Forty years after a hungry alien plant first took root onstage, Little Shop of Horrors remains one of the most unlikely success stories in musical theater history. The secret? Like Audrey II, Little Shop of Horrors has continued to grow, evolve, and surprise audiences for generations.
What began as a strange little musical about a florist’s assistant, a dream of a better life, and a man-eating plant has become a beloved cult classic that continues to reinvent itself for every new generation. That’s part of its magic. Its latest incarnation has been playing at the intimate Westside Theatre since 2019, and every major star seems to make a stop, bringing fresh interpretations to characters audiences already know by heart, while Alan Menken’s unforgettable score and Howard Ashman’s razor-sharp lyrics and book remain as funny, haunting, tragic, and surprisingly emotional as ever.
And then there are the songs- melodies that have become part of musical theater history (and really, American history). I dare you to find someone who doesn’t know the hopeful romance of “Suddenly, Seymour” and “Somewhere That’s Green”. These melodies graduated from musical theater lore to beloved standards, while cult favorites like “Feed Me (Git It),” “Dentist!,” “Skid Row”, and the show-stopping “Little Shop of Horrors” continue to make audiences laugh, sing along, and fall in love with the strange, twisted world of Skid Row.
A rare Off-Broadway phenomenon, Little Shop of Horrors has outlasted countless Broadway productions and grown into one of the most beloved musicals ever written. Its audience has only expanded over the decades, proving that the smallest shows can sometimes have the biggest staying power.
For our family, though, Little Shop of Horrors is much more than a show.
It’s part of our story.
A Musical That Changed Our Lives
Long before FoodFamilyTravel, before our daughter Livi was born, my husband Dan and I met while performing Little Shop of Horrors together in California.
Playing Audrey was one of my dream roles. I couldn’t wait to bring her to life on stage, and every night, singing “Somewhere That’s Green” brought me to tears. Beneath Audrey’s sweet, vulnerable exterior is a woman holding onto hope while quietly confronting the painful reality that escaping the life she knows feels almost impossible. That combination- the innocence, the hope, the longing, and the heartbreak- is what makes Audrey such an unforgettable character.
Dan played Orin, Audrey’s hilariously awful, motorcycle-riding, Elvis-obsessed dentist boyfriend- who, as fans know, suddenly goes missing… along with much of the rest of the cast after a rapidly growing alien plant arrives in Skid Row.
Some love stories begin over dinner.
Ours began with a killer plant.
Now our eight-year-old daughter regularly asks to watch videos from that production, fascinated by both the story and the fact that Mommy and Daddy first fell in love while Seymour was trying to feed everyone to Audrey II.
So when we had the opportunity to see Little Shop of Horrors where it all began- Off-Broadway in New York City- we couldn’t pass it up.
The Little Musical That Could
When Little Shop of Horrors premiered Off-Off-Broadway in 1982 before moving to the Orpheum Theatre in Manhattan’s East Village, no one could have predicted what would happen next.
Inspired by Roger Corman’s delightfully campy 1960 film, the musical quickly became a phenomenon. It ran for more than five years Off-Broadway, proving that a small production with unforgettable songs, quirky humor, and genuine heart could become one of the biggest success stories in theater history.
Then came the 1986 movie musical starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin, and Levi Stubbs as the unforgettable voice of Audrey II, introducing an entirely new generation to Seymour, Audrey, and the hungry plant from outer space.
Since 2019, the musical has found a new home at the intimate Westside Theatre, where its rotating cast of stars has become part of the experience. Jonathan Groff, Tammy Blanchard, Jeremy Jordan, Darren Criss, Corbin Bleu, Lena Hall, Jinkx Monsoon, Sarah Hyland, Andrew Barth Feldman, and many others have all brought their own interpretations to these iconic roles.
The house was packed when we visited, and audience members around us were swapping stories about the different actors they had seen take on these iconic roles over the years. Little Shop of Horrors has become the kind of show people return to again and again, always eager to experience a new interpretation.
That’s what makes this production so special.
No two visits are ever quite the same.
Our Night at the Westside Theatre
We caught the production starring Jordan Fisher as Seymour and Nikki M. James as Audrey during the final weeks of their run, which concludes July 19.
James offers a quieter, more understated Audrey than many audiences may expect. There’s a sadness beneath the surface, along with an acceptance of her circumstances that makes Audrey’s fate feel almost inevitable.
Jordan Fisher’s Seymour feels youthful and genuinely overwhelmed by the increasingly impossible situation unfolding around him. It’s clear he’s having fun with the role, bringing warmth and earnestness to a character whose life spirals hilariously and tragically out of control.
The Greek chorus of Skid Row- Ronnette, Chiffon, and Crystal- was a standout. Their powerful voices, effortless harmonies, and sharply defined personalities transformed them from narrators into essential characters within the story. They provided the perfect lens through which to experience the musical’s unique blend of comedy and tragedy, adding emotional depth and infectious energy to every scene.
But the undeniable scene-stealer of the evening was Andy Karl.
Playing Orin Scrivello- along with several of the show’s other wonderfully eccentric supporting characters- Karl commanded every entrance. His comic timing is impeccable, and every character felt completely distinct while somehow remaining larger than life. Every time he appeared, the audience erupted.
That’s saying something in a show already packed with memorable performances. Since our visit, Claybourne Elder has slipped into Orin’s leather jacket.
The production itself feels perfectly scaled for the intimate Westside Theatre. Unlike seeing the musical in a cavernous Broadway house, the smaller venue makes you feel almost like you’re inside Mushnik’s flower shop. Audrey II seems even more alive, the humor lands harder, and the audience becomes part of the experience.
Why It Still Works
It’s easy to dismiss Little Shop of Horrors as simply a campy horror comedy.
But underneath the laughs is a surprisingly timeless story about ambition, love, greed, and the dangerous temptation of taking shortcuts to success. Wrapped in one of Alan Menken’s greatest scores, the show balances comedy and genuine emotion better than almost any musical of its era.
Perhaps that’s why audiences keep returning. Every generation discovers it in its own way.
For some, it’s the movie. For others, it’s the songs or a theater production.
For us, it was where our own love story began.
And now, sharing it with our daughter- watching her laugh at the same jokes, gasp at Audrey II, and see the very show that first brought our family together- made this visit feel wonderfully full circle.
The cast continues to evolve, and that’s part of the fun. Beginning July 21, Ethan Slater steps into the role of Seymour opposite Betsy Wolfe as Audrey, offering yet another fresh chapter in the show’s remarkable Off-Broadway legacy.
After more than forty years, Little Shop of Horrors remains exactly what it has always been: weird, wildly entertaining, endlessly reinvented, and proof that sometimes the smallest shows grow into something truly extraordinary.
Just don’t feed the plants.
Christianne Klein is an Emmy® and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning TV Host, journalist, travel and lifestyle expert, and founder of FoodFamilyTravel.com. She won “Best Actress in a Musical” for her portrayal of Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors”.