Places, please for ELLE’s column Showstoppers, where theater’s biggest stars reflect upon the moment in their careers when the famous phrase “the show must go on” became a little too real. When things don’t go according to plan onstage, here’s how the pros react—and what they take away from it.
Elizabeth “Liz” Gillies is perhaps best known for two iconic television roles: Fallon Carrington on Dynasty and Jade West on Victorious. In both roles, Gillies had notable belt-your-brains-out moments. (Her “Give It Up” duet with Ariana Grande on Victorious is gay history.) Now, the actress is returning to her theatrical roots. Gillies, who made her Broadway debut in 13 with Grande in 2008, is about to wrap her five-month run as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre. She’s been the Audrey to both Milo Manheim and Graham Phillips’s Seymours, and for the actress, it has been a welcome return home.
Below, Gillies discusses the challenges of the song “Suddenly Seymour,” her favorite shows, and if she’d ever return for the Victorious reboot.
I did the show with the flu a few times, which was just sort of trippy and disorienting. The beautiful thing about this show is [that it’s] very self-aware, and obviously, it’s funny. Although there are moments of total sincerity and gravitas, it can be very irreverent. It’s fun to see where my handicaps that day take me. I’ve made the choice to do the show instead of calling out [sick]. When I’ve [gone onstage] with no voice, other parts of my performance have been stronger. It’s forced me to make different choices and not rely on a pretty vocal. One time, I went to sing high notes, and I had to talk it. It got a laugh. I’ve had fun messing around and seeing what I can get out of myself when I’m at my weakest.
“Suddenly Seymour” was my audition and karaoke song for years. After this, I won’t touch it with a 10-foot pole. It’s not that I don’t love it, it’s a gorgeous song, there’s just something about it. I’m more relaxed once it’s over. For a long time, I was completely unable to hit the high note on “condescend.” I was making a choice in the beginning to sing in head voice and get choked up over it, and now I sing it how it’s supposed to be sung—sort of—but I made a sign in the girls’ dressing room that says, “What I lack in condescend, I make up for in vibes.” It’s on our wall. So, once I’m gone, they can always remember that.
Of course, if I must call out, I totally do. We have such an incredible team of understudies. The show is never in danger. Anytime I’ve been having a really horrible day or something bad happens, I think [the show] is a lovely escape. Unlike TV, where you really have too much time to sit and think about it in green rooms, the luxury of having two hours of catharsis is unmatched. I love theater. I love it when it’s good. I love it when it’s messy. I think it’s all great, as long as the performance comes through. It’s not an opera. As long as the audience feels what they’re meant to feel, as long as they feel connected, it’s OK.
Talkback
Little Shop of Horrors has been your dream show to perform in, correct?
It’s been my dream since I saw the show in 2003. I have other Broadway shows that I love very much, but there’s really no role for me in them. It’s always been Audrey. I was nervous to reenter this space, but also I would be doing myself such a major disservice if I said no. It’s really changed my life, not in a corny way. This reminded me of how much I love theater. Going back to my roots kind of reaffirmed my passion for this business.
Why did it take you so long to get back on stage?
I’ve been a serial monogamist in TV world. I would have these really tiny gaps of not working, and then it would be two to six years on a TV show. But, my roots are honestly exclusively in musical theater and improv. I’m thankful [coming back to the theater] was kind of was like riding a bike. It’s very, very different from TV, in many ways.
Well, you’re also dealing with a live audience, as opposed to a camera. What has that experience been like?
Wonderful. It’s certainly my preference. TV and film both have their charms, but to me, the immediate response of live theater and live performing is unmatched. I love knowing if I succeeded or failed in real time. I love knowing if I moved the audience or if I fell short. I’m a glutton for punishment.
My run with Milo was incredible. He had his devout Disney fans. I had my fan base, which is primarily Nickelodeon-lore. I think the combination of the two fandoms sort of blew the roof off the Westside Theatre. Our stage doors were insane.
Now, with Graham [who previously co-starred with Gillies in 13], our stage doors are as passionate as ever. They bring their 13 playbills, which is so special. So many 13 fans have been waiting to get our final two signatures for 15 years. They’ve found everyone else. It’s been so rewarding to me, and I really can’t even put it to work into words. That’s why I wasn’t ready to leave just yet.
