document_title: Little Shop of Horrors (musical)

question_text: what is the name of the man eating plant in little shop of horrors

text: Little Shop of Horrors (musical)

text: Synopsis[edit]

text: Act I[edit]

text: An offstage voice recalls a time when the human race "suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence". A trio of 1960s street urchins named Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon set the scene ("Little Shop of Horrors") and comment on the action throughout the show. Seymour Krelborn is a poor young man, an orphan living in an urban skid row. Audrey is a pretty blonde with a fashion sense that leans towards the tacky. They lament their stations in life and the urban blight in their neighborhood ("Skid Row (Downtown)"). They are co-workers at Mushnik's Skid Row Florists, a run-down flower shop owned and operated by the cranky Mr. Mushnik. Seymour has recently obtained a mysterious plant that looks like a large venus flytrap. While he was browsing the wholesale flower district, a sudden eclipse of the sun occurred, and when the light returned, the weird plant had appeared ("Da-Doo"). Seymour is secretly in love with Audrey and names the plant Audrey II in her honor.

text: The plant does not thrive in its new environment and appears to be dying. Seymour questions why it should be doing poorly, since he takes such good care of it. He accidentally pricks his finger on a rose thorn, which draws blood, and Audrey II's pod opens thirstily. Seymour realizes that Audrey II requires blood to survive and allows the plant to suckle from his finger ("Grow For Me"). As Audrey II grows, it becomes an attraction and starts generating brisk business for Mushnik. As the caretaker of the plant, the timid Seymour is suddenly regarded as a hero ("Ya Never Know"), while Audrey secretly longs to leave her abusive boyfriend. Her dream is to lead an ideal suburban life with Seymour, complete with a tract home, frozen dinners, and plastic on the furniture ("Somewhere That's Green").

text: Meanwhile, the employees at Mushnik's are sprucing up the flower shop because of the popularity of the rapidly growing Audrey II and the revenue that it is bringing in ("Closed for Renovation"). Orin Scrivello, a sadistic dentist, is Audrey's abusive boyfriend. Modeled after the "Leader of the pack" characters of the 1950s, Orin drives a motorcycle, wears leather, and enjoys bringing other people pain ("Dentist!"). Orin encourages Seymour to take the plant and get out of Skid Row. Realizing that his store's sudden profitability is completely dependent on the plant (and therefore on Seymour), Mushnik takes advantage of Seymour's innocence by offering to adopt him and make him a full partner in the business. Having always wanted a family, Seymour accepts, even though Mushnik has always yelled at him and treated him poorly ("Mushnik and Son"). However, Seymour is having difficulty providing enough blood to keep Audrey II healthy. When Seymour stops feeding the plant, Audrey II reveals that it can speak. It demands blood and promises that, if fed, it will make sure that all of Seymour's dreams come true. Seymour initially refuses, but he then witnesses Orin abusing Audrey. The plant presents this as a justification for killing Orin. Not realizing that he is being manipulated again, Seymour gives in to his baser instincts and agrees ("Feed Me (Git It)").

text: He sets up a late-night appointment with Orin, intending to kill him. However, Seymour loses his nerve and decides not to commit the crime. Unfortunately for Orin, who is getting high on nitrous oxide, the gas device is stuck in the "on" position, and he overdoses while asking Seymour to save him. Seymour cannot bring himself to shoot Orin but lets him die of asphyxiation ("Now (It's Just The Gas)"). Seymour feeds Orin's body to the now huge Audrey II, and the plant consumes it with ravenous glee ("Act I Finale").

text: Act II[edit]

text:
"Suddenly, Seymour"

The beginning of the last chorus of "Suddenly, Seymour", performed by Kerry Butler and Hunter Foster on the 2003 Broadway revival cast recording.

Problems playing this file? See media help.

text: The flower shop is much busier, and Seymour and Audrey have trouble keeping up with the onslaught of orders ("Call Back in the Morning"). Audrey confides to Seymour that she feels guilty about Orin's disappearance, because she secretly wished it. The two admit their feelings for one another, and Seymour promises that he will protect and care for Audrey from now on ("Suddenly, Seymour"). The two plan to leave together and start a new life, although Seymour mistakenly attributes Audrey's feelings to his newfound fame, not realizing that she loved him even before he found the plant.

text: Before they can go, Mushnik confronts Seymour about Orin's death. Mushnik has put two and two together: the bloody dentist's uniform, the drops of blood on the floor, and he has seen Seymour and Audrey kissing. Seymour denies killing Orin, but Mushnik wants him to give a statement to the police, who have begun investigating. Audrey II tells Seymour that he has to be rid of Mushnik or he will lose everything, including Audrey ("Suppertime"). Seymour tells Mushnik that he put the days' receipts inside Audrey II for safekeeping. Mushnik climbs inside the plant's gaping maw to search for the money, realizing the deception too late, and screams as he is devoured. Seymour now runs the flower shop and reporters, salesman, lawyers and agents approach him, promising him fame and fortune. Although tempted by the trappings of his success, Seymour realizes that it is only a matter of time before Audrey II will kill again and that he is morally responsible. He considers destroying the plant but believing that his fame is the only thing that is earning him Audrey's love, he is unable to do so ("The Meek Shall Inherit").

text: As Seymour works on his speech for a lecture tour, Audrey II again squalls for blood. Seymour threatens to kill it just as Audrey walks in asking when Mushnik will return from visiting his "sick sister". Seymour learns that Audrey would still love him without the fame and decides that Audrey II must die after the scheduled LIFE magazine interview at the shop. Audrey is confused and frightened by Seymour's ramblings, but she runs home by his order. That night, unable to sleep and distressed by Seymour's strange behavior, Audrey goes to the flower shop to talk with him. He is not there, and Audrey II begs her to water him. Not sensing the mortal danger, she approaches to water it, and a vine wraps around her and pulls her into the plant's gaping maw ("Sominex/Suppertime II"). Seymour arrives and attacks the plant in an attempt to save Audrey. He pulls her out, but Audrey is mortally wounded and tells him to feed her to the plant after she dies so that they can always be together. She dies in his arms, and he reluctantly honors her request ("Somewhere That's Green" (reprise)). Seymour falls asleep as Audrey II grows small red flower buds.

text: The next day, Patrick Martin from the World Botanical Enterprises tells Seymour that his company wishes to take leaf cuttings of Audrey II and sell them across America. Seymour realizes the plant's evil plan: during the solar eclipse, Audrey II came from an unknown planet to conquer Earth. He tries shooting, cutting, and poisoning the plant, but it has grown too hardy to kill. Seymour, in desperation, runs into its open jaws with a machete planning to kill it from the inside, but he is quickly eaten. Patrick, Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon search for Seymour. Not finding him, Patrick tells the girls to take the cuttings.

