I'm currently about to audition for my high school production of Little Shop of Horrors and there has been something bothering me. My director says that Audrey 2 can be played by a man or a woman. Now, I know that theater is blind on sexes and races but honestly I don't feel right about this. You see, I also went to see a past show of Little Shop my director had directed and the plant was played by a girl. All I can say is that it was unbarable to sit through. The girl had some lack of energy in her voice and I didn't feel the character in full honesty. I'm hoping that same problem wont arise in this next production but I've been noticing a lot of girls at my school are going for this part. This is my question. I know it's possible and can be allowed but does a girls voice sound right to the role of Audrey 2? If so, I believe the female actor has to have a voice quality that sounds seductive but also threatening at times. I'd say a woman with a fantastic voice, definitely can be pulled off. Still, it is odd when at the end of the show the plant makes sexual induendos to Audrey which makes it sort of a kinky thing. Please, give me your opinion on this subject. Thank you. Also, if my director somehow found out this web page and this thread,....sorry.

As long as the soul is there, gender will not matter!

Hey there!
When we did it at my high school, we too had a female play Audrey 2- and I didn't agree with it then either. Like you said about the previous time you saw it, our "voice" lacked energy and soul. I argued that it ruined the chemistry between Audrey and the plant as well, since I played Audrey. But I have to agree with the previous post- if the female has soul, it's possible... but I would definitely prefer a male. BUT, if you want to do the show, and the director decides to cast a girl as Audrey 2, all you have left is to grit your teeth and bear it, right? Good luck!
~Erin

Thank you. And also, it's break a leg not good........

My bad- break a leg. I think when I was typing it, I was thinking more Good luck in reference to the audition...but break a leg with that too
~Erin

Well, good news guys. Auditions have passed and parts have been posted. I've been honered the part as Mr. Mushnik but most importantly, one of our great male singers got the part as Audrey II. Trust me, he is good. As a matter of fact, he's the only southern public school student in the south to be a part of the New York all male choir. So, it all turned out for the best.

YAY!!! That's great news! Congratulations on the casting and break a leg
~Erin

not to sound prejiduce or nething..lol..but i think the best way an Audrey 2 is played by a woman is if it is a black woman..like Queen Latifah..

I think that it could be a POWERFUL girl or a GREAT guy.
Whatever it is, they must have the energy in the voice to carry the show.

Audrey II is asexual, so gender shouldn't matter. There are even times in the film version where Levi Stubbs sounds sort of feminine.

Personally, I think a completely feminine Audrey II would be an interesting twist, giving the plant a sexy seductress personality.

The plant is referred to by other characters in the feminine, and it is named after the female lead in the show; so I think the scene in which the plant gets lewd with Audrey is more about being lewd than sexual, as plant+girl=kinky no matter how you look at it.

And how about Jennifer Holliday as the plant?

...Why exactly did you make a poll if you were only going to put one option on it? That's kind of pointless.

As for male or female, I've never heard a female play Audrey 2 before, but I was talking to someone once who saw a showing with a female Audrey 2. They said that they thought it worked better with a female than a male. I guess it just depends. If the girl has the right vibe to her, I think she can pull off Audrey 2 well.