Our Upper School Troubadours recently presented a funny and heartwarming production of HONK! Jr., a delightful adaptation of the beloved fable and the award-winning musical that celebrates all the things that make us unique. This year’s performance took place outdoors on the MICDS campus with in-person audiences of family and friends.
As the story goes, Ugly looks quite a bit different from his darling duckling brothers and sisters. The other animals on the farm are quick to notice and point this out, despite his mother’s protective flapping. Feeling rather foul about himself, the little fowl finds himself on an adventure of self-discovery, all the while unknowingly outwitting a very hungry Cat. Along the way, Ugly meets a whole flock of unique characters and finds out being different is not a bad thing to be.
The set design fit perfectly with the natural backdrop of campus, and the cast and crew delivered delightful interpretations of the barnyard characters.
A few students shared their thoughts on the experience:
“This was my first experience in a production; I had never done a musical or a play before this. I got to perform with one of my best friends, who also had never been in a play, so it was really fun to act together and grow as actors with one another. There were a few challenges, such as learning the blocking and movement for the play and getting used to singing in public, but everyone was really supportive, which made it a lot easier. There’s a lot of things that I loved about this production, but I think my favorite thing was that I got to meet new people who I otherwise probably wouldn’t have interacted with very much, including some of the freshmen who were super funny and the seniors who were crazy good actors. Overall, I enjoyed my experience with HONK! Jr. and I definitely plan on working in other productions in the future!” – Jackson Chou ‘23
“It was obviously a little challenging doing a musical during these crazy times. We had to be very adaptive and were constantly on our toes. It was so exciting to finally bring people together through theatre again, and it truly is an experience I will never forget.” – Keller Goldstein ‘23
„HONK! was a great way to ease back into live performances here at MICDS. It was especially exciting to be a part of our community’s first performance since the pandemic started. It was almost as if things were back to normal! From rehearsals to shows, we were all diligent in taking into account safety precautions to keep everyone healthy, which was great. I also enjoyed experiencing taking on a lead role such as Ida because I got to challenge myself as an actor and to step up and be a leader as an upperclassman. Lastly, I really liked the new aspect of being outdoors because it almost felt like we were at the Muny! Overall, I had a great experience with the musical and am glad I got to close out my years performing at MICDS in such an unforgettable way.“ – Jaylah McMurtry ’21
Thank you, young thespians and crew, for an outstanding production in a new environment. Thanks also to Upper School Performing Arts Teachers Carolyn Hood and Patrick Huber for your guidance in getting all our ducks in a row for this unique outdoor performance!
Check out the full list of cast and crew here.