text: Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon relate that, following these events, other plants appeared across America, tricking innocent people into feeding them blood in exchange for fame and fortune. Out of the fog, Audrey II, bigger than ever, appears with opened new flowers revealing the faces of Seymour, Audrey, Mushnik and Orin, who beg that, no matter how persuasive the plants may be, they must not be fed ("Finale Ultimo: Don't Feed the Plants"). Audrey II slithers towards the audience threateningly (In the original Off-Broadway production, plant tendrils fell all over the audience, as if each audience member were to be pulled into the plant, while in the Broadway production, a monstrously huge Audrey II was projected out over the fifth row and the balcony seats, as if it would eat the audience members).

text: Original production[edit]

text: The musical had its world premiere Off-Off-Broadway on May 6, 1982 at the Workshop of the Players' Art (WPA) Theatre, playing there until June 6, 1982.[2] It opened Off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre in Manhattan's East Village on July 27, 1982. The production, directed by Ashman, with musical staging by Edie Cowan, was critically acclaimed and won several awards including the 1982–1983 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, and the Outer Critics Circle Award.[3] Howard Ashman wrote, in the introduction to the acting edition of the libretto, that the show "satirizes many things: science fiction, 'B' movies, musical comedy itself, and even the Faust legend".[4]

text: The production ran for 5 years. When it closed on November 1, 1987, after 2,209 performances, it was the third-longest running musical[5] and the highest-grossing production in Off-Broadway history.[6] Though a Broadway transfer had been proposed for the production, book writer Howard Ashman felt the show belonged where it was.[7] Since it was not produced on Broadway, the original production was ineligible for the 1982 Tony Awards. The producers were the WPA Theatre, David Geffen, Cameron Mackintosh and the Shubert Organization. The Audrey II puppets were designed and operated by Martin P. Robinson.[4]

text: An original cast recording, released in 1982, omitted the songs "Call Back in the Morning", and "Somewhere That's Green" (reprise), and had abridged versions of "Now (It's Just the Gas)," "Mushnik and Son," and "The Meek Shall Inherit." It also shifted the location of the song "Closed for Renovation," appearing in the show after "Somewhere That's Green" while appearing on the cast album after "Now (It's Just the Gas)" to serve as an upbeat bridge from Orin's death to the Act II love ballad, "Suddenly, Seymour".[8] The recording features Leilani Jones, who replaced Marlene Danielle as Chiffon two weeks after the musical opened.

text: Original Off-Broadway cast[edit]

text:
Seymour Krelborn – Lee Wilkof
Audrey – Ellen Greene
Mr. Mushnik – Hy Anzell
Chiffon – Marlene Danielle (replaced after two weeks by Leilani Jones)
Crystal – Jennifer Leigh Warren
Ronette – Sheila Kay Davis
Audrey II (voice) – Ron Taylor
Audrey II (manipulation) / Wino #1 – Martin P. Robinson[9]
Orin Scrivello, Narrator, Wino #2, Customer, Radio Announcer, Bernstein, Mrs. Luce, Skip Snip, and Patrick Martin – Franc Luz

text: 1983 West End[edit]

text: A London West End production opened on January 1, 1983 at the Comedy Theatre, produced by Cameron Mackintosh. It ran for 813 performances, starring Barry James as Seymour and Ellen Greene (reprising her role) as Audrey. It received the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical and closed on October 5, 1985.[10][11]

text: Musical numbers[edit]

text:
Act I

Prologue ("Little Shop of Horrors") – Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronette
"Skid Row (Downtown)" – Company
"Da-Doo" – Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronette (with Seymour speaking)
"Grow for Me" – Seymour
"Ya Never Know" – Mushnik, Chiffon, Crystal, Ronette, and Seymour
"Somewhere That's Green" – Audrey
"Closed for Renovation" – Seymour, Audrey, and Mushnik
"Dentist!" – Orin, Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronette
"Mushnik and Son" – Mushnik and Seymour
"Sudden Changes" – Seymour
"Feed Me (Git It)" – Audrey II and Seymour
"Now (It's Just the Gas)" – Orin and Seymour
Coda  – Chiffon, Crystal, Ronette, and Audrey II

Act II

"Call Back in the Morning" – Seymour and Audrey
"Suddenly, Seymour" – Seymour, Audrey, Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronette
"Suppertime" – Audrey II (with Seymour and Mushnik speaking)
"The Meek Shall Inherit" – Company
"Sominex/Suppertime" (reprise) – Audrey and Audrey II
"Somewhere That's Green" (reprise) – Audrey (with Seymour speaking)
"Finale Ultimo ("Don't Feed the Plants") – Company

text: Differences between the 1960 film and stage musical[edit]

text: The musical is based on the basic concept and dark comic tone of the 1960 film, although it changes much of the story. The setting is moved from Skid Row, Los Angeles to Skid Row in New York. Seymour's hypochondriacal Jewish mother is omitted in the musical, and Seymour becomes an orphan in the care of Mushnik. Also dropped is the subplot involving the two investigating police officers. The characters of Mrs. Siddie Shiva and Burson Fouch are also omitted, although Mrs. Shiva is mentioned as being the shop's biggest funeral account. The gleefully masochistic dental patient, originally played by Jack Nicholson, is not in the musical but is in the 1986 film, played by Bill Murray.

text: In the musical, the sadistic dentist, Orin Scrivello, is killed by suffocation from laughing gas instead of being stabbed with a dental instrument as in the film. His abusive relationship with Audrey is added to the musical to give Seymour a motive to kill him. In the film, Seymour murders several innocent bystanders, and Mushnik tricks a thief into looking for money inside the plant, which eats the thief. In the musical, Seymour tricks Mushnik in the same way when Mushnik plans to turn Seymour over to the police. The two neighborhood girls in the film are replaced in the musical by a chorus of three street urchins: Crystal, Chiffon and Ronette, named after (and reminiscent of) girl groups of the 1960s. The plant is named "Audrey II" in the musical, rather than the film's "Audrey Junior", and instead of being a crossbreed of a butterwort and a Venus Flytrap, in the musical it is a creature from outer space intent on taking over the world.

text: Perhaps the biggest difference is the ending. The musical ends with Orin, Mushnik, Audrey and Seymour all eaten by the plant, and the three girls report that Audrey II's progeny continues to consume people. In the 1960 film, Mushnik and Audrey survive, and the plant's carnivorous activities are discovered when its flowers bloom with the faces of its victims, including Seymour, imprinted on them. The musical references this ending in its finale, in which the Plant's four victims' faces are seen in its blooming flowers.

