For Theatre Calgary’s 2026-27 season, the company brought the beloved musical, Little Shop of Horrors, back onstage. This is the second time the company has presented the show on stage for Calgarians to enjoy, with the last production taking place 30 years ago. With book and lyrics written by the late Howard Ashman and music by composer Alan Menken, the show is a horror-comedy cult classic.
The story of Little Shop of Horrors has been presented through various iterations throughout the years, with the medium and names attributed to the project changing with each new version.
Starting as a film from 1960, then it was adapted as a stage musical in 1982 which later got its own new on-screen movie adaptation in 1986.
Since then, it has captured the hearts of many around the world.
Calgary has recently become an emerging hub for musical theatre. In the last few years a number of major theatre companies have brought many of the most popular shows to the city for Albertans to enjoy.
Because Little Shop of Horrors is a very versatile show that can be adapted for various types of stages, it is simple to see why Theatre Calgary would be interested in putting on this production. At the heart of Theatre Calgary’s version of Little Shop of Horrors is the love the cast and crew have expressed for the story as well as the dedication to the craft of live theatre.
Tenaj Williams, who plays the character Seymour talked about his feeling of belonging to a legacy in the Theatre Calgary realm of bringing musicals to life.
“Everybody on this production has put their whole foot into this, with soul and body. I’d like to believe that work stays with people, it stays with the company for longer than the run,” said Williams.
In every conversation with cast and crew, the common thread through all of the responses given was the idea of hard work, crafting a version of the show that would serve as a nice escapism for the audience and creating a space, where audiences can “generally have a good time, feel tenderness, laugh at some of the outrageous funny stuff, and feel moved in some sort of way when they leave.” said Kate Blackburn, who plays Audrey.
That exact feeling of belonging to a community is not only the driving factor from the cast’s perspective but from the director. Tracey Flye, the show's director, has high hopes for audiences. “[I hope they] take away a great evening of theatre or [that] they’re moved by Audrey and/or Seymour’s journey.”
The work put into the puppetry of Audrey II, was another big point of discussion. Flye says that the process of bringing that character to live included “having to find ways to make [the puppet] breathe and feel real” which most definitely paid off because in my conversation with Williams, he mentioned “playing against the puppet [is] awesome” and that on stage he forgets the plant is a prop, given the amazing work from the productions puppeteer Jamie Konchak and Audrey II’s voice actor Michael-Lamont Lytle.
From these discussions with those who have worked on this production, Little Shop of Horrors can be expected to be a spectacle that cannot be missed for any musical lover in Calgary. The heart of the production ranges from detailed props, grand sets and emotionally invested cast and crew.
Performances of Little Shop of Horrors ran at the Max Bell Theatre until Oct. 25th, 2026. For other showtimes and ticket information, visit theatrecalgary.com.
