Elizabeth Gillies Was a Little Shop ‘Super Fan,’ Now She’s Starring in the Hit Revival. She has reunited with her 13 co-star, Graham Phillips, in the long-running production at the Westside Theatre.
The hit production of the Alan Menken and Howard Ashman cult classic reunites the actress, who portrayed Fallon Carrington in the Netflix series Dynasty, with her 13 co-star Graham Phillips, now cast as the nerdy plant-shop worker Seymour. Both will continue working at Mushnik’s Flower Shop through July 25.
Gillies rose to fame as Jade West on the Nickelodeon series Victorious and subsequently sang alongside Denis Leary in the FX comedy Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. She is also a musician
with two records to her name, alongside longtime friend and collaborator
Seth MacFarlane, with two new singles released in 2024.
In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get
Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians,
and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is
live theatre—the self-proclaimed Little Shop super fan shares how she found her own interpretation of Audrey and why returning to the theatre has renewed her passion for acting.
Elizabeth Gillies in Little Shop of Horrors Emilio Madrid
Where did you train/study? Elizabeth Gillies: I took acting, singing, and dancing lessons somewhat consistently throughout my childhood, but my training wasn’t very extensive. Paper Mill Playhouse’s summer intensive and one two-week summer session at the Lee Strasberg Institute were probably the most formative ones for me. Even so, both were brief and I was a pre-teen. I started working professionally around 12, so being on set and on stage at a young age ended up being the best training for me. Although, I probably should’ve studied more.
Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
I studied with Alice Spivak for a little while when I was a teen; I really liked her. She was very straightforward, very real. I think she was the first and only acting coach I ever really connected with.
This production of Little Shop features a somewhat different take on the character of Audrey. How would you describe your Audrey? Audrey has been a dream role of mine ever since I was introduced to the show as a kid. As I got older and grew to know myself better, I had the thought that I might be too strong to play her unless I decided to do somewhat of an impression, which I was open to doing before I sat down with this creative team. They didn’t want a caricature. They just wanted it to feel honest to the show and honest to me. I made the decision to lean into that, and now I feel my strength has become an asset. She has to be strong. I’m such a Little Shop super fan that I would’ve been happy to do an Ellen Greene impression if that’s what would’ve made the fans happiest, but I’m glad they steered me away from that. I’m proud of where I landed, and I’m happy that I got to put my stamp on it.
Do you have a favorite moment in the show for Audrey? What makes that particularly special? “Somewhere That’s Green” all the way through the scene where she’s talking in the flower shop with Seymour is probably my favorite little chunk of the show. I love “Somewhere That’s Green.” It always gets me, even now after I’ve done it a million times. The scene with Seymour in the flower shop that follows is so sweet and nuanced and special. It’s the only time the two of them get to have a nice, normal conversation in the entire show. I think that’s why it’s so important. To see them relaxed and connecting is such a nice breather for the audience, especially knowing their fate in the end. It’s just very sweet. And yes, I know that “Closed for Renovation” is stuck in the middle of those two scenes…I do like that one, too. It’s good cardio.
Elizabeth Gillies and Graham Phillips in Little Shop of Horrors Michaelah Reynolds
You and Graham Phillips are reuniting after both making your Broadway debuts in 13. What’s it like sharing the stage with him now? It’s surreal! We’ve been joking that as trippy as it is to be sharing the stage again after all these years, we’ve actually slipped into this quite easily. We’ve found our rhythm, and it’s wonderful to have a shorthand. Fifteen years of friendship adds a nice layer. I’m so thankful he agreed to do it.
Do you have any dream stage roles and/or actors you would like to work with? Yes. So many stage actors I’d love to work with, probably too many to name. I’ve always loved Christopher Sieber. Obsessed with Jennifer Simard. In awe of Audra McDonald…big fan of Will Swenson’s, too, ever since I saw Hair. Oh, speaking of Hair–that’s one of my all-time favorites, I’d love to play Sheila. I’ll also have to play Velma in Chicago at some point. And Maureen in Rent. Hedwig is a big dream of mine, although I’m not sure that’ll ever happen. Miss Hannigan and Velma Von Tussle are also on my list, but I might have to wait a minute on those. Or not! I feel my age range is roughly 25-50, so I’m ready to go!
Tell me about a time you almost gave up but didn’t. I’m not sure I’d call it “giving up,” but after Dynasty ended its very long run, I had such intense burn out that I convinced myself I wanted to spend my days growing vegetables and forget about acting all together. I really lost my love for it just because I had been going so hard for five years. I started to feel more like a machine than a person, let alone an actor, and I think I forgot why I got into this business in the first place. Doing theatre again and getting back to my roots brought me back. I’m eternally grateful to this Little Shop for that.
What do you consider your big break? The obvious answer would be Victorious, but I never would’ve gotten Victorious if I hadn’t done 13, so in many ways it was 13 the Musical.
Is there a person or people you most respect in your field and why? I have such tremendous respect for the swings on our show. Swings are just incredible. I’m so impressed by their work ethic and how much information they’re able to retain and how many tracks they can shuffle around in their brain. They’re always ready to go at a moment’s notice. It’s incredible. Doesn’t get harder or more impressive to me.
What is your proudest achievement as an actor? Coming back to the stage and being in this production. I’m very grateful to be here.
Graphic by Vi Dang
