Little Shop of Horrors: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
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- Опубліковано 10 тра 2024
- 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.
Josh Rogosin | May 6, 2022
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
#NPRMusic # TinyDesk #LittleShopOfHorrors
the VOICES on the actresses playing Ronette, Crystal and Chiffon!! Those opening notes were a revelation!!! and their energy shines bright!
The look of pure amazement from Conrad at 1:08 is so relatable. He is all of us. What a voice!
They ate !!!
Goosebumps! Omg...they're remarkable
I loved their delivery of “Who wants their teeth done by the Marquis de Sade?”
I've done the show as Chiffon. They have the hardest parts, because they're in almost every number.
Can we get a little bit of love for Aaron Arnell Harrington - love the character he give to Audrey II, plus his voice is magnificent!
It sucks that in the stage production you wouldn't see his facial expressions!
I really thought his performance was incredible!
He sounds so much like Levi Stubbs, (RIP). It gave me chills.
Not only a great voice, but he’s also so beautiful. 😍♥️
He is AMAZING!
Christian Borle coming in with the most beautifully unhinged energy
His performance in the show through every SINGLE character defines unhinged 😍😭
Always
He’s the best!
this here man could be portraying a trash can and would still make me feel some type of way, the TALENT
His performance in this show was INCREDIBLE
Christian during Dentist! is pure chaos, but Tammy behind him giggling the whole time just made it so much better. 😂
"Here he is, girls, the leader of the plaque." had me cracking up. You can't help but be entertained by the show.
I actually appreciate that it isn't chaotic. They're not just silly voices; he's making references.
The way he sung "somewhere that's green" was so touching
Really was. The gifts those two men gave us.... The modern fathers of millennial musicals. Imagine he misses him everyday.
i'm not crying you're crying :,)
The most beautiful song ever written about white flight.
I choked up.
Word I can’t wait to go see it
The way the guy playing Seymour acts through his singing is something else. There's a delicate, subtle touch to it that stands out. Also in love with the look of respect and admiration he gives when other cast members are singing. Guy playing Audrey has just the best facial expressions and body language. I love the energy of the woman in the leather jacket, she seems very bright and bubbly. She's adorable.
Christian is such an amazing performer. He was fully in character even just standing with a microphone
I have only recently entered my Christian Borle phase but the way he inhabits whatever character he is playing is so good
@@clairecohen3178 to me, he's not a phase, he has become my life.
CB is just great in whatever he does
I know it’s 2022 and all, but I am still delighted when I see a female drummer. Y’all killed it. What a nice treat this Friday morning.
Well, check out Beth Goodfellow with John Turner playing Mary-Ann. She is something else!
so true!!
I just can’t stop rewatching that video!!! She was absolutely outstanding. Josh’s travel videos have been such a delight!
Check out The Altons. Trust me.
@@patrickTHEceliac oh no hahaha
I love how everyone’s just beaming in the background watching each other’s songs. It’s so heartwarming. I love these people.
Every single person looks like they feel lucky to be in that company. Their respect for each other is so palpable and soul warming.
There isn’t enough Conrad Ricamora appreciation in the comments, so I’m just here to say that he did a remarkable and wonderful job!
Conrad Ricamoranis
Oliver!!!!
Agreed! He's fantastic here. I only knew him from HTGAWM. I'm gonna start following him now.
He really does embody Seymour I think. It's great.
he’s amazing in Fire Island too!!!
Song Timestamps:
0:59 Skid Row (Downtown)
5:45 Feed Me (Git It!)
9:49 Somewhere That’s Green
14:06 Dentist!
17:21 Suddenly Seymour
This is for rewatching, please listen to Alan Menken’s sweet introductions/stories for each song if you haven’t! :)
Not all heroes wear capes❤
Thank you I was wondering if they were gonna sing suddenly seymour
I love you
Thank you for your service
@@GabbyAbby the chapters are in the description. You can click on each song
Seeing Alan perform somewhere thats green- wow. Powerful doesnt even explain.
