Based on the low-budget cult by Roger Corman, little shop of horrors opened at the Orpheum theatre off-Broadway in New York City, playing over 2000 performances and becoming the highest-grossing and third longest-running musical in off-Broadway history.

The original production was directed by lyricist Howard Ashman and starred Lee Wilkof as Seymour, Ellen Greene as Audrey Two and his voice, respectively.

The show received the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best Musical. The London production received the Evening standard award for best musical. The 1986 Warner Brothers film version directed by Frank Oz featured an all-star cast, including Rick Moranis as Seymour, Vincent Gardenia as Mushnik, Steve Martin as Orin, Ellen Greene reprising her role as Audrey, and cameo appearances by James Belushi, John candy , Christopher Guest and Bill Murray.

Ashman and composer Alan Menken would go on to write the scores for the classic animated films The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.