Entertainment

A barnyard fable full of song and whimsy

Richey Suncoast Theatre presents Honk! - a musical based on The Ugly Duckling.

By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published May 6, 2005

The Richey Suncoast Theatre travels to fairy tale land for its upcoming show , Honk!, a musical based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Ugly Duckling.

The whimsical story of a big, gawky swan whose egg accidentally was placed in the nest of a small mother duck is filled with warm-hearted fun and serious lessons in tolerance and love.

"It's quite humorous," said Marie Skelton, who is directing the show. "To see someone up there playing a duck or a hen with all those characteristics - the walk, the talk - is really funny."

The cast of 57 includes 30 kids dressed as fish and baby frogs populating the pond where Ugly and his family live. The lead characters are all played by adults.

"This appeals to everyone," Ms. Skelton said. "Anyone age 5 or older will enjoy it, and well-behaved children as young as 3 can come."

All cast members are dressed as barnyard animals, with the males in overalls and the females in frilly skirts, with headpieces and makeup like ducks, chickens, cats, frogs, geese and swans. The humans in the story never appear on stage; instead, their voices are heard from offstage.

The show has been produced in the United States and England and was awarded the 2000 Olivier for best new musical. It's about two hours long.

In it, the Drake (Chip Wichmanowski, A Pasco Christmas) and his wife Ida (Lynn Yarbrough, nun in Fear of Filing) are awaiting the hatching of four beautiful blue eggs and one big, unattractive brown one. The blue eggs hatch, and Drake proudly marches Billy (Austin Ciliberti), Downey (Sandrinne Edstrom), Fluff (Tate Quinones) and Beaky (Hannah Hall) down to the pond for a swim. Ida stays with the brown egg, which finally hatches with a loud, flat, "Honk!" Ida is at first taken aback, then embraces Ugly (Steve Ailing, Once Upon a Mattress) in a motherly hug.

Unfortunately, Ugly's siblings and father make fun of him. Grace (Dolores Connolly), the queen of the barnyard, simply ignores him. Shunned and unhappy, Ugly is led away by the conniving Cat (Jonathan Tietz, Rusty Charley, Guys and Dolls; Tin Woodman in Wizard of Oz), who wants Ugly for dinner - literally.

Ida is frantic about her lost offspring, and, of course, the television cameras show up with Maggie Pie, the TV personality (Ereka Passarella), to focus on the inconsolable Ida.

Ugly escapes from Cat and then meets the strong and stern Greylag, the gander (Keith Surplus) and his wife, Dot (Ada Morinelli); encounters two spoiled house pets, Queenie the cat (Rajan Quinn) and Lowbutt, a pet hen (Meaghan Jameson); and finally stumbles upon the most beautiful creature he has even seen, Penny the swan (Jesslyn Kostopoulos, Dorothy in Wizard of Oz).

Ugly falls in love, but it is not to be - not yet, anyway. He still has more tests to endure and more narrow escapes before it all comes together.

The show is filled with meaningful songs like Hold Your Head Up High, Different, Every Tear a Mother Cries, Wild Goose Chase, It Takes All Sorts, Together and Warts and All.

"It's almost like an operetta, with more singing than dialogue," Ms. Skelton said. "But I was lucky at auditions that we got some wonderful voices. The chorus is just great."

Leading the chorus and seven-piece orchestra is Clifton Bonney (Cowardly Lion in Wizard). Playing trumpet is Dan Maxwell (Daddy Warbucks in Annie; the King in The King and I).

Making costumes were Deborah Wichmanowski and Ms. Skelton.

"We dress the geese in old-fashioned aviator outfits with goggles," Ms. Skelton said. "The ducks and chickens have orange and yellow legs."

WHAT: The musical fable Honk!

WHERE: Richey Suncoast Theatre, 6237 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey

WHEN: Thursdays and weekends through May 29

TICKETS: $15 adults, $8 ages 12 and younger. Box office is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and an hour before each show. Call (727) 842-6777.

[Last modified May 6, 2005, 00:38:16]