THE LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE YOUTH THEATRE PRESENTS
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN’S CHARMING FAMILY MUSICAL:
HONK!
A Musical Tale of ‘The Ugly Duckling’
Book & Lyrics by ANTHONY DREWE
Music by George Stiles
Directed by Donna Inglima
Musical Direction by DIANE KING VANN
Limited Engagement opens Friday, March 31 at The Laguna Playhouse!
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA - March 2, 2006 - The Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre presents Hans Christian Andersen’s charming family musical HONK!, with book & lyrics by Anthony Drew, music by George Stiles. Directed by Donna Inglima with musical direction by Diane King Vann and choreography by Ellen Prince; HONK! opens Friday, March 31 at 7:30pm and continues through Sunday, April 9 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.
Hans Christian Andersen’s tale comes to life in this charming musical, which received the 2000 Olivier Award for Best New Musical in London. It is the story of Ugly, whose odd, gawky looks instantly incite prejudice from his family and neighbors. Separated from the farm and pursued by a hungry Cat, Ugly must find his way home. Along his rollicking and harrowing journey, he not only discovers his true beauty and glorious destiny, but also finds love and acceptance in all its forms.
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM
Anthony Drewe (Book and Lyrics) and George Stiles (Composer) As a team, multi-award winning writers Stiles and Drewe have established an international reputation for their musical scores, revues and cabaret songs. Their collective musical success has led to their working with such luminaries as Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Steven Spielberg. Their work has been performed all across the UK, the USA, Canada, Europe, Israel, Russia, Singapore, and South Africa.
They have written four musicals together: Tutankhamun, Just So (an MTI licensed musical, winner of the 1985 Vivian Ellis Prize, nominated "Best Musical" and "Most Promising Newcomers in the 1990 London Critics Awards), the wildly successful Honk! (an MTI licensed Musical, Winner Best Musical of 2000 Olivier Award, Winner FNB VITA Awards in South Africa), and Peter Pan (Winner of "Best Song" and "Orchestra’s Award" at the 1996 International Musical of the Year in Denmark).
They have also collaborated on the revues Warts and All and Naval Fluff and Other Trivial Pursuits, contributed songs to RSC’s Shakespeare Revue, The Mercury Workshop Musical Revue and Dame Edna Everage’s Look at Me When I’m Talking To You as well as a variety of other theatre, TV and radio shows. George and Anthony are founder members of The Mercury Workshop and are actively involved with the Vivian Ellis Foundation for New Musicals. They are currently working on two new musicals together.
Donna Inglima (Director) is the Director of Youth Theatre, Education and Outreach for The Laguna Playhouse. She joined the staff as Producer and Director of THEATEREACH, a TYA touring program and Education Director in 1998. She’s written & directed three adaptations of California core literature books By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman, (co-authored with Joe Lauderdale and Mark Turnbull, The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare, and Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell, that are in their eighth year of touring. Selected directing credits include: Spinning Into Butter, by Rebecca Gilman, The Good Times Are Killing Me by Linda Barry, The Homecoming by Earl Hamner, Jr., Blue Window by Craig Lucas, The Quiltmaker’s Gift, Book by Alan J. Prewitt, Music by Craig Bohmler, Lyrics by Steven Mark Kohn, Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Kling & Kevin Henkes, Ramona Quimby by Len Jenkins and last year, she wrote and directed the world premier of Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser.
Donna is former faculty at Syracuse University Drama Department, Utica, and LeMoyne Colleges, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, and Director of the Apprentice Program at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. She’s been directing, teaching and acting for over 25 years. Her first experience with theatre for youth was when she founded Animal Crackers Unlimited Theatre Co. in upstate New York in 1979 where she directed over fifty original adult and youth productions. Donna is a member of SSDC and Actor’s Equity Association.
The Laguna Playhouse cast of HONK! features: Christian Marriner, Silvie Zamora, Terry Christopher, David Cramer, Meredith Hubbard, Claire Day, Lauren Brody-Stewart, Beth Chapman, Christopher Spencer, Cecily Gish, Nicolas Leighton (Laguna Beach), Ryan Morris (Codo de Caza), Karina Parker (Laguna Beach), Sophia Tupy (Laguna Beach), Symphony Barth (Laguna Niguel), Jeremy Canter (Aliso Viejo), Marissa Van Malderen (Mission Viejo), Taylor Hickok (Irvine), Vikky Hogan (Trabuco Canyon), Marissa Lowry (Lake Forest) and Jasmin Van Malderen (Mission Viejo).
The Set Designer for HONK! is Wally Huntoon. The Lighting Design is by Lonnie Alcaraz. The Costume Design is by Dwight Richard Odle and Sound Design is by David Edwards. The Honorary Producers for HONK! are Hal & Joni Brice.
Youth Theatre Season
Since its early days, The Laguna Playhouse recognized the value of offering plays for young audiences in its Laguna Beach theatre. In the 1980s, what had been a sporadic history of producing children’s theatre was transformed into a formal program called The Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre. The current program offers a two play subscription series primarily aimed at children of elementary & middle school age of existing plays or musicals based upon well-known, popular books or stories, but occasionally including new stage adaptations of such source material commissioned by the Playhouse. Single ticket programs include: Evenings of Improvisation and a yearly presentation of an issue oriented play for teens and parents entitled Theatre for A New Generation.
What makes the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre Season unique in the region: the plays are directed and designed by theatre professionals and are fully-mounted with the Playhouse’s technical resources. The staff for each production is drawn principally from the Playhouse’s Youth Conservatory Program. Open casting is “age-appropriate,” which means that young people play young people in the plays. The content of the plays is typically similar to G-rated or PG-rated films.
Tickets are now on sale. For tickets, please call the Laguna Playhouse Box Office at 949-497-2787.
GROUP SALES CALL 949.460-8676
VISIT: www.LagunaPlayhouse.com
THEATRE: 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California
For press comps or interviews, please contact David Elzer
at DEMAND PR - 818-508-1754 or ElzerD@aol.com.
HONK! Performance & Ticket Information:
Ticket Prices:
Adults $20
Children $16
Regular Performances
March 31 - April 9:
Fridays, 7:30 pm
Saturdays, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm,
Sundays, 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm
