What a FABULOUS time seeing my second performance of Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside theatre. I mean, I was looking forward to it, because I enjoyed it so much the first time, but I wasn’t expecting my delight to be just as high seeing it two full years later. I figured having seen it before, it wouldn’t be quite as exciting, but I was every bit as delighted as I was the first time.
The first time I saw this production of Little Shop, Jeremy Jordan was playing Seymour, and Joy N Woods was Audrey. This time around, Audrey and Seymour were being played by two former “kid” stars from Nickelodeon and Disney shows: Milo Manhein, and Elizabeth Gillies. I had literally never heard of either of them before, so I had zero stakes or expectations for their performances. Honestly, with “stunt” casting like this where they get folks from tv shows with pre-existing fan bases to boost ticket sales, I’m always slightly leery. I had bought these tickets way back in November, before I had any idea who the cast might be, and after I saw the announcement I was honestly crossing my fingers for it to be an understudy performance. Because understudies are amazing, and I especially appreciate getting to see understudies perform when the main billing is for celebrities.
It wasn’t until we got back from the show and I started Googling, just to see what other people thought of them, that I learned how crazy in-demand these two have been. Almost every post on Reddit about them is people complaining about the ticket prices. Apparently they’re going for $400 a pop! I paid nowhere near that back in November. I thought it was wild that we got to see them for standard off-Broadway pricing when people around us probably paid three times what I did. I had no idea so many people were so jazzed about these two being cast. My stunt casting worries were all for naught though, because the two of them were incredible as Seymour and Audrey.
Knowing that the guy playing Seymour had a big fan following made me nervous that he would be too “hot” to make an ideal Seymour, especially based on the photos they used to promote him, where he has a scruffy mustache and looks very brooding. But man did this guy lean HARD into the awkwardness and create a whole new type of Seymour. He wasn’t so awkward that he felt like a caricature, or too over the top. He was definitely able to strike a balance that made Seymour seem awkward in an endearing way, with occasional flashes of sexy confidence that broke the fourth wall and had the audience roaring with approval. He’s also very tall, which I thought I wouldn’t like since I always imagine Seymour as a short king, but he definitely used his physicality to even further enhance the awkwardness. I know I’ve only seen two other Seymours before, but this guy definitely made the role his own and stood out from the other two more typical portrayals I’ve seen.
His voice wasn’t anything to write home about, but Seymour isn’t a particularly vocally demanding part anyway. His tone was a bit nasal, but he hit his notes, could hold for a pretty long time, and harmonized nicely with everyone else. Honestly out of the three Seymour’s I’ve seen, he was my favorite so far. He brought a uniqueness to the role that I hadn’t seen before and I really enjoyed it.
Funny enough, when we saw Jeremy Jordan play Seymour, I remember he came out on stage to ENORMOUS applause. Seymour actually trips and falls for his entrance, and poor Jeremy had to stay on the floor for ages waiting for the applause to die down. I was expecting there to be a similar response to Milo, but he just got a loud burst of, WHOOS! that quickly died down. I was surprised he didn’t get a similar amount of applause for his entrance.
The first Audrey I saw was Joy N Woods, and she’s a tough act to follow. The thing I loved about her portrayal was how authentic she was. She played Audrey as much less of a cartoon character, and it made her so sympathetic and genuine. Plus girl has KILLER pipes. I was pleased to find that Elizabeth Gillies also has a killer set of pipes, although she definitely leaned more into being a “typical” Audrey, she still had a touch of that genuine and sympathetic quality to her portrayal. She is also such a tiny little thing, so the size differences between the tall, lanky Seymour, and her petite little Audrey made them very cute.
As far as singing goes, she was definitely the standout of the two, but I think they accounted for this in the arrangements. She was quite a powerhouse during Suddenly Seymour, but his more understated voice complemented hers perfectly, and they sounded very nice together. They also genuinely just seemed to be having the best time doing the show together. Apparently with their shared “kid star” pasts, they immediately bonded with one another, and that connection really shows. Their kiss during “Suddenly Seymour” was amazing!
Onto the rest of the cast. The Urchins are always one of the highlights for me. I love their harmonies, sassy attitudes, and hilarious choreography. All three urchins were different from the ones I saw two years ago. Crystal in particular had an absolutely powerhouse voice, and she stole so many scenes with her silly physicality and facial expressions. Joy N Woods was a former urchin turned Audrey, and I really hope this woman makes the same jump. She understudies for Audrey sometimes already, and I bet she’s incredible when she does it.
