Words From the Wings: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS' Khalifa White on How She Bonds With Her Castmates Backstage, and More!

BroadwayWorld is bringing you Words From the Wings, a new series of interviews that take fans behind the scenes of some of their favorite Broadway stars' backstage routines!

Today we're chatting with Khalifa White of Little Shop of Horrors, who told us about how she bonds with the others in the girls' dressing room, and more! Check out her answers below!

What's the first thing you do when you arrive to the theatre?

Aside from saying Hi, I usually take off my shoes and put on my show slippers!

What's the last thing you do before you go on stage?

Pre-show brushing of the teeth and a swig of water or warm tea. Then the three Urchins do a handshake, that I believe blesses us and activates us as the urchin trio!

What's your must-have backstage snack?

A smoothie or açaí bowl, or the cookies Weston brings in from time to time - they are delicious.

Pre-show ritual that others may think is weird?

I do a bad joke bit with the backstage crew & tech where I say "Don't worry everyone, everything's gunna be fine." I also sometimes panic on Tuesdays out of fear that I forgot the show on our one day off, lol, so I review as much choreography as I can before the show.

What are five must-haves in your dressing room?

• blush
• flowers
• photos
• deodorant
• access to my script
• (tea)* honorable mention

What's your favorite moment from the show to watch from the wings?

The end of the Dentist's office scene with Seymour & Orin - from the lyrics "are you Dumb, or hard of hearing?" onward, I'm usually cackling while watching from the wings.

What has been your favorite backstage moment in your time with this show so far?

That's hard. I enjoy random singing, adlibbing, dancing and the harmonizing we do. Certain adlibs are set within songs like Suddenly Seymour, or the Somewhere That's Green reprise. But I also love when the girls' dressing room breaks out into harmony & choreo for non-Little Shop songs, from artists like Tina Turner, Nicki Minaj & Lady Gaga.

Check out photos of Khalifa at the theatre below!

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

About Khalifa White

Select credits include Broadway's Caroline or Change, School of Rock 1st National tour, Aida, Ain't Misbehavin, The Bodyguard, Dreamgirls, Smokey Joe's Cafe & Hairspray.

About Little Shop of Horrors

With a book and lyrics by Grammy and Academy Award winner Howard Ashman (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast), and music by Tony and Academy Award winner Alan Menken (Aladdin, Newsies), this 2020 Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama Desk Award-winning Best Musical Revival of Little Shop of Horrors is directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Spring Awakening) and choreographed by Ellenore Scott (Funny Girl, Mr. Saturday Night).

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. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Little Shop of Horrors first premiered Off-Broadway in 1982, where it made audiences laugh, scream, and give up gardening for good. The musical has since catapulted into a global phenomenon, with productions across the world from Broadway to London's West End, to Asia and Australia - plus a hit 1986 film adaptation directed by Frank Oz that starred Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Steve Martin. Now, the musical has made its highly-anticipated return home to Off-Broadway, in a hilarious, 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.