Honk!

Fall 2004

Character Descriptions and Scene Breakdown

 Special Note:  There is somewhat broader latitude to cast ‘adult’ animals with younger members of the company, thus a break from our usual tradition.  However, Pied Piper Players remains a family company and adult actors will be welcomed and encouraged into the show.  Many people have wondered about the sex and the age of Ugly, the Cat and various other parts available in HONK!  In any show, there is an interdependent relationship amongst roles being cast.  It is preferable to the creative team that the actors sing in the range for which roles are written, but it is also very important that Ugly be a very strong singer.  So, the sex and age of many other roles will be determined by casting of Ugly.

 Speaking Parts

For Adult Actors Only

Ida – Role has been cast
Drake – Singing Role:  Comedic, Wanna-be playboy who feels duck-pecked
Grace (+ ensemble group):  Regal, distinguished  
Mother Swan (+ ensemble group):  Majestic, motherly
Father Swan (+ ensemble group):  Majestic, fatherly
Henrietta (+ ensemble group) – Singing Role:  Comedic, A busybody
Turkey (+ ensemble group) – Singing Role:  Comedic, A moderately self-important self-baster

For Either Adult or 11 + Actors

Older Ugly - Singing, Dancing Role:  A somewhat world-weary version of Young Ugly (no rollerblading)
Cat - Singing, Dancing Role:  Comedic, Sylvester the Cat meets Wile Coyote (Warner Brothers cartoons)
Maureen – Singing, Dancing Role:  Versatile, Trixie Norton (Honeymooners) meets Neighborhood Watch   
Jay Bird (+ ensemble group):  Tabloid TV personality ala John Walsh (America’s Most Wanted)
Floor Manager (+ ensemble group):  Boisterous
Greylag – Singing, Dancing Role:  Patton (5 Star General) meets confusion – uses British Accent
Dot – Singing, Dancing Role:   Aunt Clara (Bewitched) meets Lynn Redgrave - uses British Accent
Barnacles, Snowy, Pinkfoot – Singing, Dancing Roles:  Three Stooges join the Air Force.  Cockney a+
Penny – Singing, Dancing Role:  Graceful, soft-spoken
Bullfrog - Singing, Dancing Role:  Optimistic, jolly
Queenie - Singing, Dancing Role:  Comedic, Bored elite/royalty
Lowbutt - Singing, Dancing Role:  Comedic, A guest in the elite world, trying to cling to it
Older Beaky (+ ensemble group):  Hitting the rebellious phase of young adulthood
Older Fluff (+ ensemble group):  Hitting the rebellious phase of young adulthood
Older Billy (+ ensemble group):  Hitting the rebellious phase of young adulthood
Older Downy (+ ensemble group):  Hitting the rebellious phase of young adulthood

For Young Actors Only

Young Ugly - Singing, Dancing Role: Versatile, Wide-eyed, adorable, and guileless.  Rollerblading skill a+
Young Beaky - Singing, Dancing Role:  Boy, Born with entitlement
Young Fluff - Singing, Dancing Role:  Girl, Born with entitlement
Young Billy - Singing, Dancing Role:  Boy, Born with entitlement
Young Downy - Singing, Dancing Role:  Girl, Born with entitlement
Maureen’s Chicks (4) – Dancing Role:  Mix of darling kids – tap experience preferred

Specialty Groups

FISH  (Hold Your Head Up High) (Approximately 12)
BARNYARD KIDS (Look at Him) (Approximately 6)
GREEK CHORUS (The Elegy, The Blizzard) (Approximately 8)
WILD SQUAD (Wild Goose Chase) (Approximately 12)
FROGLETS (Warts and All) (Approximately 12)  

Ensemble Numbers (Approximately 65)

Poultry Tale
Look At Him (Reprise)

Scene Breakdown

ACT I Scene 1: 

• POULTRY TALE  - ENSEMBLE
• Pg 5-6 Drake, Ida
• JOY OF MOTHERHOOD – Ida, Maureen, Maureen’s Chicks, Beaky, Fluff, Billy, Downy (Maureen and Ida’s Chicks –Dance only)
• Pg 10-12 Beaky, Fluff, Billy, Downy, Ida, Drake
• DIFFERENT – Ida
• Pg 12-13 Ida, Ugly
• HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH – Ida, Ugly, FISH, (small appearance by Beaky, Fluff, Billy, Downy, Drake)
• Pg 17-18 Beaky, Fluff, Billy, Downy, Ida, Drake, Ugly
• LOOK AT HIM (+Blocking pg 26, 28 -31) – Ida, Drake, Ugly, Henrietta, Turkey, Cat, Grace, Maureen, Maureen’s Chicks, Beaky, Fluff, Billy, Downy BARNYARD KIDS
• DIFFERENT – Ugly

 ACT I Scene 2 

• Cat, Ugly
• PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD – Cat, Ugly
• LOST (instrumental) - Ugly

 ACT I Scene 3 

• Pg 38  Maureen, Ida
• ELEGY – GREEK CHORUS
• Pg 37, 39-40  Floor Manager, Jay Bird, Ida, Drake, Beaky, Fluff, Billy, Downy, (JAYBIRD’S FANS)
• EVERY TEAR A MOTHER CRIES – Ida (block in Maureen, Drake, Beaky, Fluff, Billy, Downy)

 ACT I Scene 4 

• GOOSE MARCH – Greylag, Dot
• Pg 42-44 Greylag, Dot, Ugly
• THE WILD GOOSE CHASE (+Blocking 44-45, 47-49) - Greylag, Dot, Ugly, Barnacles, Snowy, Pinkfoot, Cat, WILD GEESE
• HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH (Reprise) (+Blocking pg 51) - Ida, Ugly

ACT II Scene 1 

• Voice-over “Old Woman”
• Pg 53-59 Ugly, Lowbutt, Queenie
• IT TAKES ALL SORTS – Lowbutt, Queenie
• Pg 59-64  Ugly, Lowbutt, Queenie, Cat
• TOGETHER –  Lowbutt, Queenie, Cat

 ACT II Scene 2 

• THE COLLAGE – Drake
• Pg 64-66 Drake, Beaky, Fluff, Billy, Downy

  ACT II Scene 3 

• THE COLLAGE (continues)  - Ida, GREEK CHORUS
• Vinettes: Ida, Turkey, Drake, Cat, Greylag, Dot, Select Ensemble

 ACT II Scene 4 

• Pg 69-72 Penny, Ugly
• Voice-over “Mother Swan”
• NOW I’VE SEEN YOU – Ugly
• Pg 74-75, 80 Ugly, Bullfrog
• WARTS AND ALL – Bullfrog, Ugly, FROGLETS
• Voice-over “Farmer”
• Pg 81-82 Cat, Ugly

ACT II Scene 5

• Pg 82-84 Cat, Ida, Ugly
• THE BLIZZARD – GREEK CHORUS, Cat, Ugly
• Pg 84-87 Ida, Penny, Mother Swan, Father Swan, Bewick, Ugly
• TRANSFORMATION – Ugly
• NOW I’VE SEEN YOU (Reprise) – Penny, Ugly
• DIFFERENT (Reprise) – Ida
• Pg 88-89  Ida, Penny, Ugly, Cat
• MELTING MOGGY – Cat

 ACT II Scene 6 

• LOOK AT HIM (Reprise) – Ensemble

  Bows - Ensemble