Seymour is a down-on-his-luck florist with a crush on his co-worker Audrey. When he discovers a mysterious – and voracious – plant, suddenly Seymour and Audrey are thrust into an epic battle that will determine the fate of the entire human race. Little Shop of Horrors made its highly-anticipated return home to Off-Broadway, in an intimate new production directed by Michael Mayer that offers an unprecedented opportunity to get close — maybe too close — to an incredible plant with an insatiable appetite.
Mayer's staging makes some very smart choices for the moment. In essence, he downplays the show's satirical soul in favor of its baked-in truths. Especially when it comes to Blanchard's truly stunning Audrey, a performance far from Ellen Greene and a piece of acting willing to embrace the cause of Audrey's chronic lack of self-esteem and depict it, especially during the iconic 'Somewhere That's Green' number, with total seriousness.
Tonally, Mayer's production, accented with Will Van Dyke's fine arrangements and Ellenore Scott's gestural, loose-hipped, giddy choreography, takes a chirpy see-what-sticks approach, but the script is daffy and capacious enough to allow performances as emotionally grounded as Blanchard's, as blithely comic as Groff's, as bananas as Borle's, who plays Scrivello with the precision of a Swiss wristwatch and the derangement of a candidate for exorcism. He mugs, he twerks, he chews scenery like it's a wooden amuse-bouche. If scene-stealing is a crime, someone should make a citizen's arrest at the stage door.
1982 | Off-Off-Broadway |
Showcase Off-Off-Broadway |
1982 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
1983 | West End |
London Production West End |
2003 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2004 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
2004 | Regional (US) |
Regional Production Regional (US) |
2007 | West End |
West End Transfer West End |
2015 | Off-Broadway |
City Center Encores Off-Center Production Off-Broadway |
2018 | West End |
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Production West End |
2018 | Washington, DC (Regional) |
Kennedy Center Broadway Center Stage Revival Washington, DC (Regional) |
2019 | Regional (US) |
2019 Pasadena Playhouse Production Regional (US) |
2021 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Tammy Blanchard |
2020 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Christian Borle |
2020 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Little Shop of Horrors |
2020 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design for a Musical | Julian Crouch |
2020 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Christian Borle |
2020 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jonathan Groff |
2020 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Little Shop of Horrors |
2020 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Jonathan Groff |
2020 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Michael Mayer |
2020 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Christian Borle |
2020 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Little Shop of Horrors |
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