Rob McClure to Play Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway

Starting July 12, two-time Tony nominee Rob McClure will step into the role of Seymour in the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre. McClure is currently nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the title role of Mrs. Doubtfire, which ended performances on May 29.

McClure takes over for Skylar Astin, who departs the production on July 3 to begin filming So Help Me Todd on CBS. In a recent interview with TheaterMania, Astin commented, "What I love most about Seymour is his heart. He has so much love to give and also wants what he can't have. I can relate to that."

A modern retelling of the Faust legend, Little Shop of Horrors is about what a man will sacrifice — not for knowledge, but love: Stuck in a dead-end job in a flower shop, Seymour Krelborn doesn't think he has much of a shot impressing the beautiful Audrey, who is in a relationship with an abusive dentist. But when he discovers a strange and unusual plant that feasts on human blood (and eventually sings) he thinks it might just be his ticket out of Skid Row.

The second stage collaboration of playwright/lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken (writers of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin), Little Shop ran off-Broadway for over five years in the 1980s, becoming a film starring Rick Moranis and original stage star Ellen Greene in 1986. It is still one of the most-produced stage musicals in the world.

The current off-Broadway cast of Little Shop of Horrors includes Tammy Blanchard (Audrey) and Tony Award-winner Christian Borle (Orin Scrivello), both of whom opened this production in 2019. They are joined by Stuart Zagnit (Mushnik), Aaron Arnell Harrington (the Voice of Audrey II), Khalifa White (Ronnette), Cristina Raé (Chiffon), and Khadija Sankoh (Crystal). The ensemble is rounded off by Eric Wright, Teddy Yudain, Josh Daniel, Michael Iannucci, Jana Djenne Jackson, and Chelsea Turbin. Michael Mayer directs.