Yes, You Can Whitewash 'Little Shop of Horrors', But Please Don't

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

I was recently alerted to a production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ in Australia. The production cast three white women as the street urchins. The roles of Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronnette were written for Black women and have normally been played by Black performers.

While news of a production whitewashing roles of color may infuriate you, it’s important to know that language in the show’s licensing materials actually allows whitewashing to occur.

In the casting information for both U.S and international productions, rather than requiring theatres to cast the show as written, it states:

The description of the set and characters in the front of the libretto-vocal book for Little Shop of Horrors were derived from the original 1982 production's Stage Manager's script and are not meant to restrict the way in which licensees stage or cast their productions of the show. Rather, they are an insight into how that production was presented.

In casting your show, an inclusive approach is suggested. While any actor can play any role in the show (i.e., there are no requirements or restrictions other than to perform the book, music, and lyrics as written), it is encouraged that the roles of Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon be played by actors of color. There is no such suggestion with regard to any of the other characters, regardless of how those characters have been cast in other productions. The gender of the characters, however, must remain as written in the script.

So yes, while the genders of the characters must absolutely be cast as written, it is only encouraged that the street urchins be played by Black performers. This is unlike the changes made to ‘Hairspray’ where the characters must be cast as written, ensuring that whitewashed productions as no longer allowed to happen.

Do I think this is a mistake on the part of the license holders for ‘Little Shop’? Yes, I do.

Given that it’s explicitly stated in the casting information that the roles were written for Black performers, I think it’s a mistake to include language that provides a loophole to whitewash the show. That’s why I was so thrilled to see the creators of ‘Hairspray’ remove similar language.

But, at least for right now, theatres are allowed to cast all-white productions of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. At the same time, just because you “can” doesn’t mean you “should.”

The show, which draws heavily from the sounds and styles of 1960s Motown and doo-wop, thrives on the diversity of its characters. The musical’s roots are deeply entwined with Black culture, especially through the iconic trio of street urchins.

By casting these roles with non-Black performers, theatres not only dilute the authenticity of the production but also miss an opportunity to celebrate and honor the contributions of Black artists to musical theatre and popular music.

Representation matters, and ensuring diverse casting in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ allows for the story to be told in its fullest, most genuine form, providing audiences with a richer, more truthful experience.

So to any theatre considering doing this, please don’t. Cast the show as written. If your community doesn’t allow for such diverse casting, pick another show that does. Lord knows they’re plenty of them.