Mantua Township residents set to take the stage in Camden
By Stacy Napolitano
Waddle on over to Camden County College’s Dennis Flyer Theatre for the inspirational Honk! Jr. This snappy, witty musical retells Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale of The Ugly Duckling. The entire family will enjoy this production presented by Mainstage Center for the Arts Musical Theatre Company, May 5 and 6.
Honk! Jr. begins as mother duck, Ida watches over her nest of four normal eggs and one unusually large, brown egg. One-by-one they hatch into cute little ducklings. The large egg remains. Father Duck, Drake wonders if it’s really a turkey. Finally, the big egg hatches. Out comes Ugly (Riley Cassidy of Mantua), with strange coloring and a loud “Honk!” instead of a quack.
Rejected by everyone on the farm except her mother, Ugly is easily led away by a dangerous cat. But with the help of a gaggle of helpful animals like the bullfrog, the froglets, a handsome swan, geese, birds, butterflies and ladybugs, Ugly discovers her true beauty and glorious destiny. The animals include: Greylag/Mother Swan, Maureen/Snowy, Dot/Downy, Henrietta/Pinkfoot, Penny, Grace (Erica Smith of Sewell), Jay Bird, Beaky and Fluff.
“I was so excited when I learned I would play Ugly,” said Cassidy. “It’s such a fun role in a show with great music and dancing. The directors and the whole cast, which is my musical theatre class, are so nice and so much fun to work with. Thursdays are my favorite day of the week because that’s when we meet.”
Honk! Jr.’s teaches messages of tolerance and acceptance through upbeat musical numbers like, “Warts and All,” “Poultry Tales” and “Wild Goose Chase.”
Honk! Jr. runs May 5 at 7 p.m. and May 6 at 2 p.m., in the newly-renovated, fully accessible Dennis Flyer Theatre, Lincoln Hall, Camden County College, Blackwood. All seats are general admission, $10. For tickets, please visit www.mainstage.org or purchase at the door. For more information, please call 856–302–6485.