text: The change in ending of the musical contributes to its portrayal of class struggles and moral values. Whilst the film shows Seymour and Audrey escaping to the dream suburban house, encapsulating ideals of the 1950s American Dream, the musical hints to a metaphorical portrayal of Seymour's greed as the plant. [12] Seymour’s greed gradually consumes himself and Audrey. The musical engages with ideas relating to human values in the face of capitalist culture, disempowering those who are enveloped with motivations of personal monetary gain and overlook moral values. It serves as a social commentary of commodity fetishism. [13]

text: Subsequent productions[edit]

text: 2003 tryout and Broadway[edit]

text: In 2003, an $8 million revival of Little Shop of Horrors was planned with the goal of opening on Broadway. A $1 million pre-Broadway production debuted at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida on May 16, 2003. Lee Wilkof, who originated the role of Seymour in 1982, was cast as Mr. Mushnik. The production was directed by Wilkof's wife, Connie Grappo, who was the assistant to Howard Ashman during the original production.[7] Muppeteer Martin P. Robinson, who designed the original Audrey II puppets, enlisted friends at The Jim Henson Company to create new, high tech puppets for the show. Hunter Foster and Alice Ripley played Seymour and Audrey, and the prologue was recited by Robert Stack.[14]

text: Critics complained that by expanding the show to fit a larger theatre, its intimacy was lost; they also judged several actors as miscast, although the Miami Herald declared that "Alice Ripley's Audrey – part lisping Kewpie doll (a la Ellen Greene, who originated the role), part dental punching bag – is heartbreakingly adorable."[15] In June 2003, the producers announced that the Broadway production was canceled.[16] Nevertheless, within weeks, they ousted Grappo in favor of veteran Broadway director Jerry Zaks, who fired everyone in the cast, except Foster, and redirected the production from scratch. New casting was announced in July.[17][18]

text: The musical made its Broadway debut at the Virginia Theatre on October 2, 2003 with Foster as Seymour, Kerry Butler as Audrey, Rob Bartlett as Mr. Mushnik, Douglas Sills as Orin, Michael-Leon Wooley as the voice of Audrey II and DeQuina Moore as Chiffon.[17][18] Although this was the first time it had played on Broadway, the show's success in film and numerous regional productions made it fall under the "Revival" category for the 2003 Tony Awards. Foster was nominated for the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance. The revival was fairly faithful to the original 1982 production. Changes included the expanded version of the title song heard in the 1986 film, and expanded "You Never Know" with a "WSKID" radio introduction, and a revised Act I Finale and added Entr'acte before "Call Back in the Morning." The orchestrations were beefed up for the bigger theatre to add reeds, trumpets and percussion to the original 5-piece combo.[19] In the finale, a gigantic Audrey II extended over the audience to snap its hungry jaws at them.[20]

text: The cast album was released on October 21, 2003.[21] Demo recordings to five songs ("A Little Dental Music", "The Worse He Treats Me", "We'll Have Tomorrow", "Bad" and "I Found a Hobby") cut during the development process of the musical were included as bonus material for the album.[19][21][22] The production closed on August 22, 2004 after 40 previews and 372 regular performances.[23] The closing Broadway cast included Joey Fatone as Seymour.[23]

text: 2004 U.S. national tour[edit]

text: On August 10, 2004, a U.S. national tour of the Broadway production began, with Anthony Rapp starring as Seymour, Tari Kelly as Audrey and Lenny Wolpe as Mushnik.[24] The tour closed April 16, 2006 in Columbus, Ohio.[citation needed]

text: 2006 London revival and 2009 UK tour[edit]

text: A production began previews on November 17, 2006 at the Menier Chocolate Factory. This revival, directed by Matthew White, featured a new Audrey II designed by David Farley, resembling the pitcher plant.[25] The production was a critical and commercial success and transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End in March 2007. In June 2007, the show transferred to the Ambassadors Theatre, where it ended its run on September 8, 2007.[26] The cast featured Paul Keating as Seymour, Sheridan Smith as Audrey, Alistair McGowan as Orin, and Mike McShane providing the voice of Audrey II.[25] Smith and McGowan received 2008 Laurence Olivier Award nominations, and the production was nominated for Best Musical Revival.[27]

text: The production toured the UK in 2009 with a cast including Damian Humbley as Seymour, Clare Buckfield as Audrey, Alex Ferns as Orin, Sylvester McCoy as Mr Mushnik and Clive Rowe as the voice of Audrey II.[28]

text: Encores! 2015[edit]

text: A three-performance Encores! concert staging at New York City Center as part of its Off-Center series ran in July 2015. Directed by Dick Scanlan, the production starred Jake Gyllenhaal as Seymour, and Ellen Greene reprising her role as Audrey. Taran Killam played Orin, with Tracy Nicole Chapman, Marva Hicks and Ramona Keller as the urchins. Joe Grifasi was Mr. Mushnik, with Eddie Cooper as the plant. Reviewers praised Greene, Gyllenhaal and the cast in general.[29] Ben Brantley wrote in The New York Times: "A confluence of alchemical elements was at work, converging in ways that made a perfectly charming but small musical feel like a major event."[30]

text: 2016 Australian Tour[edit]

text: An Australian tour opened at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney on February 22, 2016, before touring to Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide; The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne; Canberra Theatre Centre; Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane, and The Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney. It starred Brent Hill as Seymour, Esther Hannaford as Audrey, Tyler Coppin as Mushnik and Scott Johnson as Orin. Hill also voiced Audrey II. The production was directed by Dean Bryant and choreographed by Andy Hallwsorth[31] The production was nominated for ten Sydney Theatre Awards, winning eight, including Best Production of a Musical,[32] and five Helpmann Awards, winning none.[33] Cassie Tongue wrote of it in The Guardian: "Watching this show feels like a discovery, or a reaffirmation; to be reminded why musical theatre matters, to be assured that musicals are a difficult, exhilarating art. And all this from a campy cult classic. What magic."[34]

text: 2016 UK Tour[edit]

text: A UK tour began on August 4, 2016, directed by Tara Wilkinson, starring Sam Lupton as Seymour, Stephanie Clift as Audrey and Rhydian Roberts as Orin.[35] It was booked through November 26, 2016.[36]

text: Audrey II puppets[edit]

text: The character of Audrey II is described as being "An anthropomorphic cross between a Venus flytrap and an avocado. It has a huge, nasty-looking pod that gains a shark-like aspect when open and snapping at food. The creature is played by a series of increasing[ly] large puppets".[37]

text: In productions, the first puppet is a small potted plant "less than one foot tall" held by the actor portraying Seymour.[37] He manipulates the plant himself with his hand and then sets it down, where it is moved by an unseen hand from beneath a shelf. The second puppet is slightly larger than the first and is operated by Seymour during the song "You Never Know". A fake arm in a sleeve matching Seymour's jacket is attached to the plant's pot, while the actor's real arm operates the plant. The third puppet sits on the floor and is large enough to hide a person inside, who moves the plant's mouth in sync with Audrey II's voice, which is supplied by an offstage actor on a microphone. The puppeteer's legs are clad in green tights with "leaf" shoes" that serve as part of the plant's tendrils. In Act II, the largest puppet again hides an actor inside, who manipulates the puppet's mouth and often some of its branches. By this point, the head is at least six feet long and capable of "swallowing" characters. For the finale, additions can be made to make the plant appear taller and even bigger.[37] Actors and stage hands are often used to move larger branches and roots, which, in the original off-Broadway production, spilled off the stage and into the audience. In some productions, dangling vines over the house enhance the effect of Audrey II menacing the audience.