Yesss! He did an amazing job!!! 👏👏👏
He talks about Howard like he is still alive- bc he is. He lives on in his music. And alan gets to deliver him that way. Ugh watching it i was speechless
@@liv-bv3pl Right! I always get teary when he talks about Howard.
Right?!?! I mean, this does not happen every day. So touching! ❤️
@@MarthaGarvey Yeah, I was watching in a very dusty room.
everyone (including the band) was amazing but in particular: the singers for Audrey II and the trio of crystal, ronnette, chiffon knocked it OUTTTTT, absolute SLAYAGEE
also christian borle always slays
Seems to be a trend lol
I love Tiny Desk and the cast but I really want to point out the mentions of Howard Ashman. He was amazing and his ideas on musical theatre were so important (see any Sideways video on musicals for more). He died tragically and so I'm so glad Menken really cherishes his memory and keeps it alive.
And they dropped this so close to his birthday!
Ashman was just getting better & better. His magnum opus was also his last project, and I'm just thinking of how many more masterpieces he could've given us...
Rest in peace, lovely Howard. We owe you a lot.
There's a documentary about him o Disney+, I would recommend it for anyone who hasn't seen it.
@@taliaherron2356 really?! i'll watch now! good timing thank you edit: just finished it, highly reccomend, touches on what i was on about!!
I watched a really great documentary called "Harold" about his life and career on Disney plus and l highly recommend it if you can find it somewhere.
HA. I should scrolled through your replies. I just saw someone else already mentioned that doc! Whoops!
Christian borle is hilarious, he does comedy roles so well (thinking about something rotten)
Agreed - his energy is just infectious, and he does melodramatic so well!
I loved him in that show but he’s even better in this.
YES! That show is way too underrated! Christian borle needs to star as Shakespeare in a film version! I would direct for free. Not that my skills would be worth anything, at least I’d have a front row seat.
Who ISNT thinking about something rotten 👀
Fred Armisen looks so young and fit. Never knew he could sing.
lol
Took me a minute....🤣
OK THANK YOU I'm so glad someone else sees it
So special to have Alan Menken tell the story behind making the songs.
I love everyone just grinning and giggling during Dentist.
When I was a kid, I loved the song Skid Row (Downtown) because it was a great song. Now that I've spent a lifetime in poverty, it's a tearjerker. What a great performance. Wish I could see this show in person.
Im right there with u bubbah
I was just thinking the same thing. I'm literally wiping tears away as I write this. If we ever meet at Schmendrick's, the drink's on me.
sending you love. you’ve got this
Hits different when you understand it. All of the feels...
How the Black singers have carried this musical since its inception, WHOOOO! Kinda wish they had used the cast from the remake at Pasadena Playhouse, but I'm grateful for this revival :)
I had the honor of seeing the Pasadena Playhouse cast and also hoped they'd fix it up and bring it to Broadway. These guys are great, but it doesn't feel like they're pushing the show forward
@@isharaj-silverman2411 same here, it was incredible and inclusive and felt like it aged with the times! And I personally think MJ Rodriguez and George Salazar are stronger singers than the folks who are playing Audrey and Seymour on this one
Yep, the Pasadena version was great.
I think it's intentional. There's an irony that written into it. The 3 main characters are suppose to be terrible
Please preach. Basically the entire harmonic base/comedic element comes from black actors and actresses as well as vocalists.
I know so many people hate when musicals are made into movies, but I LOVED this one growing up. It definitely made me want to see the actual show
They cast it really well.
I love that Alan Menken sang "Somewhere That's Green". It was so heartfelt and the whole time you could tell he was thinking of Howard Ashman and it think that's so beautiful
That song get's me crying, every time I hear it
This is wonderful. Never thought I would need a Tiny Desk performance of Little Shop of Horrors but apparently, I did need it in my life.
I'm bawling tears of pure joy right now. I'll be forty in exactly two weeks and just realized that The Little Mermaid and Little Shop were two of my best friends during an abusive and lonely childhood. Thank you could never express my gratitude for this art.
