off of the plant. [b]Mr. Mushnick[/b] Mr. Mushnick is Seymour's greedy boss. High strung and usually irate, he has little use for Seymour in his failing business until the unique (and massive) Audrey II begins attracting clientele to the Skid Row flower shop. Considering that he's not a wealthy man (c'mon! He owns a flower shop on Skid Row!) and an older gent, Mr. Mushnick should be outfitted in a simple white shirt, perhaps with rolled up sleeves, a tie, and plain black slacks. This older, no-frills look can be accomplished with a fake [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/mustache/]mustache[/url] and [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/spray+hair/]spray hair color[/url] or [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/grey+wig/]grey wig[/url] to help aid in transforming the character. [b]Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon - The Chorus Girls[/b] The trio of girls who are fixtures on the Skid Row scene, Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon are named for the Motown-style girl groups of the '60s. Laying out the story for the audience with doo-wop singing and infusing it with a hint of attitude, this trio is an important part of the Little Shop of Horrors. There are multiple costuming options for the Three Chorus Girls. Depending on your preference, they can be outfitted uniformly with matching [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/beehive/]beehive[/url], bouffant, or flip wigs in the same color or with each girl sporting her own unique hue of blonde, black, red, brown, or auburn. Color-coordinating costumes can also be used, emulating the spaghetti strapped [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/50s+prom/]50s prom[/url] dresses of the time with below-the-knee length flared skirts in matching colors, or again, with each girl wearing her own "signature color." Matching shift dresses can also be worn, again with different color palattes. [b]Orin Scrivello, DDS[/b] The thug-ish, sadist dentist is also the abusive boyfriend to Audrey. As his solo-in-the-spotlight song states, Orin has "a knack for causing things pain" and enjoys drilling his patients, often sans Novocain. Scrivello also seems to enjoy huffing his own laughing gas, which eventually causes him to accidentally "die laughing," and subsequently making him dinner for Audrey II. A [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/dentist/]dentist[/url] costume with an old-school, Dr. Kildare type shirt or a set of scrubs with a pair of leather pants and a [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/biker/]biker jacket[/url] can be a fun choice to give Orin Scrivello, DDS an air of "bad ass" to his dentistry practice. You can't go wrong with leather and studs to give off the air of a sadistic dentist with a pain fetish! [b]Arthur Denton[/b] Every good sadist needs a willing masochist! This is where Arthur Denton comes in! As the man who willingly sits in the Scrivello's dentist chair, he loves to have his teeth pulled, drilled, and doesn't need no stinkin' Novocain. A fun role, Arthur Denton has previously been played by the likes of Jack Nicholson and Bill Murray on film. To give the illusion of a seemingly, and otherwise normal guy, Arthur Denton should be dressed as any professional man with a solid dental plan. A tweed suit and tie and a homburg hat and briefcase will give the temporary illusion of normalcy. [b]Patrick Martin[/b] As the sleazy businessman who hopes to breed Audrey II so that millions of homes across the country can have their very own unique, giant plant, Patrick Martin is something of a snake oil salesman. Greasy, oozing with the "anything for a buck" ethic, Martin has no clue that Audrey II is actually a real man-eater. And even if he did know, it wouldn't make much of a difference to him! Sleaze it up as Patrick Martin with a stylishly grey-at-the-temples guido wig and a loud suit and tie to give the impression of success, but not exactly class. Other fun accessories to make Patrick Martin come to life would be a pair of gaudy wingtips or even a bolo tie worn with a [url=http://www.costumzee.com/tag/hawaii/]Hawaiian shirt[/url]. It's entirely up to you to costume this cretin with your own vision, just make sure it's appropriately sleazy!
