Interview: From Kinky Boots to Killer Plants- Joey Taranto Heads to Cleveland for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS!

Squeals of delight and blood-curdling screams of fright fill Cleveland Play House's Allen Theatre, and that's partially due to Joey Taranto. The Centennial Season continues with a humorous and heartfelt production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (now through February 7), led by Ari Butler (Seymour), Lauren Molina (Audrey), and Taranto as the dentist with a mean-streak, Orin, as well as other various roles.

A native of New Orleans, Taranto most recently appeared in the original production of Kinky Boots on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include: Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark and Rock of Ages. He checked in with BroadwayWorld right after opening night and you can check out the full interview below!

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How's it been going since opening night?

It's really A LOT of fun! Kind of a dream come true because I get to play nine different characters and one of the main characters, Orin. I get payed to be a real creep, so that's fun.

What an awesome role. It's really one of the most ridiculous roles in musical theater...

It's a blast. It's a little bit like whiplash. Some of his characters are so quick. You are in and out and you have to very quickly, literally, step into that character's shoes and then get out of those and step into the next persons. It's a fun challenge.

And you're coming from KINKY BOOTS, so this must be a nice change!

It is. It's funny because in this business, once you play a drag queen, it takes a while for people to not see you as a drag queen, you know? I started off playing Drew in Rock of Ages and I got to play a bunch of fun characters in Spider-Man, then Kinky Boots I played a lady and that seemed to be the one that stayed on people's minds. [Laughs]

You clearly made an impression as that lady.

Well, when you are wearing 6-inch heals and you're 7-feet tall, it's hard not to leave a mark on people!

Have you always been a fan of Little Shop? Has this been a dream role for you?

Well, I saw the movie when I was a kid and I had to sneak to watch it because I'm a minister's kid and my parents were very strict with what we watched. I remember going into my room and sneaking and watching the movie and thinking how weird it was and awesome. It's really hysterical. The idea of an alien plant that comes here and eats people and finds clueless jerks to feed him human beings... it's a hysterical premise. Over the years I had people say to me, "You'd be a really good Dentist." I didn't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult because Orin is a real asshole. It's totally a dream though. I feel like I've been given a gift. I have been known in this business as more of a singer and this has given me the opportunity to really let people see what I can do as an actor. It's really a gift more than anything.

Did you happen to see the Encores! concert last summer?

I did! My friend Craig Zadan called me and was like 'I have an extra ticket. Do you want to come see this?' And I was like, 'Absolutely I want to see it!' I loved it. I thought it was great! I could not get over how much chemistry Ellen [Greene] and Jake [Gyllenhaal] had! Eddie Cooper, who was Audrey II in that, is playing the voice of Audrey II in our company here! He's so talented and SO good!

Your whole cast really! What's it like working with them?

It's been A LOT of fun! Ari Butler, who plays Seymour, is my dressing roommate and he's just a dream to share a room with because we can chill and pump each other up for the show. He's just so good in the role. Lauren Molina and I have been reunited because we did Rock of Ages together six years ago. She's so talented too. It's lovely to watch them work and see their process. They are fun to be around and the girls playing the Urchins are just SO talented. It's crazy!

Are you liking Cleveland so far? Did you guys rehearse there or did you just get there?

We had been rehearsing in Cleveland and we got really spoiled because the first few weeks we were here it was actually quite warm. The locals kept telling us, "This is not how it's going to be. Don't get too comfortable. It's going to drop." And sure enough, when it dropped, it DROPPED and not like it's hot! It has been freezing. It snowed all day yesterday, but you know getting to do this show, it's worth it. People here are so nice, but then again I think that when a cashier at a grocery store asks me how I am, I'm like "Wow! You're so nice!"

I totally understand what you mean! It's a different culture in New York.

It's true! I grew up in New Orleans, I'm a minister's kid and Sunday mornings, you go to Church and it was part of my job to go to everybody and ask how they were. In the South, you know the grocery cashiers' names and I've been in NYC for a while, so it's easy to slip out of that, but once you go back home it's easy to get back into it.

When this run is over, are you right back to NYC?

I sure am right back to NYC! Pilot season is coming up, so we'll see how I fair with that. I'm dying to book my 4th Broadway show!

I'm sure #4 will fall into your lap.

I feel very optimistic and the great thing about doing this show is that if I can do nine characters in this show, I can do anything, dang it!

Set in a flower shop on Skid Row, Seymour is a nerdy floral clerk with a knack for plants, but not much else. However, one peculiar plant he's tending might just be his ticket to fame, fortune - and the girl of his dreams. There's only one teeny - but 'growing' - problem: This plant has an unquenchable thirst for the red stuff (type O, A, or B... he's not picky). Mixing Motown, B-movies, and The American Dream, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is the screamingly funny, out-of-this-world hit musical featuring indelible songs like "Skid Row (Downtown)," "Somewhere That's Green," and "Suddenly, Seymour."

The Creative Team includes HOWARD ASHMAN (Playwright), ALAN MENKEN (Composer), AMANDA DEHNERT (Director/Musical Director/Choreographer), JUDE SANDY (Assistant Director).

The LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Design Team features PHILIP WITCOMB (Scenic Designer), MELISSA TORCHIA (Costume Designer), BRIAN GALE (Lighting Designer), JOSH HORVATH (Sound Designer), PHANTOM LIMB (Puppet Design), WIGS AND WHISKERS (Wig Design).

For tickets, visit: http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com