Is there anything quite like community theatres? They offer the unique chance for average locals to form the most diverse casts imaginable, where a city council member and accountant get to perform a very ok but entertaining version of “Brush up Your Shakespeare” from Kiss Me, Kate. They comfortingly present classics but tend to perform those same classics over and over again.
Due to overexposure to wildly overdone musicals in community theatres (looking at you, Seussical), Sally and Ashley now have the Community Theatre Formula down to a jazz-handed science. In today’s episode, we take a deep dive into Little Shop of Horrors, compare it to VeggieTales, and discover Sally’s parents’ one irreconcilable difference in their 44-year marriage revolves around The Sound of Music.
Shout-outs
- Little Shop of Horrors rocks our socks off. Sally recommends the original Broadway cast recording, and Ashley recommends the recent Off-Broadway version starring Jonathan “Groffsauce” Groff and Christian Borle.
- You know what else rocks our socks off? Act I Inc. in Cartersville, GA. Check out the work they’re doing on their website: https://www.allstarstheatre.org/.
- Our favs: Junior Theatre Festival (where we saw way too many Seussical performances), Pumphouse Players, Howard Ashman, Alan Menken, Veggie Tales, Larry Boy and the Rumor Weed, Cameron Mackintosh, Kerry Butler, Douglas Sills, The Scarlet Pimpernel musical (we managed to make that relevant again), Alan Menken, Cathy Rigby, Pocahontas, Tim Rice, Stephen Schwartz, Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Doria in Smile). We didn’t mention Jake Gyllenhaal, but we really should have!
- Other mentions: Aaron Carter, Kevin Chamberlain, James and the Giant Peach, Tangled, Ellen Greene, Hunter Foster (yes, Sutton Foster’s brother), Anthony Rapp
- We recommend checking out the documentary Howard on Disney+ about the incredible Howard Ashman!
- Special thanks to Crazy Love Coffeehouse, Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee, Ground & Pound Coffee, and Noble & Main for being the best editing offices.
- Besides being incredibly talented and the voice of my favorite Disney princess, Jodi Benson is incredibly kind. I ran into her one time at a youth theatre event where, as she told me, she was in attendance just as a mom. Please noticed the Aladdin bag she’s holding in this pic.
Bonus Videos
For the budding theatre fans
For the fangirls
For the die-hards
Addendums
I referred to a “big green mother from outer space,” trying to be cool and reference the show. However, the line from the show is actually “MEAN green mother…”
Ashley wants y’all to know that between the time we recorded this and now, she has become a huge Little Shop fan and takes back anything negative she said about the blessed show.
Yes, that Menken progression Spotify playlist does exist! Here it is…
I did my homework and listened to Smile. Y’all, I do not recommend it. It sounds like a poor man’s A Chorus Line except with teenage beauty queens instead of dancers.
Etiquette corner
Do not sing along to a show if you are in the audience (with the exception of Mamma Mia curtain call dance parties or precious baby children singing “Let it Go”). Don’t be like Ashley and hum through Waitress.
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