Menken is joined by the stellar cast of the current off-Broadway revival, which swept the Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Drama League Awards for Best Musical Revival. They perform a joyful medley of five earworm-filled tunes from the cult classic. Over the course of the tiny concert, Menken shares anecdotes about collaborating with the show's late lyricist Howard Ashman. It's obvious how much they loved working together hearing him reminisce.
It may come as a surprise when the composer sits down at the piano to sing "Somewhere That's Green," one of the most iconic songs usually performed by the show's female lead. It's a melody he admits you might recognize from The Little Mermaid. "This is one of the first songs Howard and I wrote for Little Shop,'' Menken explains. "It's kind of the classic 'I want' song, a phrase that Howard [Ashman] would use a lot, especially when we would talk endlessly about our Disney movies. ... When we wrote 'Part of Your World' we actually jokingly called it 'Somewhere That's Wet.'" Good artists copy; great artists steal (from themselves, if they're smart).
The joy the cast shares while performing these wonderful songs with their composer is palpable. If you find yourself planning a trip to New York, do yourself a favor and book tickets to this heartfelt production, which should run at the Westside Theatre for a long time to come.
SET LIST
"Skid Row (Downtown)"
"Feed Me (Git It!)"
"Somewhere That's Green"
"Dentist!"
"Suddenly Seymour"
MUSICIANS
MUSIC BY: Alan Menken
LYRICS BY: Howard Ashman
CAST
Conrad Ricamora
Tammy Blanchard
Christian Borle
Aaron Arnell Harrington
Stuart Zagnit
Tatiana Lofton
Cristina Raé
Khadija Sankoh
BAND
Alan Menken: piano, vocals
Will Van Dyke: piano
Dena Tauriello: drums
Nate Brown: guitar
Mark Verdino: bass
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