NewsReworked Version of Little Shop of Horrors, From Ellen Greene and Frank Oz, Blocked Due to Rights IssuesA stage version of Little Shop that blended both the stage and film scripts will likely not move forward.
By
Andrew Gans
October 13, 2017
Ellen Greene in the film version of Little Shop of HorrorsWarner Brothers
In a candid interview for Entertainment Weekly, Ellen Greene reveals that she and Frank Oz, who directed Greene in the 1986 film version of Little Shop of Horrors, had been working on a script that would blend the original 1982 stage version and the aforementioned motion picture.
Frank Oz
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Greene, who memorably created the role of Audrey Off-Broadway, later preserving her work on film, tells EW, “We set out to make [the new script] darker [than the original]. We worked for two years. …We were so excited.”
Oz, who caught Greene and Jake Gyllenhaal in the critically acclaimed City Center Encores! performances of Little Shop in July 2015, adds, “Ellen and I felt that it would be great fun to bring it back with the heart that Ellen brings to it, and to also emphasize the powerful underlying intent that [late lyricist and librettist] Howard [Ashman] felt so strongly about and which happens to be very timely with what’s happening in the world today.”
It was the City Center experience that led to Greene's idea to approach the material in a new way. “Jake and I found so many new layers in the humor and the silliness,” Greene says. “[After those performances], I got this idea…. The plant talks about world conquest, and nobody even thought for a moment [that Donald Trump] would win the election [at the time], and the plant is kind of like Trump.”
“[With] the movie, Howard and I knew we wanted to be true to the Faustian bargain, which was the underpinning of the Off-Broadway show,” Oz explains. “That bargain, selling one’s soul for unlimited power, is what Howard wrote and what Ellen and I see as the focus of our version; we wanted to focus on the plant coming to earth—out of nowhere—and achieving power over the world.”
A rights issue, however, currently makes it unlikely that the new version will hit the stage anytime soon.
“The powers that be denied [us],” Greene says. “When we were denied the rights, it broke my heart because I really wanted [fans of the musical] to know that I really fought for trying to bring it to them.”
Oz adds that “maybe [the rights holders] only want to see it as fun and fluff instead of how Howard and Ellen and I saw it. I don’t know.…At the end of the day it’s the audience’s loss…It would have not only been funny and heartwarming, it also would have had the guts to it that Howard wrote in his script.”
As for the Howard Ashman Estate, which holds the majority of the rights to the popular musical comedy, a representative issued the following statement to EW: “Howard adored Ellen Greene’s iconic stage performance as Audrey, which is why he vigorously campaigned for her to be cast in Frank Oz’s film. When they approached us regarding a revival it was without a producer and we were already deeply involved in negotiations for a new revival with a major producer.” At present, no major New York production of Little Shop has been announced.
Greene told Playbill October 13, “It's possible the estate may have confused the timeline. When I first approached them over two years ago, there was no other production to our knowledge.” Oz added, “It was just odd to me that they never gave us the opportunity to have a meeting with them so I could express my vision of the show. I would have thought they’d welcome a version of Little Shop that was in the spirit that Howard wrote it. And Ellen would have knocked it out of the park again.”
Ashman and Alan Menken's 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 Wilkof and Greene in a role that would become her signature. The Oz-directed film featured Greene reprising her stage role opposite Rick Moranis as Seymour Krelborn. The late Ashman penned the screenplay.
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Take a Look at the Letters and Memories in Ellen Greene’s Little Shop of Horrors Scrapbook
Take a Look at the Letters and Memories in Ellen Greene’s Little Shop of Horrors Scrapbook
The show began a 2,209-performance run at Off-Broadway’s Orpheum Theatre July 27, 1982.
21 PHOTOS
Me and Lee (Wilkof)...he was my fave on the Orpheum Stage with Howard (Ashman) directing the shoot before opening
This is from when we went to LA to perform at the Westwood (which later was named after David Geffen — ps david came to the first day of shooting of the film to wish us luck). That's my sweet sweet Alan and Howie and that's Marty (Marty Robinson who designed the plant — he was my boyfriend at the time) with our pup Snuffy (after Marty's character in Sesame Street) in the second plant — how young.
This is a close-up of Audrey during a photo shoot in London. Looks like I was just ravaged… and had a good time!
Beginning of the ravage…
Audrey Meets the Queen- I was so scared and had practiced my curtsy… but as we were lined up right before we were to meet, I asked aloud if I should cover up, for I had a little jacket. The dress was the stunt double's dress. John Bright of Cosprops (many Oscars) had found and took in within an inch of my life (we knew Audrey dresses were right when I had trouble breathing… I had a slant board on set)... So Julie Andrews chimed in with, "No, give the prince a thrill." So when the Queen got to me she was so white (like she had lived in a closet… but beautiful and with diamonds… very little make-up), so when she queried, "So I hear you came all the way from America," I was so scared all I could say was a quick yes and a curtsy!
We had the most wonderful 40th birthday for Howard at my loft around a 10-foot table. I cooked and baked for days..and at my wedding upstate at Donn's on June 17th, 1990, when my husband Tibor was saying his I dos....to be honest… I was looking at my Howie in his seersucker suit with Bill by his side, knowing I should relish looking at him for I wouldn't have him much longer....he passed the next year. I loved him so.
Howard was about to leave me in London at the Comedy, and he wrote me this note (p.s. Howie was the first to take me to Paris… first thing he did is make me a bubble bath, pour me Champagne and give me my first taste of caviar… it was dreamy!)
My Connie (Constance Grappo) and Lee (Lee Wilkof) in my dressing room at the Comedy - she assisted-directed with Howard — and, of course, Leeland was my Seymour - they met and fell in love during the rehearsal/run of the show!!!!!!!!
I am waved to by my Dawny (Dawn Hope) at the beginning of "Somewhere That's Green" ... I was scared and asked her to be on stage with me as an urchin. Here we are after "Hey, Mr. Producer" for Cameron Mackintosh at Joe Allen's in the West End.
My Donny (Donn Palladino) and me in my beautiful dressing room at the Comedy.
Terry O'Neil (Faye Dunaway's husband at the time) took this on the set while we were shooting - hot!!! - Christian (Klikovits) and I used this as the poster for our show Torch!
Christian played "Somewhere That's Green" for "Showstoppers" at Lincoln Center. The audience stopped me twice as I began singing… He was so proud that people still loved and remembered Little Shop and my Audrey that he put his head down and wept… such a sweet memory.
On set with Colin Jamison doing the wig in the film. He and his wife Jan were wonderful to me and ... so was Paul Englen (we ended up doing the stage make-up for the film) and Marit Allen, who did the costumes. The wig I am using for City Center was the wig I used for Hey, Mr Producer, and Colin was kind enough to come to the Savoy to recut before that night for the Queen. He came to me after giving Sean Connery a haircut...gosh... I was honored and impressed.
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