The latest version of "Audrey II", created by Marty Robinson, who was responsible for the original puppets in "Little Shop of Horrors" off-Broadway in 19820 , is currently touring the country in a good quality road show version of the revival that recently ran on Broadway. While the cast is first-rate, there aren't any big names so guess who becomes the star of the show. The producers this time out clearly learned a few things from the movie musical, which was directed by Frank Oz, but fortunately concentrated on doing a bang-up version of the musical, with its powerful dystopian ending. Originally, Audrey II was operated by one puppeteer from beginning to end using muscle power. That approach, which grows from a mouth puppet operated from below to a five foot diameter "clamshell" with puppeteer sitting inside, can still be rented incidentally. This time however there's a squad of three and technological support. And Robinson, who's a longtime core performer on "Sesame Street", part of the faculty for the annual Eugene O'Neill Puppetry Conference and an accomplished sculptor, gets to really show his puppet-making genius with the help of the Muppet shop in the City.
Watched from the second row, manipulation by Michael Latini, Paul McGinnis, and Marc Petrosino was precise and effective, with various subtle touches not possible with one puppeteer. All three have extensive experience in New York; Petrosino worked the show on Broadway; Latini helped build the puppets. The first active Audrey II is simply a mouth puppet sitting on the counter operated by a puppeteer from below. No major surprises, but a nice flexible design. Half-grown Audrey in the pot, operated from inside, now has lip control and movable roots and vines requiring an extra operator, The plant was voiced by Michael James Leslie from the Broadway production; his performance is very precise as well. There also appeared to be video feeds so he could see the stage and more importantly, the operators could see him performing offstage. Synchronization was excellent. Cameras also allow the operator of the largest Audrey II to see the live performers if necessary.
Big Audrey II is more than eight feet high--about the size of a VW beetle--and mounted on something like a teeter-totter with the ability to swivel to the the side. McGinniss, who functions as a counterbalance, is at the controls with very lttle mechanical assist. The puppet can rise about three feet up and really open wide. In its final growth, a large root to one side has a puppeteer inside, forming a "hand" to grab Audrey 1. From the look of the design, there might have been thought of another such "costume" on the other side as well. The visible effect that Audrey II keeps growing throughout the show, taking over the set, is a real improvement. The final enhancement, which emulates the rather atrocious special effect at the end of the original B Picture--which wasn't really done Off-Broadway--is to have the "eaten" members of the cast appear costumed as tendrils from the main plant. From all its spoofing of B -Grade paranoid '50s sci-fi movies, "Little Shop..." is really musically quite intelligent, requiring vocal agility and good ensemble skills, since the cast is still quite small. It is by Ashman and Menken after all. Only the puppeteers don't have to sing.