HONK! A MUSICAL TALE OF THE UGLY DUCKLING Submission - Two River Theater Company Auditions

LORT

HONK! A Musical Tale of The Ugly Duckling

– Photo / Resume Request for NYC Appointments

Two River Theater Company (Red Bank, NJ) LORT D; $566/week minimum

Artistic Director: John Dias

Director: Matt Pfeiffer

Music by George Stiles

Book and Lyrics by Anthony Drewe

Casting: Adam Caldwell, Cindy Tolan’s Casting office

1^st Rehearsal: 11/8/11. Runs: 12/10/1 – 1/1/12

NYC auditions will be tentatively held on Monday, October 3, by appointment only.

Seeking submissions from Actors' Equity Members only for these auditions.

For consideration, email picture and resume ASAP to:

honk2rivercasting@gmail.com

Please indicate in the subject line: NYC Appointments / AEA Self Submission.

Deadline for submissions Friday, September 30th

This tuneful, witty retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Ugly Duckling is an enchanting comic musical for the entire family. Honk! has won multiple awards including the 2000 Olivier Award for Best Musical (nominated against The Lion King and Mamma Mia).

After he is lured away from his home by a wily Cat, an odd-looking baby duck named Ugly goes on a quest to find his mother. With the help of new friends that he meets along the way (including a comical troupe of geese and an ebullient bullfrog) his journey home becomes an adventure—and an exuberant celebration of being different.

Ugly:

Male. 20s – early 30s. Any ethnicity, including mixed ethnicity. An “ugly” duckling who is, unbeknownst to anyone, actually a swan. Awkward in his body, he might be tall and lanky. He’s odd by nature and must be able to physicalize this. A friendly, optimistic, eager, youthful, free spirit. He’s slightly overgrown and unaware of his own size in comparison to the other ducklings (who will be played by children). Could be a bit of a man child, he desperately wants to fit in. Loves to swim. Think Buddy the Elf. Must have great comedic timing. Vocal Style: sweet, youthful traditional musical theatre tenor.

Ida:

Female. Mid 30s – 50s. Any ethnicity. Must be a strong singer/ actor with great comedic timing.

The mother Duck. An eternally loving mother. Warm, feisty, supportive, hopeful. She’s Ugly’s one-and-only champion. She sees through his physical appearance to something special inside him. She’s much put-upon by the rest of her family and has the scars of a mother of 5 (plus 1 child-like husband). Vocal style: traditional musical theatre mezzo with strong mix/belt.

Actor 1:

To play the following roles. Male. Mid 30s – 50s. Any ethnicity. Must be a strong singer/ actor with great comedic timing and the ability to differentiate these characters with specific voices and physicalities. Vocal style: traditional musical theatre baritone/character voice.

• Drake: The Poppa Duck. A bit of a ne’er-do-well. Loves his kids and his wife, but doesn’t really want to work very hard at actually being a dad. But when need be, he can rise to the occasion. Think Homer Simpson meets Charles Ingalls.
• Greylag: A puffed up Goose with an even more puffed up career in the British Military. He leads a rag-tag squadron that is eternally lost. Think John Cleese.
• Farmer (Voice only).

Actor 2:

To play the following roles. Male. 30s – 50s. Any ethnicity. Must be a strong singer/ actor with great comedic timing and and the ability to differentiate these characters with specific voices and physicalities. Vocal style: traditional musical theatre baritone/character voice, and the Bullfrog should ideally have some soul, folk or jazz feel.

• Turkey: Head school master. A proper Turkey. An academic. Takes himself very seriously.
• Barnacles: Member of the Rag-Tag Goose Squadron. Quite messy.
• Bullfrog: A well-traveled Frog who’s been-there-done-that. Despite it all, he still loves life and its possibilities. Think Tom Waits or Dr. John.
• Father Swan : A regal male swan. He’s elegant and proud.

Actress 2:

To play the following roles. Female. 30s – 50s. Any ethnicity. Must be a strong singer/ actor with great comedic timing and the ability to differentiate these characters with specific voices and physicalities. Vocal style: traditional musical theatre mezzo with strong mix/belt.

• Maureen: A nosy but loving neighbor duck. She’s a bit of a gossip monger. She thinks of herself as knowing everybody and everything. But in the end, she only wants the best for her friends.
• Snowy: A female member of Greylag’s rag-tag Goose fleet. Not afraid to voice her displeasure or show her incompetence.
• Queenie: A sassy Cat who loves her comforts, but longs for some frisky adventure.
• Mother Swan: A graceful and lovely Swan. Penny’s mother.
• Old Woman (Voice Only)

Actress 3:

To play the following roles. Female. 30’s – 50’s. Any ethnicity. Must be a strong singer/ actor with great comedic timing and the ability to differentiate these characters with specific voices and physicalities. Vocal style: traditional musical theatre mezzo.

• Grace: Also known as Her Grace, she is the most distinguished Duck on the lake, looked up to by both men and animals. Regal and elegant.
• Dot: A Goose, married to Greylag. She is warm and gentle, and knows how to sweetly humor her puffed-up husband.
• Lowbutt: A domesticated Hen, she takes pride in being civilized. She loves comfort and she’s very particular about who she chooses to speak with, and loves cleanliness and order. Her name comes from an obvious deficiency in the leg department.
• Bewick: A young Swan.

Actress 4:

To play the following roles. Female. 20s – E30s. Any ethnicity. Must be a strong singer/ actor with great comedic timing and and the ability to differentiate these characters with specific voices and physicalities. Vocal style: traditional musical theatre soprano with strong mix/belt.

• Henrietta: A Hen who serves as the school secretary. She’s bookish and always at hand for Turkey.
• Pinkfoot: The youngest member of the Goose Fleet. She’s a bit of a smartass.
• Penny: A young female swan. She’s bursting with youth and joy. Open and beautiful, she wants nothing more than to live life to the fullest. She is earnest and honest.
• Maggie Pie: A TV show host/ loudmouth, who will stop at nothing to get the highest ratings. Even if it means exploiting people who are suffering.