MYP staging Honk! Jr. this weekend
TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
Preston Bell (left) and Zeke Morrow will both be playing the Ugly Duckling in Maryville Young Players’ production of Honk! Jr. Bell heads the CatTail cast, while Morrow leads the LilyPad cast.
It’s a story we were told as kids, but with more music and a few more characters.
This weekend, the Maryville Young Players will take the stage of the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts on the Northwest Missouri State University campus to present Honk! Jr.
The show follows the children’s tale of The Ugly Duckling, but has a story that feels new. Some elements from the story are removed in the musical, and the musical features a few new characters.
The show is relatively unknown, according to co-director Vanessa Parsons, which can be a double-edged sword.
“It can be a big blessing and a big curse for us,” Parsons said. “If it’s not well-known, it can be hard to get the kids to buy into the new characters, especially in this age group. There are also few recordings out there, so listening to the songs and getting to know them before rehearsal can be difficult.
“However, with shows that aren’t as well known, we are blessed in that there are no preconceived notions about what the show should look like, so we have more liberty to work with. We can make this show our own.”
The fact that it isn’t as well known as last year’s Peter Pan or past productions like Beauty and the Beast can seem like it would have negative consequences on attendance, interest, or enjoyment, but that has never been a hindrance for MYP. With a total of 148 actors involved in the production, co-director Pat Immel isn’t worried about any of those things.
“A few years ago, we did Once on this Island, and we didn’t think we’d get enough interest, but instead, enrollment went up that year,” Immel said. “I didn’t even know the show before we decided to do it.
“It doesn’t really matter what show we choose to do, because the kids in the area are excited to take the stage. Plus, I go home humming some of the songs each night.”
The show is also very different in the costuming choices. Instead of having the actors dress up in animal costumes, most actors are dressed in color schemes that imply what animal they are.
“It’s different than you might expect,” Parsons said. “It contributes to the idea that being different is wonderful.”
The show is split into two casts, but Parsons emphasized that there was not a difference in quality between the casts.
“There’s no “A” or “B” cast, we’re just filled to the brim with talent,” Parsons said. “We started having two casts because there are a lot of talented kids that come out for our shows.”
“We never turn interested actors away,” Immel added. “We’re at a point where we can self-regulate with two casts so that things don’t get out of control.”
Doubling the cast is a norm for MYP, and each cast gets to perform an afternoon matinee and an evening performance.
The CatTail cast is the first and last to take the stage, performing at 2 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. In his second year with MYP, North Andrew eighth-grader Preston Bell leads the cast as Ugly.
“This show teaches us several life lessons, like that we shouldn’t bully other people and that we should never judge a book by it’s cover,” Bell said. “People should come see it because it goes into more detail than the story they might be used to.”
McKenna Liles, who is going into the ninth grade at Maryville High School, plays the mother duck Ida. In her sixth and final year with MYP, Liles said this show is set apart for her.
Liles, an aspiring motivational speaker, said the message resonates with her dreams.
“We convince Ugly that it’s okay to be different, that he is accepted and loved,” Liles said. “There are so many lessons to learn from this show, and everyone can enjoy what it teaches us.”
The experience of putting together a show like this is also a unifier, according to Emily Pearce, who plays the villainous Cat.
“The most exciting part of the show is that it’s lots of people putting something together for an audience to enjoy,” Pearce, who is a homeschooled eighth-grader, said. “It’s my second show with MYP, and it’s such a fun show.”
MYP’s unique model — two weeks of intense rehearsal leading up to the performance — can be a daunting task, but it’s a model that has worked since MYP’s inception more than a decade ago.
“If you would have asked me if we were ready last week, I would have told you we need a few more weeks to rehearse,” Bell laughed. “But we came together so well, and with the performance coming up this weekend, I think we’re ready.”
The LilyPad cast is taking the middle performances of the weekend, with their curtains rising Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Zeke Morrow, who will be in eighth grade at Maryville Middle School next year, heads this cast as Ugly.
While confident in their abilities, Morrow said he was still a little nervous.
“We still have a few things to firm up to make sure we’re ready,” Morrow said. “I have no doubt that we’ll be ready by the dress rehearsal, but there are some things we need to do.
“For me, the show is a tremendous lesson. What I say and do teaches others, but it also teaches me a little bit about acceptance.”
Morrow is in his sixth year with MYP, as is Lucy Parsons, who will be entering seventh grade at MMS this fall. Parsons plays the Bullfrog, who teaches Ugly the important lesson of accepting yourself for who you are.
“Each character Ugly meets has a new lesson for him to learn,” Parsons said. “In that sense, it never really gets old, and people should see it because it’s visually stunning and fantastic.”
The experienced LilyPad cast is joined by a seven-year veteran in Henry Swink, who will be entering Maryville High School in the fall. Swink plays the part of the father duck, Drake, who himself learns a valuable lesson in acceptance.
While each year is a new show, Swink said this show was fresher than others to him.
“Almost everyone is an animal interacting with other animals, which makes it pretty fun,” Swink said. “You don’t want to miss this show. It’s amazing.”
While the cast learns to bring the characters to life, as well as several important lessons in acceptance of oneself and others, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Immel said the benefits of being in the show go far beyond the stage.
“When you do a show like this, you learn about teamwork, setting group goals, meeting deadlines, and collaboration,” Immel said. “Those skills translate into a wide number of careers.
“We have some kids that come through MYP and never set foot on a stage again, and we have others that make the arts a permanent part of their lives. Regardless, what’s most important is that everyone here learns valuable lessons they can take and translate into just about any career path.”
The Maryville Young Players take the stage this Saturday and Sunday, with performances at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. both days. Tickets are available for $6 at the Maryville Hy-Vee service desk and at the door until they are sold out.
TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
Cat (Emily Pearce) tells Ugly (Preston Bell) that you can “Play With Your Food” as she prepares to eat him. The CatTail cast, which features Pearce and Bell, will perform Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Ron Houston Center for Performing Arts.
TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
While waiting for her eggs to hatch, mother duck Ida (Alexis Schrader) and her best friend, moorhen Maureen (Megan Hoskey) sing about “The Joy of Motherhood.” Schrader and Hoskey feature in the LilyPad cast, which performs Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Ron Houston Center of the Performing Arts.