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Thibodaux Playhouse tempts audiences to scream with laughter with the cult horror-comedy musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” featuring catchy tunes and an exotic R&B-singing plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood.
“I volunteered to direct this show because it is a really great piece,” director Joey Pierce said. “I knew from the beginning that we would have a great cast just because a show like this draws people in, and so I was really excited to see what would happen. We actually got really lucky with all these talented people who showed up to do it.”
This campy, pop-rock, musical spoof, based on the low-budget 1960s film of the same name, features Seymour, a well-meaning florist’s clerk who buys and raises a Venus fly trap-like plant. He names the plant Audrey II after his co-worker and the love of his life, Audrey. Audrey is dating a sadistic dentist who treats her poorly, and Seymour longs to steal her heart.
Seymour realizes the plant requires a diet of fresh blood in order to survive, so he starts by giving the plant his own blood in exchange for fame, fortune and love. When people begin to disappear, it becomes clear that Audrey II craves much more than the few drops Seymour has been providing.
Audrey II grows to be angry, rude and unstoppable, tempting Seymour to feed its growing appetite for humans. The plant ultimately reveals itself as an alien threatening the human race’s very existence.
Pierce says the challenge about “Little Shop of Horrors” is truly bringing Audrey II to life. The plant goes through four separate life stages, continually growing and becoming hungrier.
“We have these giant plant puppets that are used for this show so there is excitement because it will be visually stunning, but there is still the nerve of how exactly will this work,” Pierce said.
Pierce also says audiences who have seen the movie version of “Little Shop of Horrors” are in for a surprise ending.
“The stage show ends differently,” Pierce says. “Even if they have seen the movie there is still something else coming that they won’t know about.”
Ethan Rodrigue, playing Seymour, said he is excited to finally be able to put a show like this on stage.
“I feel like this ismusic that my friends and I always sung in the car, and it’s fun to actually be able to finally do the show for something that we’ve known the music to for so long,” Rodrigue says.
“Little Shop of Horrors” features ‘60s-style doo-wop music and popular tunes such as “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Suddenly Seymour” and “Skid Row.”
Ariel Domingue, playing Audrey, said the music is really what brings “Little Shop of Horrors” to another level.
“I love how it’s so campy and there are these beautiful group numbers,” Domingue says. “It’s also very dramatic with a good story plot and romance.”
The story is told musically by a group of street urchins with Ronette, Chiffon and Crystal played by Ivanna Brooks, Kariyonte Williams and Dillon Hughes, respectively.
Hughes, also playing Audrey II, agreed that the music and director have set the show apart.
“The music is by one of my favorite composers, Alan Menken,” Hughes said. “I also really like working with our director, Joey (Pierce).”
Curran Latas also plays multiple characters in this production.
“I have quite a few characters,” Latas said. “My favorite is Orin. He’s the sadistic dentist who is dating Audrey at the beginning of the show and he treats her really badly. It’s an interesting character, and it’s really fun and exciting to play him. I also love the music and how the show is free to make fun of itself in its own way It’s a really fun show to do. I’ve done a lot of really sad, dramatic things in the past. This one is a nice change.”
The cast agreed that the true benefit of putting on a wonderful show is also getting the chance to work with their friends again.
“I love being back with all of my friends again for the summer,” Domingue says.
– kami@gumboguide.com
Seymour (Ethan Rodrigue) speaks with Audrey (Ariel Domingue) while Chiffon (Kariyonte Williams), Crystal (Dillon Hughes) and Ronette (Ivanna Brooks) look on.
