Howard Ashman - Little Shop Of Horrors: Original Cast Album (1982 Off-Broadway Cast)

This version of the soundtrack to the hit musical is from the stage production, which ended rather differently than the movie: just about the entire cast (except for the backup singers) winds up as lunch for the hungry plant. As a result, this CD lacks the song "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space," which was written for the film. Instead, the recording closes with "Don't Feed the Plants," which is much more in keeping with the spirit of the rest of the musical. Little Shop of Horrors explores a wide variety of musical styles, from the rhumba-inflected "Mushnik and Son" to the I'm-on-Broadway ballads "Somewhere That's Green" and "Suddenly Seymour." The most spirited numbers are those that feature the trio of backup singers, who perform on the title track, "Skid Row," "Da-Doo," "The Meek Shall Inherit," and other numbers with considerable energy. The recording loses something if you haven't actually seen the stage production, but hearing this CD will give you an excellent reason to do so. --Genevieve Williams Amazon.com

Excellent cast recording released on a cheapjack label

As you know, Decca Broadway are notorious for castrating cast recordings. This is rather unfortunate, since Little Shop is my favorite show, and I play Bernstein in my show that's running at my school as of yesterday. That being said, this is an excellent cast recording and has an incredibly talented cast, the highlight being Mushnik!

As I mentioned before, this does cut out quite a bit- Call Back In the Morning and Somewhere That's Green are both M.I.A (although Sominex/Suppertime II does make for an excellent lead in to Don't Feed The Plants). Also the first few bits of "Mushnik and Son" and the Bernstein's dialogue amd Mrs. Luce bits of "The Meek Shall Inherit" are missing- MSI just has "Seymour Krelborn, Sweetie Honey Baby Pussycat" and then just goes to "Hey Seymour Krelborn you prince you". And M&S begins at "Seymour... how would you like to be my son?".

Anyways, great soundtrack, but be aware that it's incomplete. Typical of Decca Broadway though... December 5, 2008

Still Great 25 years later

The original production is still kickin' after all these years. Have the revival CD from 2003, but Ellen Green IS Audrey on this 1982 version! If you are a "Little Shop" junkie, get both. If you are doing the show in community theatre and are looking for the CD, this one is in the same vocal key and the instrumental scoring is pretty close. October 17, 2007

Smashing Cast - Superb Quality

A classic bit of musical theater - this is by far the best recording of the show available. The original cast really is stellar, and the pit is as tight as can be. If this is your first time listening to the show, I high recommend this album. I really enjoy the fact that the tempos are up on this recording, which makes it move much faster, but never so fast that you can't understand what is happening. August 23, 2007

Little Shop still delish!

Ellen Greene blew me away on this c.d.
I had the cassette and needed to get the cd...so I bought it, and what beautiful memories of the shows came flooding back...she should be doing more broadway.... July 27, 2007

Puts the petal to the metal!

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. May 11, 2007

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