Strings Attached

While the Cleveland Play Jouse has a long history of staging shadow puppets, marionettes and larger animated characters, it's hard to think of any as bloodthirsty as Audrey II. The potted star of Little Shop of Horrors, which runs Jan. 9-Feb. 7, goes all B-movie ravenous in the musical dripping with Motown doo-wop, the American dream and carnivorous comedy. We get the dirt on how the pint-sized Venus flytrap grows to a 9-foot tall gorger — designed by New York-based puppet maker Erik Sanko — thanks to two Hula Hoops, some bits of hose, upholstery foam and rubberized spandex.

One hundred: Total number of actors Audrey II will have eaten by closing night

3: Versions of Audrey II in the production

13: Weight, in pounds, of the man-eating plant in its final stage

3.5: Feet taller than the average actor in the play

96: Temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, inside Audrey II during performances

1: Puppeteer needed to operate the full-sized Audrey II

5: Songs performed by Audrey II 

700: Percent growth of the plant during the 102-minute play