Andrew Barth Feldman and Sarah Hyland take final bows on the Westside stage

By Savannah Milam

This past summer I had the experience of a lifetime when I got to see Andrew Barth Feldman and Sarah Hyland as Seymour and Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.” I’m not even exaggerating when I say that this was probably the best night of my life.

“Little Shop of Horrors” is the first musical that I can remember seeing, and my dad was in it in high school, so it’s always been a show that’s near to my heart. So when I discovered that I would be in New York City when Andrew Barth Feldman was playing Seymour, I immediately knew that it was a show I wanted to see.

Andrew Barth Feldman first received acclaim when he won the Jimmy Awards in 2019. From there, he was cast as Evan Hansen in “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway when he was just 16 years old. Since then he’s been in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” starred alongside Jennifer Lawrence in “No Hard Feelings” and has written and performed his own show “Park Map.” Ever since I watched Feldman sing “I Love Betsy” from the musical “Honeymoon in Las Vegas” at the Jimmys, I was a huge fan, so, having the opportunity to see him live was a literal dream come true. Casting Feldman as Seymour was a genius move. He was born to portray this role. Feldman was so funny and sweet, and watching him was like watching a legend be created in front of my eyes.

Sarah Hyland is most known for portraying the character Haley Dunphy on the show “Modern Family.” However, I first saw her as Dylan Schoenfield in the Disney Channel movie “Geek Charming.” Her performance as Audrey in “Little Shop” was nothing short of amazing. She did a spectacular job at portraying the longing that Audrey feels throughout the film and her voice was truly spectacular. This was a surprise performance for me. I had never heard her sing before and didn’t realize what she was capable of. But, man, Hyland can sing. Her rendition of “Somewhere That’s Green” (arguably my favorite song in the show) brought the house down.

When I found out that Feldman and Hyland would no longer be Seymour and Audrey as of Sept. 29, I felt disappointed, but grateful. I’m grateful that I got to witness their talent in person in a show that means a lot to me, but I’m disappointed that there are so many people that won’t get this experience.

While I am sad to see both of them take their final bows on the Westside stage, I, and I’m sure the rest of the people gifted with the experience of seeing them perform live, will be waiting with bated breath to see what these stars accomplish next.