In the first season of Euphoria, Lexi Howard was reduced to a background character in the more chaotic lives of her friends and family. Breakthrough character Lexi, played by Maude Apatow, finally takes the spotlight in Season 2, delivering the most polished musical in high school drama history.
The ever-shy Lexi unleashes her inner tyrant as she insults the crew and directs the production with hilariously terrifying precision. While Apatow was never more excited than he was when he starred in high school productions of Cabaret and Into the Woods, those experiences certainly will Tell Lexi’s arc. “I kind of got our showrunners thinking Lexi was a drama kid who took her craft too seriously,” Apatow told Vogue. “It was definitely inspired by me being a musical theater fan, I freaked out a lot of people in high school!”
Apatow can trace her love of theater to a Shows: Little Shop of Horrors. When she was in first grade, her neighbor starred in a children’s musical and would play ’60’s doo-wop-inspired cast recording. Apatow fell in love and immediately downloaded it to her iPod Nano, listening to “Suddenly, Seymour” and “Somewhere That’s Green” on an endless loop. When her filmmaker father, Judd Apatow, was filming a project in North Carolina, she made her official by showing the family a local production of Little Shop. Opened my eyes and saw the magic of drama.
“I’ve always been fascinated by musical theater because it introduced me to the whole genre,” she said. “When I heard that I had the opportunity to send my materials to audition for the role of Audrey, it seemed too good to be true.”
Apatow starring in Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theater through April 2. Tickets can be purchased here.
Photo: Emilio Madrid
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