With its message of tolerance and wonderful charm and humor, Honk Jr. is as much a story about being different, as it is about parenting, the celebration of self, and finding love. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale of the Ugly Duckling, the original production of Honk! won an Olivier Award (the British equivalent of the Tony®) in London in 2000.

Music by GEORGE STILES. Lyrics and book by ANTHONY DREWE.
Directed by DANE PAUL ANDRES. Music Director NICKI ADAMS. Assistant Director WILLIAM HODGSON

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

SHOW TIMES
June 2 @ 2pm & 7pm
June 3 @ 12pm & 5pm

TICKETS
$15 Youth / $20 Adults
http://www.berkeleyplayhouse.org/

GROUP RATE
12 or more for same performance – 10% off all ticket types and pay no fees.
To reserve group rate: call box-office at 510-845-8542 X 351 or write boxoffice@berkeleyplayhouse.org

CAST
Honk Jr. is performed by 21 youth enrolled in Berkeley Playhouse Kidstage program (Grades 3-6) and features:

Aasha D
Alicia B
Anna G
Bella C
Donya K
Emma W
Evan F
Grace W
Graham R
Jeremy W
Jordana M
Julia P
Laura P
Lucy S
Maya E
Naomi K
Pilar B
Sammi K
Skyler W
Tanaka N
Will R

Email hanah@berkeleyplayhouse.org if you are interested in joining this exciting summer program.

Click here to find yourself and your family members on this rubric.

Here is a quick synopsis of the story.

Lucky Duck takes place once upon a time in a peculiar little kingdom filled with all sorts of animals who can talk, sing, and do complicated choreography. The kingdom is ruled by birds, and canines are second-class citizens. One day, the KING announces a contest for the best songbird in the kingdom. The homely songbird SERENA, always viewed as an odd duck by her family, is told she is not pretty enough to compete in the songbird contest (“That’s One Ugly Duck”). No-one will even listen to her sing.

One day, having had enough of the taunting, Serena follows the King and his looks-obsessed son DRAKE into the dark and forbidding forest in pursuit of a wolf that has been taking lambs from the farm, when she all of a sudden bumps  into the WOLF. Wolf lets her know that he thinks she’s ‘fine’ – he knows what it feels like to be ostracized – and when she explains she wants to be loved for her singing (“Average, Simple, Mega Superstar”), Wolf tells her he is an agent and wants to help her become a singer (“A Helping Paw”).

Suddenly Drake appears and Serena helps wolf hide. She distracts the vain Drake by telling him that there are things more important than good looks (“Too Bad You’re Not My Type”). Drake eventually discovers Wolf, but Serena saves him from arrest. After facing ridicule from her family and discovering she was adopted, Serena decides to escape the fowl days of barnyard mockery and seek her special destiny in New Duck City with Wolf (“Average, Simple, Mega Superstar: Reprise”)

After meeting the hungry coyotes CARL and CLEM, Serena is reassured by Wolf that Serena can trust him (“A Helping Paw: Reprise”) and Wolf decides to take her to Chick, the Modeling Agency. At the Chick Agency, Wolf introduces Serena to the owner GOOSETELLA who, with the help of her assistants VERBLINKA and PRIGGY as well as the fashion photographer ARMAND, helps Serena discover she is not an ugly duck, but a beautiful super-model swan (“The Look/ Embrace Your Inner Swan”).

Once she has gone through the transformation, Wolf discovers he is unable to control himself whenever Serena sings, and he reveals that he doesn’t really want to help Serena, but eat her (“Wolfiloquy”)!  He breaks Clem Coyote out of jail and the two set out to eat Serena (“Good Times”). At the Quackerdome, the songbird contest begins. Serena sings, but just as Wolf is about to eat her, the King dies from hearing Serena’s beautiful voice.

Serena is arrested, vowing never to sing again. Meanwhile, Wolf and Clem devise a plan for Serena to sing to the whole kingdom so her voice will kill all the birds and the carnivores will once again rule.

In the Palace Dungeon, Serena is visited by Goosetella and Armand, who tell her not to give up or lose hope (“Wipe the Egg Off Your Face”).

Drake and Wolf both come to rescue Serena, but she chooses to trust Wolf ,who promises her name will be cleared of all shame if she sings at the King’s Memorial Concert. At the concert, Serena discovers she was tricked and Wolf and Clem tie her up, preparing to eat her (“You Look Good Enough to Eat”).

Wolf threatens to eat Serena’s step-sisters and Drake if she doesn’t sing, so she does (“Don’t Start Playing My Swan Song”). Her voice, instead of killing everyone, makes everyone hug and love one another. The King returns, announcing that Serena is really a princess and her voice is a long lost mating call that reminds all those who hear it how to love.

Wolf, still hungry for Serena, leaps at her but, instead of eating her, kisses her. Serena confesses her love for Wolf, and the whole Kingdom lived happily ever after (“Lucky Duck”).

SOME FUN POST-SHOW DISCUSSION POINTS

1. If you’ve read Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling and now seen Lucky Duck, how is Lucky Duck different than the classic story?
2. Who is the hero of Lucky Duck? Why do you think so?
3. Describe Serena at the beginning of the story. How does Serena change over the course of the story?
4. Describe Wolf at the beginning of the story. How does Wolf change over the course of the story?
5. Who is your favorite character and why?
6. What was your favorite song, and how did it help tell each character’s story?
7. Think about the set, lighting, costumes and music used in the play. How did all of those elements work together to tell the story?
8. What makes you ”an odd duck”? How do you celebrate those things that make you different?