Theater Review: “Honk!” turns swan at Brigham’s Playhouse

At some point throughout our lives, we have all felt alone and misunderstood. “The Ugly Duckling” is a timeless story of personal transformation in the face of adversity written by Hans Christian Andersen, the prolific 19th century author most famous for fairy tales such as “The Little Mermaid,” “The Snow Queen,” “Princess and the Pea,” “Thumbelina,” and of course “The Ugly Duckling.”

The story tells of a homely little duck born in a barnyard who is ridiculed by the other animals because of his odd appearance and behavior. After many adventures, he matures into a beautiful swan, much to his delight (and ours!). It has been a favorite for generations. Like many great stories “The Ugly Duckling” was adapted as a musical. Written by George Stiles and Anthony Drew, it debuted on the stage in 1993 with the clever title “Honk!” Once you see the show, you’ll realize it’s more than just a clever name.

Creeping about the stage in wonderfully wily ways as The Cat was Dale Hoopes. Regardless of blocking or choreography, his vocals always won, and his timing and pacing were spot on. Moving slyly about with an air of arrogance and trickery, he embodied the role. My favorite number of his was “Play with Your Food,” with its frenzied, Tom-and-Jerry-esque energy.

The title character, aptly named “Ugly,” was superbly played by Reece Jacobsen. Despite the show’s rough opening, Jacobsen’s character hatches out of an egg, “honking” with such enthusiasm that it was a breath of fresh air. Jacobsen nailed this role, garnishing loud rounds of applause and vocalized “woohs” after his outstanding performance in “Now That I’ve Seen You.”

Tanner Olsen played the part of two different characters: the sassy Turkey (always bringing a smile and a laugh), who shined instantly during the song “Look At Me,” and the gallant goose Greylag, who sang out with confidence and owned the stage.

Others stuck out from the crowd, such as Karissa Young as the saucy, spoiled housecat, Queenie. Young helped open the second act with a refreshing new energy. Doug Knapp killed it as the Frog with some awesome tap dancing and powerful stage presence in the musical number “Warts and All.”

The roles of Ugly’s mother and father, Ida and Drake, were played by Ember and Cammeron Murdock and on alternating nights by Megan and Taylor Williams. When I went on a Friday, the Murdocks were performing and definitely struggled. The first half of the show, Ember strained to reach any true emotional depth in her scenes and was lackluster in her musical numbers. Cammeron began the show appearing stiff and apprehensive, seemingly scared of performing in front of people. This only marginally improved as the show went on. After intermission, however, the pair returned as surprisingly different performers. Suddenly relaxed, Cammeron began projecting confidence on stage, and both vastly improved their acting and vocals. But the grandest moment for me came during the last two scenes whens I found myself truly moved by Ember’s performance. When faced with the heavy duality of finally finding her lost son to immediately realizing he’s gone, she spanned the emotional spectrum, from extreme highs to extreme lows in a scene that demands everything and more from the actor. I found myself stunned in silence as I watched Ember finally stop “acting” and truly sit with and live inside that emotional reality.

The set design was a definite favorite. It was done with a beautiful storybook feel, which glowed and danced with the lighting’s vibrant colored gels.

Brigham’s Playhouse’s current production of “Honk!” is chalked full of diverse characters. It’s also full of diverse performers. Many seemed quite amateur and reminded me of what bad acting and singing looks like while some consistently blew me away with their talent. However, everyone loves a comeback story, and this sure is one hell of a comeback. Much like the fable, you might say the show itself was an ugly duckling, struggling through adversity to become a wonderful swan at the end.

“Honk!” runs through March 12. Bring your family to Brigham’s Playhouse for timeless story with a message that never dies. Get your tickets now at brighamsplayhouse.com, or call the box office at (435) 251-8000.

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