text: Amateur productions of Little Shop of Horrors receive designs for building the puppets from MTI, as part of the rental scripts and scores, based on the original Martin P. Robinson designs. Some companies who have produced the show in the past and built their own puppets rent them out to other companies to recoup some of their construction costs.[38]

text: Adaptations[edit]

text: 1986 feature film[edit]

text: A film version of the musical was made in 1986. Directed by Frank Oz and noted as the only film written by Howard Ashman, it starred Rick Moranis as Seymour, Ellen Greene as Audrey, Vincent Gardenia as Mr. Mushnik, Steve Martin as Orin Scrivello, DDS, and the voice of Levi Stubbs as Audrey II. Bill Murray played the small comic role of the masochist, Arthur Denton. The 1986 film follows the plot of the musical closely but omits the songs "Ya Never Know" (rewritten as "Some Fun Now," a trio for Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon), "Mushnik and Son", "Now (It's Just the Gas)", "Sudden Changes," "Closed for Renovation" and "Call Back in the Morning"; the final cut ending also omits "Finale Ultimo (Don't Feed The Plants)". Other changes include the removal of Mr. Mushnik's adoption proposition and a new ending, in which Seymour is able to save Audrey from Audrey II and then electrocutes the plant after it has destroyed the shop. Seymour and Audrey marry and move to the tract home of her dreams, but a small Audrey II-type bud is seen in their garden, which portends a possible spread of the alien plants. An ending more faithful to the stage version was filmed, in which the plant eats Audrey and Seymour and then, having grown to massive size and reproduced, goes on a King Kong-style rampage through New York City. It was received poorly by test audiences, and the upbeat alternate ending was used for the theatrical cut. In October 2012, the original ending was restored and released with the film as "The Director's Cut" on DVD and Blu-ray. A new song for Audrey II, "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space", was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

text: 1991 animated series[edit]

text: A Saturday morning animated cartoon version, titled Little Shop, ran for one season on Fox Kids in 1991. Seymour and Audrey were depicted as pre-teens, and the plant, "Audrey Junior", was not man-eating or evil, but had a huge appetite for meat and retained its catchphrase, "Feed me!" Each episode also featured two stylish music video sequences, many of which were raps by the plant. IMDb credits Frank Oz with the inspiration for turning the film/musical into a cartoon.[39]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ TIME magazine reported in its May 26, 2008 issue, p. 51, that this musical ranked as the most frequently produced musical by U.S. high schools in 2007.
Jump up ^ "Theater: Little Shop of Horrors", Howard Ashman website, accessed April 21, 2014
Jump up ^ "Lortel Archive for Little Shop of Horrors". Lortel Archives. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
^ Jump up to: a b Ashman, Howard. Introductory notes, Little Shop of Horrors acting edition (1982)
Jump up ^ Sedore, Clair. "Long Runs in the Theatre" Archived 2010-04-02 at the Wayback Machine., World-theatres.com. Retrieved on April 20, 2008.
Jump up ^ Gordon, James. "Plymouth-Whitemarsh: ‘Little Shop of Horrors’", philly.com, 30 March 2009, Accessed 13 August 2009
^ Jump up to: a b Pogrebin, Robin (2003-10-20). "The Show That Ate the Original Cast". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
Jump up ^ castalbumscollector.com listing
Jump up ^ Audrey II was created as a series of elaborate puppets, some of which were large enough to be operated by an actor from the inside.
Jump up ^ Lewis, David. "Little Shop of Horrors", The Guide to Musical Theatre
Jump up ^ "History and Awards", Lyric Opera musicals site
Jump up ^ Jensen, Marc. ["Feed me!": Power struggles and the portrayal of race in Little Shop of Horrors.] Cinema Journal 48, no. 1 (2008): 51-67
Jump up ^ Leigh, Mary K., and Kevin K. Durand, eds. Marxism and the Movies: Critical Essays on Class Struggle in the Cinema. McFarland, 2013
Jump up ^ Gans, Andrew (2003-05-16). "Florida Engagement of Little Shop of Horrors Opens May 16". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
Jump up ^ "Did FL Critics Eat Up B'way-Bound Little Shop?". Broadway.com. 2003-05-20. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
Jump up ^ Simonson, Robert (2003-06-02). "Little Shop of Horrors Cancels Broadway Engagement". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
^ Jump up to: a b Gans, Andrew (2003-07-14). "Complete Casting Announced for Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
^ Jump up to: a b Gans, Andrew (2003-08-13). "Little Shop of Horrors Cast Previews Broadway Revival". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
^ Jump up to: a b Suskin, Steven (2003-11-16). "On the Record: Little Shop, Albertine and Zanna". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
Jump up ^ Finn, Robin (2003-10-14). "Public Lives; A Hot, Sweaty Job in a Plant, Eating People". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
^ Jump up to: a b Jones, Kenneth (2003-09-03). "Little Shop Cast Album Due Oct. 21, With Bonus Tracks". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
Jump up ^ Phares, Heather. "Little Shop of Horrors (New Broadway Cast Recording)", Allmusic.com, accessed June 13, 2014
^ Jump up to: a b Gans, Andrew (2004-08-22). "Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors Closes Its Doors Aug. 22". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
Jump up ^ Hernandez, Ernio and Andrew Gans. "Anthony Rapp is Suddenly Seymour as Little Shop of Horrors Starts in Los Angeles, Aug. 24", Playbill, August 24, 2004, accessed October 11, 2016
^ Jump up to: a b Nathan, John (2007-08-16). "London's Little Shop of Horrors to Close in September". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
Jump up ^ "Little Shop of Horrors", This Is Theatre, 10 November 2008
Jump up ^ 2008 Olivier Award nominations
Jump up ^ Roberts, John. "Little Shop of Horrors – Theatre Royal Brighton," February 17, 2009
Jump up ^ Viagas, Robert. "The Verdict. Reviews for Encores! 'Little Shop of Horrors'", Playbill.com, July 2, 2015
Jump up ^ Brantley, Ben. "Review: Jake Gyllenhaal Sings in Little Shop of Horrors", The New York Times, July 2, 2015
Jump up ^ Official Australian tour website, LittleShopTour.com.au, accessed August 24, 2017
Jump up ^ "2016 – Nominations and Winners", Sydney Theatre Awards, accessed August 24, 2017
Jump up ^ "Past nominees and winners: 2016", HelpmannAwards.com, accessed 27 August 2017
Jump up ^ Tongue, Cassie. "Little Shop of Horrors review – black comedy triumph thrusts cult classic into contemporary Australia", The Guardian, February 24, 2016
Jump up ^ Hewis, Ben. "In rehearsals with Rhydian and the cast of Little Shop of Horrors", 29 July 2016
Jump up ^ Little Shop of Horrors, LittleshopUKtour.com, accessed September 16, 2016
^ Jump up to: a b c Music Theatre International. ""Little Shop of Horrors", Casting – Character Breakdown". Retrieved 25 December 2008.
Jump up ^ See, for example, "Prattsburgh Central School, Audrey II Rental"
Jump up ^ Little Shop on IMDb

