If you grew up watching Nickelodeon or Disney Channel, then you are certainly no stranger to Liz Gillies, famously known for her role as Jade in Victorious and Fallon Carrington in Dynasty — or Milo Manheim, who played Zed in the Zombies franchise and, most recently, Wally Clark in School Spirits. These two have officially taken over Skid Row, stepping into their new roles as Audrey and Seymour in the hit off-Broadway revival of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's Little Shop of Horrors.
On Wednesday March 5, in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, the Westside Theatre opened its doors for a friends-and-family performance, followed by an intimate afterparty at Bea to celebrate Gillies, Manheim, and the rest of the fabulous Little Shop of Horrors cast and crew. So we RSVP’d yes, grabbed a camera, hopped in a cab, and made our way down to the theater to experience the show for the very first time and capture some exclusive photos of the night.
The horror-comedy musical follows a nerdy florist, Seymour, who discovers a mysterious plant that he namesAudrey II after his co-worker and crush, Audrey. However, the plant develops an unusual appetite for human blood, leading to a series of funny and scary events. It’s packed with horror, humor, romance and memorable musical numbers, and the audience certainly couldn’t get enough of Gillies and Manheim’s unmatched performances.
The afterparty at Bea was filled with friends and family who all came together to support the cast and crew. Among them were Jinkx Monsoon and Sarah Hyland, who both preceded Gillies in the role of Audrey; Victorious stars Avan Jogia and Daniella Monet; and School Spirits cast members Nick Pugliese and Miles Elliot. From a nostalgic Victorious reunion to a surprise birthday cake for Manheim, the night was nothing short of exciting.
Below, Liz Gillies tells PAPER more about her return to stage in Little Shop of Horrors.
You made your Broadway debut at 15 years old in the 2008 musical 13. What is it like being back on stage 16 years later?
I underestimated how meaningful it would be to me. That was a lifelong dream of mine and I was very lucky to experience it at 15. I got lost in TV land for a very long time, but I always knew in my heart when the right show came along, or specifically if anyone ever asked me to play Audrey, I would say yes and figure it out quickly. That’s exactly what I did. This experience has really brought me back to my roots and made me rediscover my love for doing what I do.
What was the casting process like? Was this a dream role or did it find you?
In some way I’ve been waiting for this call my whole life ever since I saw the show when I was a child for the first time. They did an availability check on me to gauge my interest almost a year ago, and I told my team to stay on it and that I would do it no matter what. So when they finally called me and offered it to me, I was over the moon.
You mentioned you first saw the show as a child. Were you a fan of Little Shop before you were cast in it?
I’m a huge fan of Little Shop, I would even go so far as to say it’s my favorite show. I grew up with the movie, but I saw the 2003 production on Broadway with Kerry Butler and Hunter Foster. Seeing that show at that age really stuck with me and had a major impact on me. It was probably that show that made me realize I wanted to be on a stage.
What does the role of Audrey mean to you?
I just love her, I think she is a deeply relatable character. She’s very strong, she’s very broken and she’s stuck in this situation that she can’t really get out of. She’s a tragic character in a lot of ways. I am so in love with her journey with Seymour, in particular, and how he makes her feel. She’s a beautiful, tragic character, but I don’t want people to feel too bad for her when I play her because I ultimately do think she is so strong and resilient. She’s unlike any other character I’ve played before.
What do you think you bring to the role of Audrey differently from other actors who’ve played her before?
It was a challenge for me to find my own way into the character, as it is for everyone who's playing a character that’s been around for a long time and has been performed by so many brilliant actors and singers. Playing Audrey in a way that felt authentic to me was my mission, and that’s what I hope I’m doing and what I think I’ve done with this role.
What was it like wearing Audrey’s costume for the first time and finally stepping into the role in real life?
That was major. I didn’t get to try on the wig until the day we did the run though in full costume, hair, makeup and lights, right before the first performance. It changed everything for me seeing her look come together for the first time. It was surreal.
Do you think Audrey and Liz would be friends in real life?
Yeah, I like to think I would be friends with all of my characters. I’d let her take me shopping, for sure. We could even go to the gutter together [laughs].
What’s it like working with Milo and the rest of the cast?
The cast is incredible. I look forward to coming to work every day. Everyone there is so genuinely kind and passionate about what they do. They all love this show so much. We do this show eight times a week and we’re always smiling. We usually watch the show from the monitor backstage and rock out to “Feed Me.” Milo, Jeremy and I started together and watching Jeremy in rehearsal was like a masterclass, he’s so fearless. I didn’t really know who Milo was before we worked together on this show, but I am just so blown away by him. He impresses me every night, his physical comedy is astounding. He’s such a talented singer and actor. I can’t say enough good things about him. I feel so lucky that he’s my Seymour.
What is your favorite moment in the show?
I have so many little things that I love that each character does, they’re almost like little quirks I’ve grown to love and look forward to every night. There’s this leap Milo does during “Sudden Changes” and it’s so cute.
This is a musical after all. What is your favorite song from the show?
This is so hard, I feel like it’s constantly changing. Oddly “The Meek Shall Inherit” is the one that’s a big ear worm to me, maybe because it has so many parts and it’s complicated and it’s very impressive the way that Milo, Jeremy and The Urchins are performing it on stage.
What makes performing on stage so special to you versus playing a role on screen?
Personally, I don’t think there is any comparison. I prefer performing live on stage in front of an audience. I like to know how the audience is feeling in real time. I play off them, especially in this show. I feel like the audience dictates the tone of the show, and it’s fun to play off of that and to acknowledge it in real time. What’s better than instant gratification or instant rejection? I adore live performing, it’s a rush you can’t get anywhere else. It’s real.
What was it like to be able to perform for friends and family on Wednesday night?
It meant the world to me. In a way it was more pressure because these are the opinions that mean the most to me, and in another way it was a very warm room because it was filled with our loved ones. I was so excited for them to finally see the show, it made me really excited to have my friends and family there. I could hear a few of their specific laughs from the stage and that really made me happy.
Some of your friends from the Victorious cast came to support you and watch the show on Wednesday night. What was that like?
Oh my god, it meant so much to me. I love them so much, it meant the world to me that they were there. We spent the whole next day walking through Central Park and getting coffee at different places because we couldn’t stop talking and hanging out and reminiscing. It’s always so exciting to hear about how everyone has grown and evolved and to hear about everyone’s success now.
If you could keep any set prop or costume from the show what would it be?
For sure the largest version of Audrey II. I would put it in the foyer of my home, so it’s the first thing you see when you walk into my house. And if a party guest is misbehaving or worse, boring me [laughs], I can just throw them in and they can be eaten [laughs].
If you could only use three words to describe the show to anyone who has not yet seen it, what would those be?
It. Is. Everything.
In some way I’ve been waiting for this call my whole life.
Photography: Vincenzo Dimino
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