09 December 2023 (released)
09 December 2023
An exclusive interview with Corbin Bleu from the Little Shop of Horrors.
Little Shop of Horrors is a famous rock musical by Alan Menken, with a book and lyrics written by Howard Ashman, based on the horror comedy film directed by Roger Corman (1960) – and in 2022 the Little Shop celebrated its 40th anniversary. The legendary musical is currently running Off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre in New York, directed by Michael Mayer. Corbin Bleu has taken over the leading role of Seymour.
Little Shop of Horrors is such a legendary show. It’s one of the greatest musicals out there and you have a very difficult part to play in it. How did you create your Seymour?
I’ve wanted to play Seymour for a very long time. I’ve always been a fan of the show and the movie, since childhood. Little Shop of Horrors has always been on my radar but it’s not usually the character that I get to play and as the opportunity came about, I was beyond excited. As for Seymour – I think what’s so important to remember about him is that he is the root of the show. Everyone else around him is wild: you have Orin the dentist, Mushnik, the Urchins just fall in and out depending on what the moment calls for, and even Audrey is larger than life. I think that if you don’t find the heart and the humanness to Seymour, by the time you get to the end when everybody dies, you don’t feel it pull on your heartstrings. I wanted to make sure that everything is happening to him and he’s not the one influencing anything: he just makes the wrong choices.
This is very different from how you carry yourself in everyday life!
For sure!
I know that you’ve seen the movie and were you inspired by Rick Moranis who played Seymour in the movie?
Absolutely. He was one of the biggest influences for my Seymour. Because I grew up with the movie, Rick’s portrayal has always been the quintessential Seymour for me.
I see that you like playing Seymour and love him as a character. But if you had to choose again – who is your favorite character in the Little Shop of Horrors if not Seymour?
I think Orin is such a fantastic character – what Bryce Pinkham is doing with him is brilliant. I think what makes his Orin work so well is that he has leaned into the drug addiction side, Orin’s need for the gas, and it makes him so tweaky and unpredictable. And then Audrey II is such a fun and incredible character and Aaron Arnell Harrington – is so consistent in what he’s doing with the voice.
Everybody dreams of playing the dentist, but also Audrey II! I’ve heard of Audrey II’s being played by women…
Our understudy for Audrey II is a woman! I’ve had the opportunity to go on with her before and it is a very different feeling – different sound, but it still works for the show.
There were so many adaptations, stage, and film directors kept reviving it, bringing the show back. Why do you think such a “vintage” show is so popular today?
There are so many elements to it. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman – the work that they created, the music is absolutely beautiful, the story, the text is there. The show just flies by, and every scene has a purpose. I think we are all drawn to the weird intrigue when it comes to the gore or the horror. And seeing all these people get chopped up and fed to a giant man-eating plant – the puppetry... There are so many elements to this show that are fascinating and special. And it makes sense why it had its cult following for many years.
You bring a giant human-eating plant on stage and there you have it! There were many adaptations of the show on stage and film versions, do you believe this story is meant more for being on stage or being on film?
I think there is a space for it in both mediums. It has gone back and forth between the adaptations. It started off as a film and then it was turned into a stage production and that was turned back into a film. I also really love how different the film from the 80’s and the original film were – how there are two different endings.
What do you think is the main message of this story?
It is very tragic, but I think so much of the story is about how important it is to know your self-worth! Everyone is deserving of a loving relationship; you shouldn’t think of yourself in that lonely kind of way.
Very well said. What is your favorite song from the show?
Probably, Feed me!
I was hoping you would say that.
