Still on Skid Row, Ethan Slater Keeps Seymour on West 43rd Street
With T.R. Knight out, the Wicked actor has stayed on at the Westside Theatre past his planned exit, now opposite Tony nominee Hannah Cruz
Ethan Slater is still playing Seymour in the Off-Broadway Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre on West 43rd Street, after T.R. Knight withdrew from taking over the part and Slater extended a run that was set to end October 25.
This week the shop has a new Audrey. The florist is the same.
Hannah Cruz, a Tony nominee, took over as Audrey on Tuesday, October 27, succeeding Betsy Wolfe. That was the night Knight, the Grey's Anatomy actor, was due to start as Seymour. On October 22 Playbill reported he would not join the company, and that Slater would stay. No new end date has been announced, and no reason was given.
What Did Knight and the Producers Say?
Very little. In a statement Knight said he celebrates "the magical legacy created by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken," Broadway.com reports, and he wished Cruz and the company well.
The producers kept it short too. "We're sorry that T.R. won't be making his debut on Skid Row, and we all wish him the very best on his upcoming projects," they said, according to Playbill.
This week the shop has a new Audrey. The florist is the same.
How Long Has Slater Been Seymour?
Since July 21, when he and Wolfe took over from Jordan Fisher and Nikki M. James, Playbill reported at the time. By our count, July 21 to today, Sunday, November 1, is 103 days. The planned exit on October 25 would have come at 96, so every night since is overtime.
The new pairing went on television before it went many rounds onstage. The cast sang a medley on ABC's Good Morning America, and on October 30 Playbill posted the clip. Wanda, Birdsong and Bryant opened with the Prologue. Then Slater and Christian McQueen, the voice of the plant Audrey II, did "Feed Me (Git It)," the number where the plant stops asking politely.
Slater played Boq in the Wicked films and earned a Tony nomination as SpongeBob on Broadway. Last season he co-wrote and starred in Marcel on the Train at Classic Stage Company, Broadway.com notes.
Who Else Is in the Cast?
Claybourne Elder plays the dentist, Orin Scrivello. Stephen DeRosa is Mushnik. Christine Wanda, Savannah Lee Birdsong and Morgan Ashley Bryant are Ronnette, Crystal and Chiffon. The ensemble includes Noel MacNeal, among others. Michael Mayer directs, with choreography by Ellenore Scott and sets by Julian Crouch. Will Van Dyke is music supervisor, orchestrator and arranger, and the puppets come from Monkey Boys Productions. Howard Ashman wrote the book and lyrics and Alan Menken the music.
The revival opened October 17, 2019, shut in March 2020 for the pandemic and came back September 21, 2021, according to Playbill. Playbill has called it the longest-running production in the show's history. Its Seymours have included Jonathan Groff, who opened it opposite Tammy Blanchard and is headed back to Broadway in The Amish Project. Other leads in this run have included Darren Criss, Sarah Hyland, Andrew Barth Feldman and Jinkx Monsoon, who Playbill notes was the first drag queen to play Audrey in a major production.
What to Know Before You Go
The Westside Theatre Upstairs is at 407 West 43rd Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, according to the production's site. The show runs two hours with one 15-minute intermission. A digital lottery sells $45 seats two days ahead, and the box office is open Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. It is recommended for ages 5 and up.
On West 43rd Street the plant always wants more. For now it gets more of the same Seymour.
