Theatre News Wire

Paramount Theatre of Aurora, the nation's premier musical theater subscription institution, has revealed the cast and creative team for its 12th Broadway Series premiere, the universally cherished, rhythm-and-blues doo-wop marvel, Little Shop of Horrors, set to run from August 30th to October 15th.

Landree Fleming, an emerging star in the Chicago musical theater community and a beloved figure on the Paramount stage, is taking the helm for her inaugural directing role at Paramount. She has previously charmed audiences with her performances as Lucinda in Into the Woods and Penny in Hairspray.

However, Fleming isn't a newcomer to Paramount's backstage operations, recently co-directing Paramount's BOLD iteration of Fun Home with Jim Corti and working as associate director on Beauty and the Beast.

The line-up Fleming has chosen for Little Shop of Horrors includes Jack Ball as Seymour, Teressa LaGamba as Audrey, Gene Weygandt as Mr. Mushnik, Tickwanya Jones as Ronnette, Lydia Burke as Crystal, Marta Bady as Chiffon, Russell Mernagh as Orin, and JeShaun Jackson as the voice of Audrey II. The ensemble consists of Brandon Acosta, Lexie Bailey, Ann Delaney, Adam Fane (primary puppeteer), Sean Patrick Fawcett, August Forman, Darian Goulding, Jared David Michael Grant, and Shelbi Voss.

Little Shop of Horrors at Paramount Theatre

Little Shop of Horrors, penned by the legendary duo Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who are also known for their work on Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, is a quirky adaptation of the 1960 low-budget film The Little Shop of Horrors that starred Jack Nicholson. The musical was first staged off-off-Broadway in 1982, before moving to off-Broadway and enjoying a five-year tenure. The show has been reproduced across the globe since then and was adapted into a cult classic film in 1986, directed by Frank Oz and featuring Rick Moranis, Ellen Green, Vincent Gardenia, and Steve Martin.

The plot unfolds in Skid Row where the timid Seymour Krelborn earns his livelihood at the struggling Mushnik's Flower Shop. One day, Seymour stumbles upon an unusual plant that craves human blood. Naming her Audrey II, Seymour gets embroiled in an absurd ploy to satisfy his flesh-eating plant, while attempting to rescue his sweetheart from her malevolent dentist beau.