A Note From the Vice President - Theatricals

In April of 1984, a quirky, off-Broadway cult-musical entitled LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS opened right here at Playhouse Square Center. Since this was the first production of the show outside of New York, the entire company gathered in Cleveland to retool and rehearse. The creative team included a songwriting duo: lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken.

The rest is show-biz history. The team of Ashman and Menken went on to pen some of the most popular film scores in history including Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. Their distinguished career as one of the most prolific writing teams in history ended in 1991 with the untimely passing of Howard Ashman. Menken’s star has continued to rise as seen with film credits such as Newsies, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules and Home on the Range. In addition to LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, he scored many other acclaimed stage productions, including the New York production of A Christmas Carol. I am still amazed by the fact that before his career escalated, Menken, who has won more Academy Awards than any other living person, was stirring up early magic right here in our very theater.

As for the local impact, the Cleveland premiere of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS drew over 20,000 people in 30 performances—a figure that is even more impressive when you consider that it played in an un-restored Palace Theatre 21 years ago. Only the Ohio and State Theatres had been restored. Plans for further renovation did not exist. At the time we could only seat 700 people, primarily at tables and chairs. The success of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS made it clear that our community wanted high-quality theatrical productions, and we needed venues in which to present them. This led to the eventual renovation of the Palace Theatre to its original 1922 splendor.

Menken is not the only LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS family member with a pre-fame Cleveland connection. Sixteen years ago, a quartet of bright, young producers needed a place to launch one of their first productions, Song of Singapore. With their decision to open the show in Cleveland, Marc Routh (a native of Youngstown), Richard Frankel and Steven Baruch ignited a long and successful relationship with Playhouse Square. Over time, we would present many of their productions, including Angels in America, Swing, Sound of Music starring Richard Chamberlain, STOMP, Smokey Joe’s Café (the national tour of which also opened here); and most recently Hairspray and The Producers, the latter of which went on to win more Tony Awards than any other show in history. None of us thought, as we were together decorating the Ohio to resemble a dive bar from Singapore, that these men would reach astronomical industry heights, and set the benchmark for modern musical theater.

On that note, we welcome you to the 2005-2006 McDonald Financial Group Broadway Series. Be sure to join us for the heartwarming Doctor Dolittle, a perfect antidote for the mid-winter blues and welcome spring with the colorful spectacle Bombay Dreams. In addition, you will become acquainted with some very powerful, influential females, beginning with the Audrey II, the man-eating Venus Flytrap in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Audrey II will be joined by rock ‘n roll legend Janis Joplin, Argentine political heroine Eva Peron, the March sisters in the stage-adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, and Elphaba and Glinda--leading ladies of the blockbuster musical Wicked. You are sure to be charmed and bewitched by all these larger-than-life characters.

Gina Vernaci
Vice President -Theatricals