Helicopter Dad Judd Apatow Has Seen Maude’s Off-Broadway Debut Nine Times — And He Has Some Notes

Maude Apatow has heard the “nepo baby” whispers since landing the part of Audrey in an off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, and fans of stunt casting know that producers may be leveraging the name “Apatow” to help sell tickets. But there’s a flip side to having famous parents in the entertainment business — they can afford to buy lots of tickets themselves. 

Superfan Judd Apatow has come to see pride and joy Maude in the horror musical nine times since she began her run in early February, she recently revealed on Late Night With Seth Meyers. “And I think he’s going to come like eight more times before I finish.” Good seats are going for $210 a pop, so this helicopter dad is spending at least a few grand to hear multiple renditions of ‘Suddenly Seymour.’ And it’s not like he’s sneaking in quietly. “Everyone in the cast is like, ‘your dad’s here again,’ and I’m like, ‘ugh.’”

How exactly do we know Papa Apatow is popping for the good seats? “He sits in the same spot, like I could see him,” says Maude. “We have monitors backstage of the stage, and I can see his bald spot in the monitor when he’s there.”

Dads are so embarrassing, you guys. 

Luckily, Judd wasn’t in his usual seat the night when Maude dashed offstage, eyes adjusting to the light, and “just ran full speed into the wall.” (Meyers clarified that the wall had been there during other performances as well; somehow, Maude just missed it during that particular performance.) She suffered a concussion but finished the show anyway. With Dad not in attendance, she didn’t have to hear his advice about not running into the scenery for the matinee. 

But Judd has shared a number of pointers with Maude after each of the nine performances he’s attended so far. Does he at least tell you “good job” first, asks Meyers. Maude hesitates, perhaps still shaking off concussion symptoms, before finally nodding in the affirmative, “But he does give me notes,” she says. “He’s seen it so many times. He knows when I’m having a bummer show, for sure.” 

(For the record, Maude has received pretty good notices for her Little Shop run, such as The Mary Sue calling her performance “refreshingly fun.”) 

Will she get even better? Judd has eight more chances to find out. “That’s incredibly loving,” observes Meyers. But he’ll still be weighing in with notes? 

Maude sighs. “Lots of notes.”