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.
Michael Mayer's staging, at the Westside Theatre, the Hell's Kitchen off-Broadway house best known for the kinds of shows that play best to Wednesday matinee crowds, is true to the show's (voracious) roots off-Broadway in the East Village. This lo-fi production of a show now so often encountered in high schools and community productions wonderfully illustrates the magic that can be made with a small cast, a great score, and ravenous puppet.
Yet against expectation, Mayer's interpretation, staged in a 270-seat theater, summons the shivery elation I felt seeing "Shop" at the East Village's Orpheum nearly four decades earlier. It restores the show to its original scale and sensibility, reminding us of the special potency of grisly things that come in small, impeccably wrapped packages. It's not an exact facsimile of the 1982 production, which was directed by Ashman. Working with an ace design team, Mayer heightens the show's classic pulp elements, its aura of low-rent noir splashed with flecks of blood-red.
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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