tag: ol


document_title: Hello, Little Girl

question_text: who started the fire at rick's on desperate housewives

question_tokens: who started the fire at rick 's on desperate housewives

root

text: Hello, Little Girl

text: Plot[edit]

text: The next morning, after the ball, Lynette asks Tom where he had been when the fire took place at Rick's restaurant. Tom denies that he did it and he says he was listening to the car radio about the Cavaliers' basketball game and assures her that he did not start the fire. Rick comes by to the pizzeria and confronts Tom about the fire and that he found a matchbook from Scavo's pizzeria at the back of his restaurant. Tom again denies that he committed the arson and the men start to fight. Lynette tries to break the fight but fails and Andrew has to call the police. The incident leads to the police for an investigation about the fire. While waiting for Tom being questioned by the police, Rick expresses to Lynette that he missed her so much, and that makes Lynette uncomfortable so she barges into the investigation room. Lynette lies to the police that she saw Tom leave the ball momentarily, providing him with an alibi. After the police's investigation, Lynette and Tom argue when she still does not believe Tom. Tom reveals that he did not trust her with Rick, even though Lynette assured him that nothing happened between them. Later that night, Lynette finds out that Porter and Preston are the ones who set Rick's restaurant on fire, as the twins worried that Rick may try to take Lynette away from her family.

tag: p

text: Katherine decides to start a business as a caterer to earn some money and she asks Bree to join. At first Bree refuses due to previous conflicts, but later agrees after some convincing. When Dylan is driving back home one day, she is stopped by a police officer for speeding, and the police officer lets her go with a warning. She meets the police officer again the next day, and he reveals that he is her father, Wayne Davis. He tells her that he tried to track her down and stopped her even though she was not speeding as he just wanted to see Dylan. He admits that he has been abusive to Katherine in the past, but he tells Dylan that her mother is not just a victim in this incident, and also beat him more severely than he would beat her. However, Dylan wants to talk to Wayne and she swears that she will not tell her mother about meeting him. When Dylan tries to help out Katherine to print out invitation cards for the anniversary Katherine is hired to plan, Dylan takes the opportunity to have dinner with her father with the excuse that she is going to the print shop.

text: Carlos gets a dog named Roxy to aid his mobility but Gabrielle wants the dog to help around the house. However, Roxy turns out to be more than a mere guide dog to Carlos. Whenever Gabrielle argues with Carlos, Roxy growls and barks at her. Gaby then reaches to her boiling point when Carlos allows Roxy to sleep on their bed. She then drives Roxy back to the dog training center the next morning when Carlos is asleep, however Roxy manages to chase Gaby's car back to their house. She lies to Carlos that Roxy had run away, but soon he discovers the truth when Steve, the coach from the dog training center calls him. Edie drops by their house to bring them dog food, that Carlos had asked her to get, one day and tells Gabrielle to be more kind to Carlos since he has changed. She even warns Gaby that if she does not treat Carlos right, other women will be willing to do so. In the end Gabrielle allows the dog to sleep with Carlos and her in their bed.

text: Susan is becoming very emotional when Bree and Orson are moving back to their house and Mike returns home from the rehabilitation center. Julie tells Mike about Orson's admitting that he ran over Mike during his sleepwalking. Mike learns the truth about his nearly fatal accident when he confronts Orson the next day, when Orson breaks into tears and asks him for his forgiveness. When Mike tells Susan about the incident, she storms into Orson's house and scolds Orson, and that news shocks Bree as well. Mike asks Susan to forgive Orson for his wrongdoings as he has done a lot of regrettable things himself and she had forgiven him, too. He also tells her that Orson has already suffered hell and that his actions are understandable, and that  reporting him to the police would leave Bree without a husband and Benjamin without a father. Susan reconciles with Bree the next day and sees Orson packing his bags and leaving the house, indicating that Bree is not forgiving Orson for his past actions.[3]

text: Title[edit]

text: The title is a reference to the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.[4]

text: Reception[edit]

text:
This episode attracted 16.35 million viewers in its original US airing.
11.60 Million viewers watched this episode in the UL coming 17th in weekly ratings.

tag: ul

text: Goofs[edit]

text: In the previous episode, Wayne had double circled Dylan's face in the newspaper. In this episode, her has single circled Katherine's face and Dylan's face. This is seen when he pulls Dylan over.

text: Awards[edit]

text:
Teri Hatcher submitted this episode for consideration of her work for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards.[5]
Brent Kinsman and Shane Kinsman submitted this episode for consideration of their work for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards.[5]
Jason Gedrick also submitted this episode for consideration of his work for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards.[5]

text: International titles[edit]

text:
Czech: Ahoj, holčičko (Hello, Little Girl)
French: Partir en fumée (To go up in smoke)
French Canadian : La transgression des règles (Breaking the rules)
German: Hallo, kleines Mädchen (Hello, Little Girl)
Hebrew: לעבור על החוק (LaAvor Al HaHok; To Break the Law)
Hungarian: Helló, kislány! (Hello, Little Girl)
Spanish: ¡Hola! nena (Hello! Baby)
Greek: Γειά σου, Μικρό κορίτσι (Hello, Little Girl)


document_title: Gun violence in the United States by state

question_text: which state has the most murders in the us

text: This article is a list of the U.S. states and the District of Columbia, with population, murders and nonnegligent manslaughter, murders, gun murders, and gun ownership percentage, then calculated rates per 100,000. The population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau. Murder rates were calculated based on the FBI Uniform Crime Reports and the estimated 2015 population of each state.

text: The 2015 U.S. population total was 320.9 million. The 2015 U.S. overall murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate per 100,000 inhabitants was 4.9.[1]

text: States[edit]

text:
Legend

Lowest

1st Quartile

2nd Quartile

3rd Quartile

4th Quartile

Highest

tag: table

text:
State

Population (total inhabitants)  (2015) [2]

Murders andNonnegligentManslaughter (total deaths)  (2015) [1]

Murders (total deaths)  (2015) [3]

Gun Murders (total deaths)  (2015) [3]

GunOwnership (%)  (2013) [4]

Murder andNonnegligentManslaughterRate (per 100,000)  (2015)

Murder Rate (per 100,000)  (2015)

GunMurder Rate (per 100,000)  (2015)

Alabama

4,853,875

348

3[a]

3[a]

48.9

7.2

0.1[a]

0.1[a]

