Little Shop Of Horrors: Original Cast Album (1982 Off-Broadway Cast)

This version of the soundtrack to the hit musical is from the stage production, which ended rather differently than the movie: just about the entire cast (except for the backup singers) winds up as lunch for the hungry plant. As a result, this CD lacks the song "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space," which was written for the film. Instead, the recording closes with "Don't Feed the Plants," which is much more in keeping with the spirit of the rest of the musical. Little Shop of Horrors explores a wide variety of musical styles, from the rhumba-inflected "Mushnik and Son" to the I'm-on-Broadway ballads "Somewhere That's Green" and "Suddenly Seymour." The most spirited numbers are those that feature the trio of backup singers, who perform on the title track, "Skid Row," "Da-Doo," "The Meek Shall Inherit," and other numbers with considerable energy. The recording loses something if you haven't actually seen the stage production, but hearing this CD will give you an excellent reason to do so. --Genevieve Williams