How is working with Graham different from working with Milo?
I had actually never heard of Milo [before this]. He had also never watched Victorious, which was surprising to me. Milo was so wonderful, and I think the youngest person I have ever played opposite against romantically, and probably the youngest friend I now have in my life. I was very surprised and impressed by him. He is so professional and talented. He’s such a star, and he played the role without any preconceived notions or any comparisons, because he wasn’t that familiar with Little Shop. I think that served him really well. He created his own iconic take on the character, he and really made his own stamp. I built my Audrey around his Seymour, because Seymour’s the lead.
Graham has been my friend for 16 years. I’ve known him since I was a child. The biggest hurdle with Graham has been that we avoided the romance and kissing of it all until the very last possible minute, because it was just too weird. Imagine having a friend for 16 years non-romantic, and then all of a sudden you have to be dying in his arms, falling in love, and kissing. Now we’re fine because we’re professionals. It feels like we’ve been working with each other consistently for the last 15 years, when really the last thing we did together was an episode of White Collar [in 2012].
Have a lot of your 13 cast mates come to the show?
We’ve had Ari, Eamon Foley is a good friend of mine, Aaron Simon Gross. I don’t know if I’m missing anybody, but we’ve had we’ve had people come in and out. One day, I’m going to track everyone down. We’re going to have some kind of 13 family reunion. We’ll have a barbecue.
The internet would go crazy.
I know. I think we should do a reunion concert, in a much smaller scale than what they did for Spring Awakening. We don’t need to get that fancy, but I do think something like that would be special.
What other parts would you love to play?
I’d love to play Hedwig [in Hedwig and the Angry Itch]. That is one of my all-time favorite shows. I’m probably not going to play Hedwig, but I would, if asked, if that was ever okay. Hair is one of my favorite musicals. I would totally play Sheila, if I can hit it all, because I am an alto. I love Sweet Charity, but I’m not a dancer. I love Ragtime, but I don’t want to be Mother. You know what I mean? In Hairspray, I’d love to be Velma von Tussle. That’s a dream role. [Annie’s] Miss Hannigan is a dream role. And I really, really, really, really, want to play Velma in Chicago. I’m not diminishing how difficult the dancing is, but that type of dancing, I think I can do it. Then, all the 60-and-over roles, which I have to wait a little longer for. If they let me in Death Becomes Her, I’d play Helen Sharp.
So, you want to do more theater?
Yes, I definitely want to do more. I have to do more. I was reminded by doing this show that this is really who I am and what I love. This is probably the most important job I’ve ever had, just because of where I am in my life.
When did you first realize you could sing?
I come from a musical family. My uncles, my aunts, my dad, my grandma, everyone sings. I was always around music. I sang in church growing up. I would cantor and do the arm movements. I would wear dresses that made no sense for church. That was my first little taste of it, and I was like, “Oh, I love it.” Then, I forced my parents to help me get an agent when I was about 10, because we lived so close to the city. Why can’t we try? I would find open calls and make them drive me. I was my own little stage mom, and I knew that I had enough to give it a shot.
Victorious is having a reboot called Hollywood Arts. Would you ever go back?
If it made sense, and I was going back with all my friends and “classmates,” I would totally consider it. I mean, Daniela [Monet] is at the helm of it, and she’s wonderful. She’s the perfect person to keep this whole legacy alive. Hopefully it’s everything our fans, and we alumni of Hollywood Arts, dream of and stand by. If I talk to the team, meaning my Victorious cast mate team, and they say so, we’re going on the show.
How does it feel to be in the last few weeks of Little Shop?
It’s trippy. I think I processed it early when Milo left, because that was sort of the end of that era, and I didn’t. I don’t think I knew at that point that I was coming back. I’ll feel it most on my first Tuesday off. This has been eight shows a week since February 25, and it’s not a long time, but it is for me. I haven’t done theater in a long time, and this has been my whole life. I made such good friends here. The people here are just incredible. I’m going to miss the girls so much, our dressing room, our gutter. We all kill cockroaches together and do TikToks. This show made me young again.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Elizabeth Gillies currently stars in Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre. Tickets can be purchased here.
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