Attack of the Monster Musical : A Cultural History of Little Shop of Horrors

How many hit musicals are based on films that were shot in two days at a budget of $30,000? The answer is one: Little Shop of Horrors . Roger Corman's monster movie opened in 1960, played the midnight circuit, and then disappeared from view. Two decades later, Little Shop of Horrors opened Off-Broadway and became a surprise success. Attack of the Monster Musical: A Cultural History of Little Shop of Horrors chronicles this unlikely phenomenon. The Faustian tale of Seymour and his man-eating plant transcended its humble origins to become a global phenomenon, launching a popular film adaptation and productions all around the world. This timely and authoritative book looks at the creation of the musical and its place in the contemporary musical theatre canon. Examining its afterlives and wider cultural context, the book asks the question why this unlikely combination of blood, annihilation, and catchy tunes has resonated with audiences from the 1980s to the present. At the core of this in-depth study is the collaboration between the show's creators, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Told through archival research and eyewitness accounts, this is the first book to make extensive use of Ashman's personal papers, offering a unique and inspiring study of one of musical theatre's greatest talents. "How many hit musicals are based on films that were shot in two days at a budget of $30,000? The answer is one: Little Shop of Horrors . Roger Corman's monster movie opened in 1960, played the midnight circuit, and disappeared from view. Two decades later, Little Shop of Horrors opened off-Broadway and became a surprise success. Attack of the Monster Musical: A Cultural History of Little Shop of Horrors tells the story of this unlikely phenomenon. The Faustian tale of Seymour and his man-eating plant transcended its humble origins to become a global phenomenon which continues to play around the world, with a popular film adaptation and big-budget Hollywood re-boot currently in the works. This timely and authoritative book looks at the creation of the musical, analyzing its place in the contemporary musical theatre canon through to the various afterlives and wider cultural context, asking the question why this unlikely combination of blood, annihilation, and catchy tunes has resonated with audiences from the 1980s to the present day. At the core of this in-depth study is the collaboration between artists Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Told through archival research and first-hand accounts, this is the first book to make extensive use of Ashman's personal papers, offering a unique and exclusive study of one of musical theatre's greatest talents."-- Provided by publisher Contents Preface and Acknowledgments Image Credits A Note on Lyrics 1 Skid Row: From Roger Corman’s Hollywood to Off-Off-Broadway 2 Adaptation: How to Make a Nightmare Sing 3 Opening the Shop: Designers, Auditions, Rehearsals 4 A Monster Hit: Th e Off -Broadway Production 5 It Conquered the World: New York to London and Beyond 6 Audrey III: Cinematic Dreams and Disillusionment 7 We’ll Have Tomorrow: The Curious Afterlives of a Man-Eating Musical Appendix A: Comparative Song List, 1981–82 Appendix B: “Somewhere Th at’s Green” Song Development Appendix C: Original Casts, 1982–86 Notes Bibliography Index