The dentist was a riot, but he still wasn’t able to outshine Bryce Pinkham who set a ridiculously high bar back in 2023. I definitely missed the uncomfortable sexual tension Bryce had with Jeremy Jordan, although it probably would have been TOO uncomfortable, given this dentist was definitely at least a couple of decades older than Seymour. Yep, just double-checked and they’re 25 years apart, so it was definitely for the best that they left the sexual tension out. He leaned far more into just being an unhinged sadist, not a sadistic, bisexual menace. He was still hilarious and ridiculous, but I don’t think anybody will ever top Bryce Pinkham.
“Dentist!” Is still my favorite musical number. The part where the urchins turn around and they’re wearing those lip expanders yet still trying to sing has me in stitches every time, and the different ways all three of them scream when he tells them to, “Say ah!” I was absolutely in tears.
During “It’s Just the Gas” the guy playing the dentist was on the floor, pretending he can’t get the gas mask off, and I don’t know if he forgot his lines, or was just in a particularly weird mood and wanted to fuck with Milo, but he took the dental implement he’d grabbed to help jimmy the mask off, and started using it to play a tune on the vents in the front of the stage. He banged out “How Much is that Doggy in the Window,” and looked over to Milo for a reaction. Milo immediately turned his face away to hide his laughter, so I don’t think this was anything scripted, or that the dentist had done before. He took a VERY long time to die.
So many people don’t like “Mushnik and Son”, but it’s honestly one of my favorite numbers. I think it’s catchy and hilarious, and I love seeing how the different Mushniks and Seymours play off of one another in this one. This Mr Mushnik didn’t have anywhere near the set of pipes that the Mushnik from 2023 had, but they still did a fun job with the song. During the, “So come kiss me quick,” bit, Milo went in for a full make-out, complete with a leg wrapped around Mr Mushnik who quickly pushed him off. It got a good laugh.
Our seats were in the middle of the fourth row, and it was honestly just about the perfect spot. We were so close to Audrey II it almost felt like we could touch her during some scenes, and we could even hear the thumps of her mouth closing. She’s such an incredible puppet, and they do such an amazing job bringing her to life. No matter who they get to play Seymour and Audrey, Audrey II is ALWAYS the star of this show.
Fox was quiet and just enjoying himself during most of the show, but he grabbed my arm when Audrey gets eaten by Audrey II at the end. Seymour saying, “You ate the only thing I ever loved!” gets to him. He prefers the movie ending where they both survive and live happily ever after. I prefer the darker ending, although it does make me sad for Audrey. Seymour, Mushnik, and especially Orin the dentist all do terrible things, but poor Audrey is completely innocent. It makes me sad when she dies singing “Somewhere that’s Green” again. All she wanted was a simple life, with a sweet little guy, and she never gets to have it. ~sniffles~ Milo made it extra sad after Audrey dies, he was kissing her so fervently all over her face and arms, almost like he thought if he kissed her enough it might bring her back to life. It was a very raw, emotional moment in an otherwise very silly show.
Luckily, “Don’t Feed the Plants” is enough of a banger to wash away he sadness of the ending, especially when everybody who got eaten comes out in those silly plant suits. We gave everybody a standing ovation, and we happened to be there during Broadway Cares night, which is always nice. I managed to catch it at Phantom back in 2023 as well, and it’s always fun to hear the little speech the performers give.
Everyone ran out of the theatre to get to the stage-door for Milo and Elizabeth, but Fox had no interest so we got to get souvenirs without waiting in line at all! I got a Mushnik’s Flower Shop tote bag (the design and colors are super cute), and when I told Fox I was going to get a “Don’t Feed the Plants” t-shirt, he decided to get one too. He said, “I want to wear it at theatre camp this summer!” That really warmed my heart, sometimes I feel like I’m bringing him to all these shows for nothing because his enthusiasm never really matches mine, but if he’s looking forward to theatre camp, clearly something is clicking.
All in all, it was a wonderful show, and every bit as incredible as the first time I saw it, and in some ways even better. I’m super happy I got to share it with Fox, and that he loved it too. I hope it stays off Broadway for a long time as I’d love to get to see it again and again.
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