By Tom Price
the d
At least they don’t have to worry about the star being a diva. Her name is Audrey II and she is an ever-growing bloodthirsty venus fly trap plant.
The Merced Playhouse is recreating “The Little Shop of Horrors,” the popular film turned off-Broadway musical in the 1960s.
The rock-musical was originally a science-fiction spoof film released in 1960 and later reincarnated in 1986 starring Rick Moranis as Seymour.
But the Playhouse is tackling the musical, where musical director Joel Scott Shade says the script is much different.
“I did this play in Pennsylvania about
10 years ago. The musical is much darker and much funnier,” says Shade. “And the end ... well, I won’t give that away.”
He says it’s no happy ending and they will leave it at that.
The play centers around Seymour, a orphan living in Skid Row who works for a tyrant flower shop owner.
When Seymour stumbles upon a venus fly trap his life changes. He eventually discovers the plant, which he named Audrey II (after his love interest) needs blood to live.
The plant begins to grow and becomes an attraction that draws big crowds — and money — to the shop.
Seymour struggles to provide enough blood for the hungry plant and he eventually turns to murder.
The gutless Seymour is manipulated by the talking plant and by the shop owner which adopts him to assure the plant remains an attraction.
He is soon locked in a cycle of death and deception. The plant promises him anything he wants, as long as he feeds him.
“The musical is a spoof on the 1960s sci-fi and horror B flicks,” says Director Rob Hypes. “It’s also a satire on the Faust legend, which is the sell your soul to the devil story.”
Perhaps the most important figure, at least visually, in the musical is that devil character — the plant.
Set Designer Corey Strauss will be tasked with creating the plants, which will eventually grow to be 6 1/2 feet tall.
“Visually, ‘Little Shop’ is different, it’s cooky,” says Strauss. “I will be building all the plants, but we don’t know how yet.”
It’s a challenge that director Rob Hypes trusts his set crew with.
“The tech elements have to be right on with this musical,” says Hypes. “And (Strauss) is incredible.”
The voice of the murderous plant will be performed by Dennis Brown, and Seymour will be played by Keaton Williams.
The love interest, Audry, will be played by Liz Wagner.
The musical is fast-paced with doo-wop-style tunes that were popular in the 1950s and 60s.
“If you’ve ever heard the musical, there’s a lot of dance music,” says Hypes. “It’s very flavorful.”
A lot of that flavor will come from a trio of “doo-wop” girls played by Abby Sager, Dianne Kocher and Sam Narron.
The play opens Oct. 16 and tickets are on sale now at the Merced Playhouse.

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