BREAKING NEWS: That Killer Plant from SOMEWHERE THAT'S GREEN is back for a vengeance in the Big Apple. It has just been announced that the iconic cult classic musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors is set to return to the New York stage this Fall back to its original routes…. Off Broadway. Under the direction of Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Broadway's Thoroughly Modern Millie, the original Spring Awakening Broadway, HEDWIG on Broadway, Head Over Heels – The New Musical, and Burn This), the production will be coming to the Westside Theatre. Previews begin September 17th, 2019 and Opening Night is set for October 17th, 2019.
In addition, casting has been revealed and it will star an exciting all-star lineup consisting of….
2 time Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff (Broadway's Hamilton and the original Spring Awakening, Film and TV's Glee, Frozen, Looking, and Mindhunters) as the quirky florist "Seymour",
2 time Tony Award nominee and Emmy winner Tammy Blanchard (Broadway's 2003 revival of Gypsy, the 2011 revival of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, and 2018 revival of The Iceman Cometh on Broadway, Film and TV's Into The Woods and Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows) as the kind, shy, friendly, and awkward coworker and love interest "Audrey",
and 2 time Tony Award winner Christian Borle (Broadway's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Something Rotten The Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher, Legally Blonde the Musical, and Falsettos on Broadway, TV's Smash) as the sadistic, nitrous oxide-addicted dentist and abusive boyfriend "Orin Scrivello, DDS".
Additional casting will be announced soon.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS features a score by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman (who also did the book). It tells the story of hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical features some of the most iconic notable songs including the title song, GROW FOR ME, SKID ROW (DOWNTOWN), DENTIST, SOMEWHERE THAT'S GREEN, SUDDENLY SEYMOUR, and more.
The show originally began its life OFF-OFF BROADWAY performing at the Workshop of the Players' Art Theatre in the Spring of 1982. It was a smash hit that it was moved to OFF BROADWAY playing the Orpheum Theatre a few months later where it ran for 5 years and 2,209 performances. A plan for the show for an ON BROADWAY transfer was initially made for the original 1982 production but Ashman decided to keep it where it belong. Under the direction of Howard Ashman, the cast consisted of…
Lee Wilkof as "Seymour",
Ellen Greene in her signature role as "Audrey",
Franc Luz as "Orin Scrivello, DDS" and others.
and Ron Taylor as the voice of the man-eating plant himself "Audrey II"
The original production received numerous New York Theater Awards including the Drama Desk for Outstanding New Musical and the York New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.
Following the success of the show's New York Premiere, it made its way to London's West End and Australia becoming a hit there.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORROS did not officially make its ON Broadway Debut until 2003. Following an out-of-town tryout in Florida that spring, the production made its way into the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre) where it ran for a complete total of 412 performances. Under the direction of Jerry Zaks and a newly worked puppet from The Jim Henson Company, this cast consisted of….
Hunter Foster as "Seymour",
Tony nominee Kerry Butler as "Audrey",
Tony nominee Douglas Sills as "Orin Scrivello, DDS",
and Michael Leon Wooley as the voice of "Audrey II".
The production was nominated for only 1 Tony Awards category in 2004 for Best Leading Actor in a Musical (for Hunter Foster) but lost the category.
In addition, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS was most recently performed as a week long concert production for New York City Center Encores in 2015 as part of their Off-Series season. Under the direction of Dick Scanlan, this cast featured….
Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaalas "Seymour",
Ellen Greene reprising her iconic role as "Audrey",
Saturday Night Live favorite Taran Killam as "Orin Scrivello, DDS",
and Eddie Cooper as "Audrey II".
Along with its success on stage, the show was a iconic cult-film classic in 1986 from Warner Bros. Pictures. Under the direction of Frank Oz, the cast consisted of…
Rick Moranis as "Seymour",
Ellen Greene reprising her stage role as "Audrey",
Steve Martin as "Orin Scrivello, DDS",
and Levi Stubbs as the voice of "Audrey II".
The film was nominated for 2 Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Original Song (for one of the new songs Menken and Ashman wrote specifically for the film entitled MEAN GREEN MOTHER FROM OUTER SPACE). It lost both the categories.
FUN FACT: The new film song MEAN GREEN made history as the first Oscar-nominated song to contain profanity in the lyrics and thus had to be slightly censored for the telecast.
Who is excited to make their way back to SKID ROW?!!
Little Shop of Horrors is headed back to its off-Broadway roots. The iconic musical will receive a new staging from Tony-winning director Michael Mayer at the …
Love our posts? Click here to follow us on Facebook!
Wanna Book a Tour? Click here!
