On May 3, 2002 DLOC will introduce a wonderful new musical to Contra Costa theater aficionados. HONK, first performed in 1997 at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, U. K. was written by the famous London team of composer George Stiles and book writer and lyricist Anthony Drew. It is a musical and dance adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Ugly Duckling. It has been described as "…utterly delicious… One‘s feathers stand on end with joy." by Paul Taylor of The Independent, and "…the perfect all ages mix of simplicity and cleverness." by Maddy Costa of Time Out London. This exuberant and energy filled show won the prestigious London Lawrence Olivier Award. The 13 show run will be presented at the 297 seat Lesher Theater at the Regional Center , the same venue as the wonderful and successful Sullivan and Gilbert, presented last March by DLOC.

The story line may be the same as The Ugly Duckling, but there the resemblance stops. Stiles and Drew have added emotional content and wonderful music, which captivates both adults and children. The story focuses on the struggle of Ida, the ducklings’ mother, in her desperate search to find her wayward child, Ugly, while the nasty, evil Cat connives to make Ugly his next meal. They are joined by the other barnyard animals in a dance and song fest, which captivates both adults and children alike. Although there are multiple important moral themes throughout the production, they never take away from the fun-filled, lighthearted presentation. The script succeeds in the difficult task of entertaining children, while at the same time holding adult interest by operating at a deeper, more subtle level. The costumes are not the traditional "fur and feathers" that you might expect, but by the time you’ve settled into your seat the music, choreography, and body language of the characters draws you into their world and there is no doubt as to which animal they each portray.

Sue Ellen Nelsen, who directed our Carousel earlier this season, is joined by award winning choreographer Jeff Teague, and John Pangia, our musical director along with a multitalented cast to create the production. HONK is also the first joint production for Cheryl Yee Glass, who has been the musical director for many DLOC productions and Alice Shecter Gracer, who has worked in many capacities for DLOC in the past.

The top notch 19 member cast is led by Michele Krapp as Ida the mother, Robin Taylor as the villainous Cat, and Jasen Jeffrey as the innocent Ugly. The other barnyard characters are played by Robert Sholty, Lisa Saaz, Sophia Newton, Mark Eichorn, Greg Lynch, Leona Hoegsberg, T.J. Burnie, Meghan McGovern, Louis Graham, and John Waechter. The adorable ducklings are played by Nicki Pollack, Rachel Girty, Inna Treyger, and Ashley Burke. Michelle Delgadillo and Jennifer Thyken are featured dancers. Almost all of the cast plays multiple roles with many challenging costume changes.

DLOC chose to produce HONK because it’s new and exciting and to continue the "experiment " we started last year with Gilbert and Sullivan, utilizing the smaller Lesher stage with a smaller cast. Tickets are on Sale at the DLRCA box office now. Call 943-7469 to reserve your seats.