Color Purple’s Patrice Covington to Play Audrey II in Little Shop | Playbill

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Regional News Color Purple’s Patrice Covington to Play Audrey II in Little Shop The Fulton Opera House production will open this fall.
Patrice Covington

In a break from tradition, director Marc Robin has cast a woman to play Audrey II in The Fulton Opera House production of Little Shop of Horrors this fall. The plant, which is typically a puppet voiced by a male actor, will be played by The Color Purple’s Patrice Covington.

The popular Alan Menken and Howard Ashman musical is set to play September 19–October 15 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

“I have never heard of such a thing! A woman playing the plant! It was a quick ‘Yes!‘ for me, when Marc asked me to do this,“ Covington told Playbill. “I'm here for all the changes, openness to receive them, and diversity.“

Last summer, a Berkshire Theatre Group production of Little Shop of Horrors featured Prince of Broadway star Bryonha Parham as the voice of Audrey II, with lip-syncing Drag Queen, Taurean Everett, performing onstage as the actual plant.

A 2014 production at the Hangar Theatre also starred a woman as Audrey II, played by Isabel Santiago, with direction by Jen Waldman.

Based on the 1960s cult horror film, Little Shop of Horrors follows a down-on-his-luck plant-shop worker who buys and nourishes a Venus fly trap-like plant, named after his beloved co-worker Audrey. The plant ultimately grows big enough to devour everything in its path.

For more information on the Fulton Opera House production, visit Thefulton.org.

Flip through photos of Jake Gyllenhaal and Ellen Greene in the New York City Center revival of Little Shop:

See Jake Gyllenhaal and Ellen Greene in Action! Onstage Pics From City Center's Little Shop

 
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