Alaska

737,709

59

57

39

61.7

8.0

7.7

5.3

Arizona

6,817,565

309

278

171

32.3

4.5

4.1

2.5

Arkansas

2,977,853

181

164

110

57.9

6.1

5.5

3.7

California

38,993,940

1,861

1,861

1,275

20.1

4.8

4.8

3.3

Colorado

5,448,819

176

176

115

34.3

3.2

3.2

2.1

Connecticut

3,584,730

117

107

73

16.6

3.3

3.0

2.0

Delaware

944,076

63

63

52

5.2

6.7

6.7

5.5

District of Columbia

670,377

162

162

121

25.9

24.2

24.2

18.0

Florida

20,244,914

1,041

— [b]

— [b]

32.5

5.1

— [b]

— [b]

Georgia

10,199,398

615

565

464

31.6

6.0

5.5

4.5

Hawaii

1,425,157

19

19

4

45.1

1.3

1.3

0.3

Idaho

1,652,828

32

30

24

56.9

1.9

1.8

1.5

Illinois

12,839,047

744

497[a]

440[a]

26.2

5.8

3.9[a]

3.4[a]

Indiana

6,612,768

373

272

209

33.8

5.6

4.1

3.2

Iowa

3,121,997

72

72

49

33.8

2.3

2.3

1.6

Kansas

2,906,721

128

125

91

32.2

4.4

4.3

3.1

Kentucky

4,424,611

209

209

141

42.4

4.7

4.7

3.2

Louisiana

4,668,960

481

474

379

44.5

10.3

10.2

8.1

Maine

1,329,453

23

23

16

22.6

1.7

1.7

1.2

Maryland

5,994,983

516

372

279

20.7

8.6

6.2

4.7

Massachusetts

6,784,240

128

126

81

22.6

1.9

1.9

1.2

Michigan

9,917,715

571

571

389

28.8

5.8

5.8

3.9

Minnesota

5,482,435

133

133

79

36.7

2.4

2.4

1.4

Mississippi

2,989,390

259

159

126

42.8

8.7

5.3

4.2

Missouri

6,076,204

502

499

418

27.1

8.3

8.2

6.9

Montana

1,032,073

36

36

18

52.3

3.5

3.5

1.7

Nebraska

1,893,765

62

61

43

19.8

3.3

3.2

2.3

Nevada

2,883,758

178

177

113

37.5

6.2

6.1

3.9

New Hampshire

1,330,111

14

14

8

14.4

1.1

1.1

0.6

New Jersey

8,935,421

363

353

255

11.3

4.1

4.0

2.9

New Mexico

2,080,328

117

94

56

49.9

5.6

4.5

2.7

New York

19,747,183

609

611

383

10.3

3.1

3.1

1.9

North Carolina

10,035,186

517

506

353

28.7

5.2

5.0

3.5

North Dakota

756,835

21

17

9

47.9

2.8

2.2

1.2

Ohio

11,605,090

500

480

316

19.6

4.3

4.1

2.7

Oklahoma

3,907,414

234

233

149

31.2

6.0

6.0

3.8

Oregon

4,024,634

99

71

34

26.6

2.5

1.8

0.8

Pennsylvania

12,791,904

658

651

497

27.1

5.1

5.1

3.9

Rhode Island

1,055,607

29

27

10

5.8

2.7

2.6

0.9

South Carolina

4,894,834

399

394

312

44.4

8.2

8.0

6.4

South Dakota

857,919

32

27

12

35.0

3.7

3.1

1.4

Tennessee

6,595,056

406

402

297

39.4

6.2

6.1

4.5

Texas

27,429,639

1,316

1,276

906

35.7

4.8

4.7

3.3

Utah

2,990,632

54

54

34

31.9

1.8

1.8

1.1

Vermont

626,088

10

10

8

28.8

1.6

1.6

1.3

Virginia

8,367,587

383

383

275

29.3

4.6

4.6

3.3

Washington

7,160,290

211

209

141

27.7

2.9

2.9

2.0

West Virginia

1,841,053

70

57

30

54.2

3.8

3.1

1.6

Wisconsin

5,767,891

240

238

170

34.7

4.2

4.1

2.9

Wyoming

586,107

16

16

10

53.8

2.7

2.7

1.7

text:
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Limited supplemental homicide data were received.

^ Jump up to: a b c d No data available.


document_title: Ice rink

question_text: how deep is ice in a hockey rink

question_tokens: how deep is ice in a hockey rink

text: Ice rink

text: Etymology[edit]

text: Rink, a Scottish word meaning 'course', was used as the name of a place where curling was played. The name has been retained for the construction of ice areas for other sports and uses.[1]

text: History[edit]

text: Early attempts at the construction of artificial ice rinks were first made in the 'rink mania' of 1841–44. As the technology for the maintenance of natural ice did not exist, these early rinks used a substitute consisting of a mixture of hog's lard and various salts. An item in the 8 May 1844 issue of Eliakim Littell's Living Age headed "The Glaciarium" reported that "This establishment, which has been removed to Grafton street East' Tottenham Court Road, was opened on Monday afternoon. The area of artificial ice is extremely convenient for such as may be desirous of engaging in the graceful and manly pastime of skating".[citation needed]

text: By 1844, these venues fell out of fashion, as customers grew tired of the 'smelly' ice substitute, and it was only thirty years later, that refrigeration technology developed to the point that natural ice could finally be feasibly used in the rink. The world's first mechanically frozen ice rink was the Glaciarium, opened by John Gamgee in a tent in a small building just off the Kings Road in Chelsea, London, on 7 January 1876.[2] In March, it moved to a permanent venue at 379 Kings Road, where a rink measuring 40 by 24 feet (12.2 by 7.3 m) was established.[3]

text: The rink was based on a concrete surface, with layers of earth, cow hair and timber planks. Atop these were laid oval copper pipes carrying a solution of glycerine with ether, nitrogen peroxide and water. The pipes were covered by water and the solution was pumped through, freezing the water into ice. Gamgee discovered the process while attempting to develop a method to freeze meat for import from Australia and New Zealand, and patented it as early as 1870.[3]

text: Gamgee operated the rink on a membership-only basis and attempted to attract a wealthy clientele, experienced in open-air ice skating during winters in the Alps. He installed an orchestra gallery, which could also be used by spectators, and decorated the walls with views of the Swiss Alps.[3]

text: The rink initially proved a success, and Gamgee opened two further rinks later in the year: at Rusholme in Manchester and the "Floating Glaciarium" at Charing Cross in London, this last significantly larger at 115 by 25 feet (35.1 by 7.6 m). The Southport Glaciarium opened in 1879, using Gamgee's method.[3]

text: In Germany, the first ice skating rink opened in 1882 in Frankfurt during a patent exhibition. It covered 520m² and operated for two months; the refrigeration system was designed by Linde.[4]

text: The oldest indoor artificial ice rink still in existence (built 1909-10) and in use is the one in Boston's Matthews Arena, on the campus of Northeastern University.[5][6]

text: Types[edit]

text: Natural ice[edit]

text: Many ice rinks consist of, or are found on, open bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, canals, and sometimes rivers; these can only be used in the winter in climates where the surface would freeze thickly enough to support human weight. Rinks can also be made in cold climates by enclosing a level area of ground, filling it with water, and letting it freeze. Snow may even be packed to use as a containment material.

