Those interested in attending the Alan Menken-Howard Ashman musical should call Telecharge at (212) 239-6200 or log on to www.telecharge.com. Featuring direction by Jerry Zaks, Little Shop of Horrors begins previews at the Virginia Theatre Aug. 29 with an official opening set for Oct. 2. Tickets are on sale through Feb. 29, 2004.
According to the Telecharge website, tickets for the musical are priced between $56 and $96; all prices include a $1 restoration charge. Through Sept. 28, Little Shop of Horrors will play Tuesday-Saturday evenings at 8 PM, Sundays at 7 PM with 2 PM matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. From Sept. 29-Oct. 5, the musical will play Tuesday-Saturday evenings at 8 PM with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. Beginning Oct. 6, the playing schedule will be Tuesdays at 7 PM, Wednesday through Saturdays at 8 PM with matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 PM and Sundays at 3 PM.
Although no official casting announcement has been made, Kerry Butler, Rob Bartlett, Michael Leon-Wooley and Douglas Sills have been offered the roles of, respectively, Audrey, Mr. Mushnik, Audrey II and Orin.
Little Shop of Horrors has had a somewhat tumultuous road to Broadway following a recent pre-Broadway engagement at the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, FL. That production, which starred Alice Ripley as Audrey and Hunter Foster as Seymour, had been scheduled to arrive at Broadway’s Virginia Theatre July 16 prior to an Aug. 14 opening. During the out-of-town run, however, those dates were canceled, and a new director — Zaks — was hired to replace Connie Grappo.
In a statement, producer Marc Routh said at the time, “We feel an obligation to everyone involved with Little Shop, and to the ticket-buying public, to insure that the work we present on Broadway represents the best work we can do. In spite of the great number of talented people involved, the elements of this production did not come together in the way we would have liked.” The Virginia Theatre is located at 245 West 52nd Street.
