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.
This 'Little Shop,' under the direction of Michael Mayer, doesn't really sprout until Borle's Customer arrives. And without him in many of the following scenes, it tends to wilt. The three urchin back-up singers (Ari Groover, Salome Smith and Joy Woods) always manage to delight with the doo-wop songs by Ashman and Alan Menken, and co-stars Jonathan Groff and Tammy Blanchard are also in very strong voice. It's too bad that the developing love affair between the two lead characters, the put-upon shopkeeper Seymour (Groff) and Orin's masochistic girlfriend (Blanchard), never ignites comic sparks.
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 |
Videos