text: A famous example of this type of rink is the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, estimated at 1,782,000 square feet (165,600 m2) and 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi) long, which is equivalent to 90 Olympic size skating rinks.[7] The rink is prepared by lowering the canal's water level and letting the canal water freeze. The rink is then resurfaced nightly by cleaning the ice of snow and flooding it with water from below the ice. The rink is recognized as the "world's largest naturally frozen ice rink" by the Guinness Book of World Records because "its entire length receives daily maintenance such as sweeping, ice thickness checks and there are toilet and recreational facilities along its entire length".[7]

text: The longest ice skating trail can be found in Invermere, British Columbia, Canada, on Lake Windermere Whiteway. The naturally frozen trail measures 29.98 kilometres (18.63 mi).[8]

text: Artificial ice[edit]

text: In any climate, an arena ice surface can be installed in a properly built space. This consists of a bed of sand or occasionally a slab of concrete, through (or on top of) which pipes run. The pipes carry a chilled fluid (usually either a salt brine or water with antifreeze, or in the case of smaller rinks, refrigerant) which can lower the temperature of the slab so that water placed atop will freeze. This method is known as 'artificial ice' to differentiate from ice rinks made by simply freezing water in a cold climate, indoors or outdoors, although both types are of frozen water. A more proper technical term is 'mechanically frozen' ice.

text: A famous example of this type of rink is the outdoor rink at Rockefeller Center in New York.

text: Construction[edit]

text: Modern rinks have a specific procedure for preparing the surface. With the pipes cold, a thin layer of water is sprayed on the sand or concrete to seal and level it (or in the case of concrete, to keep it from being marked). This thin layer is painted white or pale blue for better contrast; markings necessary for hockey or curling are also placed, along with logos or other decorations. Another thin layer of water is sprayed on top of this. The ice is built up to a thickness of 3/4ths an inch to 1 1/2 inches.[9] The industry standard in the NHL is around 1 1/2".

text: Synthetic[edit]

text: Synthetic rinks are constructed from a solid polymer material designed for skating using normal metal-bladed ice skates. High density polyethelene (HDPE) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) are the only materials that offer reasonable skating characteristics, with UHMW synthetic rinks offering the most ice-like skating but also being the most expensive. A typical synthetic rink will consist of many panels of thin surface material assembled on top of a sturdy, level and smooth sub-floor (anything from concrete to wood or even dirt or grass) to create a large skating area.

text: Operation[edit]

text: Periodically after the ice has been used, it is resurfaced using a machine called an ice resurfacer (sometimes colloquially referred to as a Zamboni – who are a major manufacturer of such machinery). For curling, the surface is 'pebbled' by allowing loose drops of cold water to fall onto the ice and freeze into rounded peaks.

text: Between events, especially if the arena is being used without need for the ice surface, it is either covered with a heavily insulated floor or melted by allowing the fluid in the pipes below the ice to warm.

text: A highly specialized form of rink is used for speed skating; this is a large oval (or ring) much like an athletic track. Because of their limited use, speed skating ovals are found in much fewer numbers than the more common hockey or curling rinks.

text: Those skilled at preparing arena ice are often in demand for major events where ice quality is critical. The popularity of the sport of hockey in Canada has led its icemakers to be particularly sought after. One such team of professionals was responsible for placing a loonie coin under center ice at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah; as both Canadian teams (men's and women's) won their respective hockey gold medals, the coin was christened "lucky" and is now in the possession of the Hockey Hall of Fame[10] after having been retrieved from beneath the ice.

text: Standard rink sizes[edit]

text: Bandy[edit]

text: In bandy, the rink size is 90–110 m (300–360 ft) x 45–65 m (148–213 ft). For internationals, the size must not be smaller than 100 metres (330 ft) x 60 metres (200 ft).

text: Ice hockey[edit]

text: There are basically two rink sizes in use, although there is a great deal of variation in the dimensions of actual ice rinks. Historically, earlier ice rinks were smaller than today.

text: Official National Hockey League rinks are 26 m × 61 m (85 ft × 200 ft). The dimensions originate from the size of the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Official Olympic/International rinks have dimensions of 30 m × 60 m (98.4 ft × 197 ft).

text: Speed skating[edit]

text: In speed skating, for short track, the official Olympic rink size is 30 x 60 meters, with an oval ice track of 111.12 meters in circumference. In long track speed skating the oval ice track is usually 400 meters in circumference.


document_title: Draft lottery (1969)

question_text: when did drafting for the vietnam war begin

text: Draft lottery (1969)

text: Method[edit]

text: The days of the year (including February 29) were written on slips of paper. These pieces of paper were then placed in separate plastic capsules that were mixed in a shoebox and then dumped into a deep glass jar. Capsules were drawn from the jar one at a time.

text: The first number drawn was 258 (September 14), so all registrants with that birthday were assigned lottery number 1. The second number drawn corresponded to April 24, and so forth. All men of draft age (born 1944 to 1950) who shared a birth date would be called to serve at once. The first 195 birthdates drawn were later called to serve in the order they were drawn; the last of these was September 24.[1]

text: Also on December 1, 1969, a second lottery was held with the 26 letters of the alphabet. The first letter drawn was "J", which was assigned number 1. The second letter was "G", and so on, until all 26 letters were assigned numbers, with the last being "V". Among men with the same birthdate, the order of induction was determined by the ranks of the first letters of their last, first, and middle names.[2] Anyone with initials "JJJ" would have been first within the shared birthdate, followed by "JGJ", "JDJ", and "JXJ"; anyone with initials "VVV" would have been last.[3]

text: People soon noticed that the lottery numbers were not distributed uniformly over the year. In particular, November and December births, or dates 306 to 366, were assigned mainly to lower draft numbers representing earlier calls to serve (see figure). This led to complaints that the lottery was not random as the legislation required. Analysis of the procedure suggested that mixing 366 capsules in the shoe box did not mix them sufficiently before dumping them into the jar. ("The capsules were put in a box month by month, January through December, and subsequent mixing efforts were insufficient to overcome this sequencing.")[2] Only five days in December—Dec. 2, 12, 15, 17 and 19—were higher than the last call number of 195; had the days been evenly distributed, 14 days in December would have been expected to remain uncalled. From January to December, the rank of the average draft pick numbers were 5 4 1 3 2 6 8 9 10 7 11 12. A Monte Carlo simulation found that the probability of a random order of months being this close to the 1–12 sequence expected for unsorted slips was 0.09%.[4]

text: Draft lotteries were conducted again in 1970 (for those born in 1951) and from 1971 to 1975 (for 1952 to 1956 births). The draft numbers issued in 1972 were never used the next year to call for induction into service, because the last call was December 7 and authority to induct expired on June 30, 1973.