Hope life is good for you now ❤️❤️
girl i’m your age… yes Little Shop, wayne’s world, little mermaid, i get it
Oh gosh, this, 💜💜💜💜 … and I’ll never forget the feeling the moment I noticed how Part Of Your World and Somewhere That’s Green sound so similar at the end!?😃🥹🥰… and thank you for sharing something so emotionally open and relatable x✨💛
I fell in love instantly with Aaron Armell Harrington. His face and his voice carried the whole song and has TONS of personality, and just only by standing on the same place!
Alan Menken's performance of somewhere that's green is unbelievably beautiful but the absolute class of Tammy Blanchard being the one to defer her big number on such a massive platform.
It was incredibly classy to give up her solo-but I'd argue that Suddenly Seymour is Audrey's big number 🥰
My bet is it was maybe a decision made due to her being sick. She seemed really sick. Had a tissue in her hand, really stuffy, red nose.
This show is so funny omg. I went in blind not knowing the story at all and I was laughing hysterically through the finale and then for at least three blocks after.
SAME
The fondness he talks about Howard Ashman warms my heart. RIP
This is one of the few musicals where every single song is extremely good. Lovely to see Alan Menken he has made so many gems. Thank you Tiny Desk you made my day.
This is a eulogy for Howard as it is a celebration of the new cast such a haunting moment I hope we get to keep this forever
Aaron as Audrey 2 gets ALLLLL of my YAAASSSSS!!!!! Baby the way he felt that "crave" down in his soul! And can we PLEASE appreciate these BOMB Black women who are also absolutely killing it!!! Definitely giving me everything I need!
I really never wanted this to end. We NEED more musical casts.
The way the cast looks on as each other performs is amazing. They absolutely adore each other and the brilliance of Alan Menken.
Audrey II killing it! And Seymour just embodies the character beautifully. The street urchins got the power baby
Feed Me was so fun and fascinating to watch because you never get to see the Audrey II actor actually physically act the role. Aaron did such a wonderful job embodying Audrey II through his physicality.
I wasn't expecting Alan Menken himself to sing Somewhere That's Green, beautifully done!
Genuinely SHOCKED that this is Aaron's first off/Broadway show! He's so talented I looked him up, certain I was just uninformed and he must be some massive Tony winning star. Well, soon to be I'm sure, with a voice and chops like that!
He IS AMAZING I just did the same not understanding how he is not EVERYWHERE🎉
he looks pretty young
@@marspowr he's 44! He's just got such a youthful vibe to him
@@meganross5041He's definitely not 44! He's still in his 20's!
I've come back to this clip about 10 times since I first saw it on the 21st. Something about the vulnerability of Alan Menken's grief over Howard's death - still present with him after 30 years, speaks to me. I lost my dear friend and Broadway buddy over COVID and have leaned out of Broadway since then. It's like Alan is inviting me back -- yes there is grief and pain here, but look at all the beauty and magic too. And dear god, would my friend have loved Christian Borle's interpretation of Dentist! To you, Cat and to you, Howard. Sing us sweet melodies until we meet again.
the actor singing for Audrey II was amazing!
All Hail Menken and Ashman…for giving us defining musical storytelling of generations.
i turned this on as background music while at work and then alan menken started talking about howard ashman and singing "somewhere that's green" and now i'm crying in the office
My 15 year old son is going to absolutely love this. This is one of his favorites. For Christmas he wanted the soundtrack. We also got him the movie. He just made a puppet of Audrey II. Thanks for this unusual and super special Tiny desk.
He's got great taste!
That's adorable and wonderful.
The cast is literately in awe of each other, while they are performing. So cute!! Tammy was so wrapped in Aaron's delivery beginning at 6:35
Did anyone else get chills listening to this?
Aaron reminded me so much of Levi Stubbs ((and I totally was going "Come on, boy!" "Lighten up!" "Tell it to the *marines* !" at that one part. IYKYK.)) and it was such a blast from the past!
Thanks, y'all!
