The cast of Little Shop of Horrors performs a Tiny Desk (home) concert.

The cast of Little Shop of Horrors performs a Tiny Desk (home) concert. / Little Shop of Horrors

Credit: Little Shop of Horrors

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.

Composer Alan Menken beams with pride as he introduces the Little Shop of Horrors Tiny Desk (home) concert. May 6, 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the show's first production. 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

CREDITS

  • Video: Philip Atlas, Harry McFann, Kayhl Cooper 
  • Audio: Frank Wolf, Ben Fusel, Spencer Dennis
  • Music Director: Will Van Dyke
  • Orchestrations & Arrangements: Will Van Dyke
  • Staging: Michael Mayer & Austin Regan
  • Production Services: Vivacity Media Group
  • Video Production: SpotCo
  • Special Thanks: Rob Ahrens, Hunter Arnold, Tom Kirdhay,  Live Wire Theatrical, Michael Aarons, Leslie Papa, Whitney Holden Gore, Macy Sullivan, Maura Consedine, Tyler Talmage, Maddox Martin, Molly Seidel 

TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producer: Josh Rogosin
  • Video Producer: Michael Zamora
  • Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
  • Animation: Kaz Fantone
  • Art Direction: Nicole Werbeck
  • Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Bobby Carter, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Ashley Pointer
  • VP, NPR Music: Keith Jenkins
  • Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

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Tags: Series: Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts  Series: Tiny Desk