text: The 1972 to 1975 lottery numbers were used to call some men born 1953 to 1956 for physical exams. The highest number called for a physical was 215 (for tables 1970 through 1976).[3]

text: Origins and consequences[edit]

text: The reason for the 1969 draft was to add personnel to the Vietnam War. After World War II, Japan left Vietnamese Emperor Bao Dai in command. Ho Chi Minh, another Vietnamese leader, saw this as an opportunity to strike and took over Hanoi. Ho Chi Minh then set up the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Emperor Bo, in the South, set up the Vietnam State with Saigon as the capital. Ho Chi Minh was basing his political structure off of the communist states such as Russia while Emperor Bao Dai in the south wanted a Vietnam that was modeled after the west, like the United States.[5]

text: The North and the South began armed conflict against one another until the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 ended with the Viet Minh forces as the victor. Afterwards at the Geneva conference Vietnam was split along the 17th latitude. There was supposed to be a reunification election in 1956 but another leader took over the South. Ngo Dinh Diem took over leadership from Emperor Bao Dai who took a very hard stance against communism.[5]

text: In other parts of the world, the Cold War was intensifying between Soviet Russia and the United States. The U.S. was becoming more rigid in its policies with the communist allies of Russia. President Dwight D. Eisenhower started supporting the South Vietnamese who were also against the communist north.[5]

text: The U.S. began training and equipping Diem's forces with weapons. Conflicts between communist sympathizers began occurring in the South. At the time, the U.S. had only committed around 800 personnel to train and outfit the South Vietnamese. In 1961, the John F. Kennedy administration started working under the “Domino Theory,” which stated that if South Vietnam was to fall to the North, then other places in southeast Asia were to become vulnerable to the communists as well. This caused President Kennedy to begin sending additional American soldiers to Vietnam. By 1962, there were around 9,000 personnel in Vietnam.[5]

text: In 1963, a coup was organized by South Vietnamese generals which resulted in the death of Diem. President Lyndon B. Johnson increased U.S. personnel in Vietnam due to the political instability in the country. In August 1964, two U.S. warships were attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Johnson issued an attack order against North Vietnam, and Congress passed a motion which gave him more authority over military decisions. In 1965, President Johnson had sent 82,000 troops to Vietnam, and his officials wanted another 175,000. Due to the heavy demand for military personnel, the United States required more than what the regular military could provide, causing the acceleration of the draft. Between 1965 and 1972 the draft provided 2,215,000 service members to the U.S. military.[5]

text: Previously in the United States, during the War of 1812, President Madison established a commission to recommend the best ways to raise military manpower; to keep the draft or to institute a volunteer army.[6]

text: After much debate within the Nixon administration and Congress, it was decided that an all-volunteer force was affordable, feasible, and would enhance the nation’s security.[7] President Richard Nixon issued an executive order prescribing regulations for random selection by the United States Selective Service on November 26, 1969.[8]

text: In the 1960s anti-war movements started to occur in the U.S., mainly among those on college campuses and in more leftist circles, especially those who embraced the “hippie” lifestyle.[9] College students were entitled to a deferment (2-S status) but were subject to the draft if they dropped out or graduated.[10]

text: In 1967, the number of U.S. military personnel in Vietnam was around 500,000. The war was costing the U.S. $25 billion a year, and many of the young men drafted were being sent to a war they wanted no part of. Martin Luther King Jr. also started to support the anti-war movement on the grounds of it being immoral and the amount of African Americans that were being killed.[9]

text: November 15, 1969 marked the largest anti war movement in the history of the United States. This protest featured many anti-war political speakers and popular singers of the time. Many people at the time saw Richard Nixon as a liar; when he took office, he claimed that he would begin troop withdrawals from Vietnam immediately. After ten months of being in office, the president had yet to start withdrawals, and United States citizens felt lied to. Later, president Nixon claimed to have been watching sports as the anti-war demonstration took place outside the White House.[9]

text: The 1970s were a time of turmoil in the United States, beginning with the civil rights movement which set the standards for practices by the anti-war movement. The 1969 draft lottery only encouraged resentment of the Vietnam War and the draft. It strengthened the anti-war movement,[verification needed] and all over the United States, people decried discrimination by the draft system "against low-education, low-income, underprivileged members of society".[11]

text: The draft lottery had social and economic consequences because it generated resistance to military service and the resisters, draft evaders or "draft dodgers", were generally young, well-educated, healthy men. The fear of military service in Vietnam influenced many young men born in the late 1940s to join the National Guard. These young men were aware that the National Guard would be unlikely to send its soldiers to Vietnam. Many men were unable to join the National Guard, even though they had passed their physicals, because many state National Guards had long waiting lists just to enlist. Still others chose legal sanctions such as imprisonment, either showing their disapproval by burning their draft cards or draft letters, or simply not presenting themselves for the military service test. Others left the country, commonly moving to Canada. The number of American citizens who moved to Canada during the Vietnam war because of the draft is estimated to be around 125,000; it is believed that about half returned to the United States after the Nixon era (when the war was also over)(1975).[citation needed]

text: Modification[edit]

text: Lottery procedure was improved the next year although public discontent continued to grow [12] until "authority to induct expired on June 30, 1973".[3]

text: In 1970, covering 1951 birthdates for use during 1971 (sometimes called the 1971 draft), scientists at the National Bureau of Standards prepared 78 random permutations of the numbers 1 to 366 using random numbers selected from published tables.[13] From the 78 permutations, 25 were selected at random and transcribed to calendars using 1 = January 1, 2 = January 2, ... 365 = December 31. Those calendars were sealed in envelopes. 25 more permutations were selected and sealed in 25 more envelopes without transcription to calendars. The two sets of 25 envelopes were furnished to the Selective Service System.[13]

text: On June 2, an official picked two envelopes, thus one calendar and one raw permutation. The 365 birthdates (for 1951) were written down, placed in capsules, and put in a drum in the order dictated by the selected calendar. Similarly, the numbers from 1 to 365 were written down and placed into capsules in the order dictated by the raw permutation.[13]

text: On July 1, the drawing date, one drum was rotated for an hour and the other for a half-hour (its rotating mechanism failed).[13] Pairs of capsules were then drawn, one from each drum, one with a 1951 birthdate and one with a number 1 to 366. The first date and number drawn were September 16 and 139, so all men born September 16, 1951, were assigned draft number 139. The 11th draws were the date July 9 and the number 1, so men born July 9 were assigned draft number 1 and drafted first.[13]

text: Present Day Use[edit]

text: The military draft method used back in the 1950s and 1960s involved using dates and numbers mixed randomly and then drawn to decide who would go to war. In the present-day, not much has changed on how the draft would be conducted if it was ever needed. The Selective Service Committee who presides over the draft procedures still have a large tumbler that holds all the number and dates that will be drawn to select candidates and the only thing that seems to have changed between the method of the past and the present one is that instead of using pieces of paper in blue capsules the SSC now uses ping pong balls with the dates and numbers on them.[14]