# Little Shop of Horrors (the Musical) / SDMB Musical debating society **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-shop-of-horrors-the-musical-sdmb-musical-debating-society/287660 "2005-01-31T20:42:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-shop-of-horrors-the-musical-sdmb-musical-debating-society/287660/41 "2005-02-02T16:30:33Z")
I keep forgetting to post in these threads! Of course, everything I wanted to say has already been said … but I’m definitely dragging the soundtrack out of my cassette collection and bringing it into the car with me tomorrow. I sing a mean _Suddenly, Seymour_, if I do say so, myself. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shutterbug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@Shutterbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shutterbug)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-shop-of-horrors-the-musical-sdmb-musical-debating-society/287660/42 "2005-02-02T21:39:07Z")
I saw just watched the touring version of this on Sunday! I enjoyed it, but didn’t realize it was as dark as it was (I haven’t seen this movie in a while). I had completely forgotten about Mushnik, and was shocked when Seymour let Audrey2 eat his adopted father. I liked the ending of the stage version. I found it appropriate that Seymour ended up in Audrey2’s belly singing with Mushnik and the other victims. One thing that bugged me about this touring version, was that I could not tell if the actors were really singing. I was sitting on the 4th row, but could only hear one person sing. The rest of the actors’ voices came from the speakers. I didn’t see any microphones either. There was supposed to be an ochestra, but I didn’t see it. How can you tell if the actors are really signing unless they really screw up like Ashlee Simpson? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-shop-of-horrors-the-musical-sdmb-musical-debating-society/287660/43 "2005-02-03T15:13:31Z")
I can’t say for sure **Shutterbug** , but I’ve _never_ heard of a theatrical production with lip-synched vocals. Not that it couldn’t happen, but I’ve never heard of it, and I have a few friends in the touring musical business. ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-shop-of-horrors-the-musical-sdmb-musical-debating-society/287660/44 "2005-02-03T17:16:18Z")
I agree with Eonwe. I think they may have been wearing body mikes. They are standard fare. The music may have been pretaped though. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-shop-of-horrors-the-musical-sdmb-musical-debating-society/287660/45 "2005-02-03T17:34:33Z")
> [@Shutterbug](#): > > One thing that bugged me about this touring version, was that I could not tell if the actors were really singing. I was sitting on the 4th row, but could only hear one person sing. The rest of the actors’ voices came from the speakers. I didn’t see any microphones either. There was supposed to be an ochestra, but I didn’t see it. > > How can you tell if the actors are really signing unless they really screw up like Ashlee Simpson? It may depend on the size of your local theatre. Many touring shows that plan on playing smaller towns and cities have many different ways of mounting the production. For example, on a tour I worked on, in one city we had to set up the orchestra in a room down the hall from the stage because the pit wasn’t big enough to accommodate the orchestra. We had to use a few extra mics and run a bunch of video feeds, but it worked out alright. The audience was very confused, though. Regarding the recorded singers: Some productions use something called a “click track” to help reinforce the sound onstage, or to have as a backup if actors get sick, or the stage is too small to show the whole chorus, or if anything bad happens (live theatre - things can go wrong). Basically, it’s a recorded track that’s split into two channels: one channel has the vocals, and the other just has a click that keeps the beat. The vocals go through the speakers, and the “click” only goes to the conductor. This way the conductor can keep the live band in time with the recorded singers. This isn’t incredibly common, but I’ve seen it used a few times. As far as being able to tell, hopefully you can’t! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shutterbug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@Shutterbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shutterbug)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-shop-of-horrors-the-musical-sdmb-musical-debating-society/287660/46 "2005-02-04T23:29:43Z")
Thanks lightingtool, supervenusfreak, and Eonwe. I was just curious because I’m always asking “how did they do that?”-- I like the behind-the-screens stuff. I thought they might have had mikes hidden around the stage that I couldn’t see. I didn’t dwell on it too much because I was enjoying watching the show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-shop-of-horrors-the-musical-sdmb-musical-debating-society/287660.md?page=2)