"Tell it to the Marines.", is one of my favorite lines!
Conrad Ricamora is such an underrated talent!
He is!!
Did you see him in Fire Island?
@@Megan80 He's in that? Well it just moved further up my to-watch list, thanks for letting me know!
Alan Menken singing “Somewhere Thats Green”, does it get any better than that? Wow… 😪😪😪
Alan Menken talking so lovingly about Howard Ashman really gets me 🥺
How Alan Menken keeps talking about Howard Ashman with such emotion to make sure credit goes to where credit is due 😭 Howard will never see how long his music has endured and how it'll be with people forever.
CRYSTAL, CHIFFON AND RHONETTE ARE ABSOLUTELY MAJESTIC.
I literally grew up on this musical and watched it constantly throughout the years.. i love some of the new musical/ character choices.. my hardest acceptance is anything other than Ellen Green's expression of Audrey. I'm enjoying what I'm seeing though
I got to see this in January and omg it was so fun! Totally worth it! I also grew up watching the movie, My cousin and I use to fight over who got to sing what parts haha
It's an excellent musical. Actually the musical precedes the movie.
First world problems. 😉
I have the same struggle. Ellen Greene singing Suddenly Seymour on Johnny Carson is still one of my fav performances of all time. She is Audrey. Just perfection.
Ellen Green is such a legend, ranks up there with Liza Minnelli in Cabaret for me as one of the best musical performances ever. I’m glad this Audrey is clearly making very different character choices but her voice - while terrific - isn’t quite up to Green’s impossibly high standard. With this part, it’s not fair, but you can’t help but compare everyone to her. Especially at a Broadway level.
This cast is phenomenal! The blend/harmonies with "Crystal, Ronnette & Chiffon" was truly amazing!! Great job ladies!!!
This is my favorite tiny desk concert of all time. Conrad is my fave Seymour :’)
Yep, dude is killin it with his Seymour.
I love Conrad so much, but Jonathan Groff will forever be my favorite Seymour
Anyone else start bawling the moment Alan Menken began singing? ❤️😢
The love Alan has for this show is so pure
the sheer charisma this cast has is INSANE it makes me smile so much
to have alan menken perform like that, i am shaking
You can still see just how impacted Alan is from the loss of Howard - such an amazing partnership, they worked so well together.
I woke up today without knowing it was going to be a great day because of this. And this version of "Feed me?", it's giving me life for days
This musical has been driven by the 3 Urchins for years. Black women are amazing and These young women here are incredible vocalists
Christian Borle is unbelievable! The way he sang, "bash in it's head" was elite. You saw the psychotic side of Orin Scrivello DDS.
LOVE THIS REVIVAL! I saw it a few weeks ago and met Christina Rae after the show. She was so sweet and sincere (and can sing boots the house down). My future husband, Conrad was also incredible. Audrey II is officially my favorite villains I JUST LOVE LITTLE SHOP!
Ah Christian Borle, the man of fun voices that vibe perfectly with the given character
I AM LEGITIMATELY CRYING. LIKE BALLING MY EYES OUT. this is my all time favorite musical ever & never would've thought there would be a tiny desk of this. THANK YOU THIS IS AMAZING. pleaseeee please please do more musicals 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
This is one of my all-time favorite musical scores. My siblings and I grew up watching the movie with Rick Moranis. When I was 20, I went to Manhattan and it helped me to visualize the story so much more. I can only hope that everyone watching this made it to somewhere that's green.
Having the Little Shop of Horror as a Tiny Desk its such a Tiny Disk to do
The Menken performance! Unexpected and wonderful!
I love hearing an acoustic version of Suddenly Seymour! It's so wholesome and genuine!
Alan Menken is so precious! I really love how NPR went the extra mile and included him.
Couldn’t stop smiling, even when Suddenly Seymour made me cry. Such a gift.
