NewsJake Gyllenhaal Offers Ellen Greene "Sweet Understanding" in Little Shop of Horrors, Starting TonightThe New York City Center Encores! Off-Center production of the Alan Menken-Howard Ashman musical Little Shop of Horrors, featuring stage and screen stars Ellen Greene and Jake Gyllenhaal, begins performances July 1 at the famed Manhattan venue.
By
Andrew Gans
July 01, 2015
Greene, who created the role of the lovably ditzy Audrey both on stage and screen, reprises that part opposite Academy Award nominee Gyllenhaal, who was seen on Broadway this past season opposite Ruth Wilson in Constellations, as down-on-his-luck plant-shop worker Seymour. The cast also features Taran Killam ("Saturday Night Live") as Orin, Eddie Cooper as the Voice of Audrey II and Joe Grifasi as Mushnik. The Urchins are portrayed by Caroline, or Change's Tracy Nicole Chapman (Chiffon), Marva Hicks (Crystal) and Ramona Keller (Ronnette).
Little Shop of Horrors, according to City Center, is a "sci-fi musical about Seymour Krelborn (Jake Gyllenhaal), a hapless florist shop worker who pursues a doomed romance with his ditzy, lovable co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene) by acquiring an R&B-singing plant (Eddie Cooper) that feeds on human blood."
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 Wilkoff and Ellen Greene in a role that would become her signature. A Broadway production was mounted in 2003 co-starring Hunter Foster and Kerry Butler.
Tickets begin at $25. Phone (212) 581-1212 or visit NYCityCenter.org.
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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.
