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Christian Youth Theater presents 'Honk!' in Huntley

When spring in the barnyard sets chicks to chirping, hens to cackling, and ducks to quacking, an obnoxious honk from Mother Duck's nest sets the stage for a hilarious romp through a classic childhood tale.

A lively musical sendup of “The Ugly Duckling,” by Hans Christian Andersen, “Honk!” opens the 2010-2011 season of Christian Youth Theater, McHenry County, this weekend and continues into November.

The show is staged on a whimsically designed set at Huntley High School Performing Arts Center, 13719 Harmony Rd., Huntley.

Director Sara Lance, who started with CYT 14 years ago as a performer, happily chose the award-winning show by Anthony Drewe and George Stiles for its fun and buoyancy. In 2000, “Honk!” was the Olivier Award winner for Best New Musical at London's Royal National Theatre, topping even “The Lion King” and “Mamma Mia!”

Lance isn't at all surprised by the accolades.

“The musical was written literally for every type of audience,” she said. “The writers were just genius in how they wrote it.”

Adults will catch subtle comedy in the script, “but at the same time the whole show is written on a children's level,” Lance said. “And the main character, Ugly, is awkward and goofy, but it speaks to everyone in how he finds within himself that strength of confidence of ‘who I am.'”

Partly punny (Duckling: “What's Mama laid?” Father duck: “It's a sort of orange preserve often found on toast.”) and partly egg-cellent comedy (a flight attendant routine before a flock of geese takes wing), “Honk!” keeps the lucky ducks in the audience laughing.

It's a colorful, animated production that moves quickly with toe-tapping song and dance, including a Charleston performed by a couple of love-struck cats.

But there's a poignancy, too, as Ugly becomes hopelessly lost looking for home, and the barnyard community comes to realize how hard they've been on him.

“I just love the characters,” Lance said, “because each of them have an emotional journey that they go through, especially Ugly.”

Playing Ugly fulfills a longtime dream for actor Matt Silar, a 17-year-old freshman at Judson University in Elgin. Silar appeared in a smaller role in “Honk!” when he was 10 and hoped he could someday portray the gangly, good-natured bird of a different feather.

“This is going to sound like a cliche, but it's true,” Silar said. “I think that it's an awesome experience for me that I get to say that being different is OK. Being a guy in theater isn't always looked on as cool, but who I am in theater and who I am in God are two of the most important things to me.”

Lauren Menzer and Andrew Trotter also have leading roles as Ugly's faithful mother, Ida, and his worst enemy, the Cat.

Lance said she can't wait to put the cast of 61 on stage. Many have multiple roles as fish and geese or frogs and other animals, and she didn't have to cut anyone who auditioned.

“They know what they're doing,” she said. “Just the right amount of kids showed up with the perfect kind of talent for this show.”

Costuming is creatively simple, with the different barnyard species represented by color rather than elaborate get-ups. The cats wear gray and black, and ducklings sport yellow baseball caps and knickers with orange stockings. A gaggle of goggled geese dress all in white with brown aviator scarves.

Lance and music director Sarah Portz put their own spin on “Honk!” with this production.

“We kind of put a Vaudeville twist on it,” Lance said, “so a lot of our choreography and music is from the 1920s.”

Parents help bring the production to life, but Lance also has relied heavily on assistant director Mike Heidemann, choreographer Tina Bergquist, and intern director Brittany Eder.

“When people hear that we're doing ‘Honk!' it may seem too childish or silly,” Silar said. “But the show's written so well that even though the characters are animals, they have personalities that a lot of people can relate to.

“It's so much more than the story of the ugly duckling.”

Performances are set for Oct. 29 Nov. 6, and tickets are $9-$14. For details, see cytchicago.org or call (847) 516-2298.

If you go

<p>What: Christian Youth Theater McHenry County's production of “Honk!”

When: 7 p.m. Fridays, Oct. 29 and Nov. 5; 2 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 7; 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6</p>

<p>Where: Huntley High School Performing Arts Center, 13719 Harmony Road, Huntley</p>

<p>Tickets: $12 in advance or $14 at the door (adults), $9 in advance or $11 at the door (children 2-17 and seniors 62 and older), and $9 in advance or $11 at the door for all tickets at the Family Day performance at 2 p.m. Oct. 30.</p>

<p>Details: (847) 516-2298; cytchicago.org.</p>