I have been waiting for a chance to see Christian Borle as Orin!! THank you!!!! A friend of mine just came back from seeing this show. THANK YOU! We need more!
i had the absolute privilege of seeing christian live in this role and that man is so phenomenal i really don’t have words for how talented he is or how incredible his stage presence and energy is
Saw this show in November last year with almost this entire cast, except Jeremy Jordan was playing Seymour and they all absolutely murdered! Glad other get to enjoy a small part of it here in UA-cam
Saw it in December with Jeremy. So good. This was a delight to see, too.
Man. I lost a friend recently who loved these songs and we would sing them together. Miss him. Thanks NPR
Sorry for your loss sending love 💕
I absolutely needed this this morning! I used to think that Skid Row was the saddest song, but I couldn't help but smile watching this. Great cast!
This is amazing. I grew up with the Rick Moranis remake movie and this music still has a place in my heart. Brings back great memories.
Conrad dancing during skid row is the cutest thing ever 😍😍😍😍
The first musical I ever saw and have been in love with musicals ever since. This popping up in my alerts is truly an "Audrey 2 sighting" moment forreal lol lol. Bringing a few tears of happiness to my eyes at this hour. Thx NPR!!
OMG what a pleasant surprise this Tiny Desk is!! And with Alan Menken!
I LOVEEE HOW EVERYONE GOT INTO CHARACTER!!!! THIS IS THE BEST!! NPR, DO MORE MUSIC FROM ALL MOVIES!!😃😃
What a beautiful cast! I'd love to see more Tiny Desk Broadway.
I’ve done this show and know it like the back of my hand, but that new arrangement of Suddenly Seymour made me feel like I heard it for the first time!
Oh wow wow wow! I cried at the introduction, then laughter and tears flowed all covered by a huge grin. 40 years! Little Shop will always be timeless, always relevant, and always in my heart. Thank you for bringing it to the world 💚💚💚
Big ups and RIP Levi Stubbs. His baritone was everything
I will always have a soft spot for the way the woman who portrayed Audrey in the movie sang suddenly Seymour, chills everytime so I am biased. That said, these guys all gave me chills in their own way, amazingly well done.
Howard Ashman (Z"L) was the reason I can remember that the sun sets in the west.
conrad ricamora is the perfect seymour, i was so blessed to see him perform in this revival
Alan Menken is an absolute legend, and all his work is great. This one has stayed with me since childhood though.
I've never seen this show but I LOVE musicals, and the cast sounds AMAZING. Look at my sistas go! OMG!!! And the main guy with glasses is ADORABLE AND HE CAN SANG!! and The passion and love comming from every SINGLE one of them!! I HAVE to see this show!!
You need to watch it with Tisha Campbell & Tichina
Arnold
literally crying at this PLEASE do more musical casts
this was one of THE BEST tiny desk concerts I've ever watched... and I'm just about to rewatch it again!
hearing Menken sing Somewhere that's Green was really really special!!! wow
There’s absolutely nothing better than watching artists admire each other like this
So good! Particularly the back-up singers and the guy doing the plant. It's tough with Audrey though because I just can't picture her as anyone but Ellen Green, and her voice in Suddenly Seymour is just too iconic.
Tammy watching everyone else performing is the best. She truly loves it.
I saw the original production on my very first trip to NYC. How can it have been 40 years ago. Wonderful performances then and now. Also a big shout out to the Pasadena Playhouse production which was absolutely terrific.
Aaron Arnell Harrington!!!! Standing ovation, what a voice!
My parents took me to the off broadway production when i was a kid, in the 80's. And the '86 motion picture soundtrack was one of the first cassettes I personally owned as a kid. These songs are VERY dear to me. And this cast absolutely CRUSHED them!!! What an amazingly talented group of performers; band...singers...all of them. What phenomenal performances!!!
I listened to this in my home studio and was absolutely blown away. It felt like the cast members really put all their heart into these characters and their songs.
I want to give a special shout to the production team behind this - I was really impressed with the home concert setup and the mix sounded great. Major props on production quality 💖
Didn’t know I needed to hear Alan sing , Somewhere that’s Green,
Oh my gosh this makes me so happy and I love the casting of Christian.