LePetit takes audiences to a ‘Forbidden Planet’

Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne’s “boldly going where no theatre has gone before” with it’s latest production.

That’s according to “Forbidden Planet” villainess Rosanna Marcel, who plays a science officer with a mysterious past.

Director Paul Labat agrees, noting the show can best be described as a “campy sci-fi” – “a lot of good ’50s rock ‘n’ roll music, a lot of tongue-and-cheek Shakespearean dialogue and just a fun time for the whole two audiences.”

Loosely based on William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” “Forbidden Planet” unfolds after a routine flight crashes into planet D’Illyria. There, the crew, led by Captain Tempest (Doug Holloway), a square-jawed, Boys’ Own Paper hero, encounters mad scientist Dr. Prospero (Black Guidry) and his temptress daughter Miranda (Cammie Ellender), who were marooned on the planet 15 years earlier.

There’s a colorful cast of characters – Ariel the hip robot (Joshua Martin); the ship’s cook and hopeless romantic Cookie (Alex Marcel); good guy Bosun Arras (Mike Eunice); and the panic-prone navigation officer (Scott Carroll); and second officer (Lauren Erwin) – and a familiar soundtrack – “Great Balls of Fire,” “Good Vibrations,” “Monster Mash” and “The Shoop Shoop Song” are among the parodied tunes – round out this irreverent Olivier Award-winning production (for best musical).

When Tempest and his men fall for Prospero’s daughter, the good doctor’s Id – tentacles and all – take over.

“I saw this play in New Orleans a few years ago and I recommended it,” Labat said. “Everybody read it and they said, ‘This would be great! This would be fun!’ and ‘Oh, by the way, you are directing it, too.'”

Peppered with lines like “Two beeps or not two beeps? That is the question,” and “Beware, the Ids that march,” delivered in deadpan sincerity so common in spoofs, Labat said the humor will keep audiences in stitches. And the action, singing and space monsters should hold the younger play-goers’ attention.

Robyn Hornsby and Janet Owens are producing “Forbidden Planet.” Rachel Klaus is the musical director, and Nelson Bertinot is the craftsman behind the spaceship set.

Doug Holloway (Captain Tempest), Cammie Ellender (Miranda), Rosanna Marcel (the evil science officer) and Black Guidry (Dr. Prospero) rehearse a scene from “The Forbidden Planet,” a campy take on ’50s sci-fi shows.