Honk!, a heartwarming family-friendly musical comedy, will be staged by Back Alley Musicals April 20-23. It is a delightful, full-length musical adaptation of one of the most beloved fables of all time, Hans Christian Anderson’s The Ugly Duckling. It is for adults and children alike. A baby swan named “Ugly” looks quite a bit different from his duckling siblings, a fact not lost on the other barnyard animals.
Honk! follows Ugly on his journey of self-discovery in a tale that also incorporates a message of tolerance. Honk! is written for a broader audience and has more songs than the well-known junior version, which is for younger audiences. Costuming will entertain all ages.
Ugly’s (Austin Adams) parents, Drake and Ida, are played by husband and wife, Tony and Ronda Rodgers. Residents of the barnyard aren’t always kind and supportive of Ugly, but the ducklings and froglets are adorable none the less. (Among the barnyard “children” is the Rodger’s granddaughter Callie Rodgers, which has been fun for the real-life family.)
The cast includes:
- Ugly – Austin Adams;
- Cat – Preston Middleton;
- Drake – Tony Rodgers;
- Greylag – Caleb Wiggins;
- Barnacles – Isaac Adkins;
- Turkey/Bullfrog – Thomas Smith;
- Father Swan – Jared Dockery;
- Ida – Ronda Rodgers;
- Lowbutt/Dot – Kennedy McCollam;
- Maureen – Loré Renner North;
- Snowy – Anna Kate Schertzinger;
- Henrietta/Queenie – Alisa Hamilton;
- Mother Swan/Grace – Chelsea Payne;
- Pinkfoot – Bodie Moore;
- Penny – Katherine “Katie” Garrett;
- Jay Bird – Sadie Eve Harvey;
- Floor Manager – Lyric Payne;
- Camera Operator – Abby North;
- Beaky/Froglet – Dylan McCollam;
- Downy/Froglet – Adelyn Lee;
- Billie/Froglet – Callie Rodgers;
- andFluff/Froglet – Luke Reddy.
Ron Waite is director and Jordan Blake Key and Dennis Jewett are co-music directors. Stage Manager is Kevin Brown. Music is by George Stiles. Lyrics and book are by Anthony Drewe.
The production runs April 20-23 in the Jody Berry Theatre, RiverPark Center.
Evening performances on Thursday through Saturday nights will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees will be at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students plus $3.75 RPC handling charges per ticket. For tickets, contact the RiverPark Center Box Office at (270) 687-2770 or online at riverparkcenter.org.
