Two River Theater Presents HONK, 12/6-1/1

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, announces the full cast and region-wide community events for its annual holiday show, Honk: A Musical Tale of ‘The Ugly Duckling,' an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's story with music by George Stiles and book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe.

The production is directed by Matt Pfeiffer, with music direction by Wayne Barker and choreography by Jenn Rose. Performances will begin in Two River's Rechnitz Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue, on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 and continue through Sunday, January 1, 2012. The opening night performance is Saturday, December 10 at 7pm.

Tickets for Two River's production are available from 732.345.1400 or www.trtc.org. Tickets are $25 for patrons under age 18, and ticket prices for adults start at $50. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Honk! is sponsored by OceanFirst Foundation.

Honk! won London's 2000 Olivier Award for Best Musical, beating Mamma Mia! and The Lion King. Comic and heart-warming, it is a musical to "quack" about for both children and adults, who will appreciate not only its timeless theme of acceptance, but also its witty lyrics and tuneful score.

Honk! tells the story of an odd-looking baby duck, Ugly (Paolo Montalban, the Prince in the ABC/Disney TV movie Cinderella opposite Brandy), and his quest to find his mother (Kenita R. Miller, Broadway's The Color Purple) after he is lured away from his home by a wily Cat (Doug Hara, Two River's Charlie Brown, Charlotte's Web, and A Midsummer Night's Dream). Along the way, he meets new friends, including a comical troupe of geese (Amanda Butterbaugh, Aymee Garcia, and Jim Newman) and an ebullient bullfrog (Michael Genet). His adventures lead him to meet his true love, Penny (Olivia Oguma)-and to discover the joy of being different!

The company also features four children as Ugly's duckling siblings: Laura Diorio, 13, Owen Doherty, 12, Julian Sarin, 8, and Gabriella Scerbo, 11. All four live locally and auditioned for the production as part of an "open call" for younger performers from around Monmouth County.
Says Artistic Director John Dias, "The Ugly Duckling-the basis of Honk!-is one of my favorite stories. It's for anyone who has ever felt different, for any reason. This wonderful retelling has charm and heart, plus a witty, terrific score. Honk! calls to mind some of the American theater's greatest musicals, and we have an extraordinary company of great Broadway performers to bring it to life. And, I'm delighted to have Matt Pfeiffer back to direct his third holiday production, an important tradition at this theater."