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A carnivorous plant longing for human blood thrilled audiences this past summer as part of a Thibodaux Playhouse production.
“Little Shop of Horrors,” a musical based on the 1960 film of the same name, follows Seymour, a floral assistant who purchases a Venus flytrap-like plant and realizes that it survives on humans. He begins feeding it his own blood, and as it grows, the plant generates business for the flower shop where he works.
When his crush’s boyfriend dies, Seymour gives the body to the plant, which eventually also eats the floral shop’s owner. Seymour ultimately discovers that the plant is an alien seeking to take over Earth.
Joey Pierce, who directed the production, said he has always been a fan of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“It’s great for the music. It’s really fun just to listen to it and sing as you go home,” he said.
Pierce said that he was worried at first about logistics and filling certain roles, particularly three girls who sing throughout the show, but that he secured a strong cast and crew.
“I knew that it would be a challenge because there’s a lot that goes on with that production – building plants and learning the music,” he said, “but friends of mine who are really talented wanted to work on the show. So, it was really about me wanting to do something challenging with a great group of people.”
One of his favorite scenes was Arielle Domingue as the woman Seymour loves, Audrey, performing “Somewhere That’s Green,” in which she envisions a perfect life with Seymour. The stage show differs from the 1986 movie remake, which many fans were familiar with, Pierce said.
“The musical ends a little bit more mysteriously, a little darker than the movie,” he explained.
The 1986 film had a happy ending, with Seymour saving Audrey from the plant, destroying the bloodthirsty creature and marrying Audrey. In the musical, the plant critically injures Audrey, who asks Seymour to feed her dead body to it. He complies and is ultimately eaten when he tries to kill the plant.
Pierce said he worked in the light booth for the show, which ran from July 18-28, and witnessed positive reactions from the audience.
“When the plant moved, I think that was really surprising for people. I mean, they knew it was going to happen because they saw the movie, but actually seeing it happen in front of you is pretty shocking,” he said. “Being able to see the movie come to life … it’s just great fun.”
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Seymour (Ethan Rodrigue) tries to destroy the bloodthirsty, Venus flytrap-like Audrey II in Thibodaux Playhouse’s “Little Shop of Horrors.”
