Audrey II taking over Kennewick’s Southridge High School stage March 10

Ever since Jessica Churchill first watched Little Shop of Horrors at the age of 5, she wanted to play Audrey.

When the curtain rises Friday, the 17-year-old Southridge High School senior will have her chance.

“Being able to be part of the show itself is so exciting,” she said. “(I’m) able to be in this beautiful cast and live the story that I have watched and loved for so many years.”

The musical starts at 7 p.m. March 10-11 and 17-18 at the Southridge High School auditorium, 3520 Southridge Blvd. in Kennewick. Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $10 for adults.

Jessica’s excitement is evident throughout the cast and the school, as the students prepare for the first musical organized by the drama department in a while.

The creation of the set, the costumes and Audrey II, are part of a community effort, said Carisa Simpson, the vocal director.

The art teacher and one of her classes built the props and the four stages of Audrey II, a giant carnivorous plant. The final one is going to be set on a 4-by-6-foot base put together by the materials science teacher.

“Our sewing teacher has sewed several things and is going to help us with the costume pieces,” Simpson said.

Analiese van den Dikkenberg, the drama teacher, said the musical gives the school a chance to let people know about the theater program.

The horror rock comedy musical features the story of Seymour — played by Matt Pope, 17 — a poor, shy orphan employed at a flower shop with Audrey. He gets ahold of a mysterious plant that looks like a large Venus flytrap.

When Audrey II becomes sickly, Seymour discovers it will survive using blood. As it grows, it becomes more demanding for food.

Van den Dikkenberg’s said the iconic musical is one of her favorites. People who saw the 1986 movie version should be ready for a surprise when they make it to the end of the Southridge production.

“The play has great music, great acting, a great story. We’ve made it PG, taken out anything that is inappropriate,” Simpson said. “There is, of course, the plant eating people, but there is no blood.”

The students began preparing for the musical in December and they are excited about performing it.

“The little bit of censoring that we’ve done hasn’t taken away from the story line at all,” Churchill said.

This story was originally published March 3, 2017 at 8:42 PM with the headline "Audrey II taking over Kennewick’s Southridge High School stage March 10."