MUSICAL CAST - Tawas Bay Players will open its production of the family musical Honk! this weekend at the Tawas Bay Playhouse in East Tawas. The show runs through Oct. 21. - Courtesy photo by Janie Mundy

Tawas Bay Players to open family musical Honk!

EAST TAWAS - Tawas Bay Players opens its 29th season this weekend with the family musical Honk! at the Tawas Bay Playhouse in East Tawas.

Directed by Sue Witt, show times are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. The musical continues with performances at 7 p.m. Oct. 18-20 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 21.
Tickets are $10 each and are available at the playhouse box office, which is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 to 7 p.m., on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon and on show dates one hour before the performances.

Based on the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, Honk! is the story of the ugly duckling. Written by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, Honk! centers on the ugly duckling whose odd, gawky looks instantly incite prejudice from his family and neighbors.

LEADING ROLES - Playing leading roles in the upcoming Tawas Bay Players production of Honk! are, from left, front row, Chris Mundy, Jayme Nunn and Greg Dahlstrom; middle row, Keely Potratz, Sophia Bacarella and McKenzie McCord, and back row, Shelli Blazic and John Morris. - Courtesy photo by Janie Mundy

Separated from the farm and pursued by a hungry cat, the ugly duckling must find his way home, while his loving mother, Ida, searches for him. Along his rollicking and harrowing journey, he not only discovers his true beauty and glorious destiny, but also finds love and acceptance in all its forms.

Cast in the musical are Shelli Blazic as Ida, John Morris as Drake, Tim Haskin as Mr. Duan, Chris Mundy as Cat, George Robson as Greylag, Tom O’Malley as Turkey, Craig Sayer as Jay Bird, Tracee Lentz as Queenie, Barb Hunter as Low-Butt, Greg Dahlstrom as Bullfrog; Cheryl Colvin as Maureen, Penny Zacharias as Henrietta and Penny, Pat Casey as Dot, Diane Ray as Grace, Diane King as Barnacles, Sue Dowell as Snowy Goose, Sophia Bacarella as Fluff, McKenzie McCord as Beaky, Keely Potratz as Downy, Jayme Nunn as Billy, Stephanie Adams as Pinkfoot and a fish, Alex Bacarella, Rachel Branham, Liz Denney, Emily Harrod, Gabe Lentz, Gabby Morris, Charlie Millard, Kali Skodack, Leah Thomas, Madison Verlac and Christian Wygant as froglets, fish and animals.

Members of the orchestra are Jim Sapp, conductor; Chris Hubener, keyboards; Chris Cranston, percussion; Anissa Emory, bass; Lyn Behnke, sax; Darren Nolff, sax and tenor sax; Sharon Huitema, sax and flute; Jake Huitema, tuba, and Mona Friske, trumpet.

The production staff consists of Janie Mundy, assistant director; Blazic, vocal director; Sapp, music director; Blazic, Witt and C.J. Brummeller, choreographers; June Hudgins and Janie Mundy, producers; Debra DeBois, kid wrangler; Andy DeWilde, stage manager; DeWilde, Chris Nunn and Tom Hall, set crew; Phyllis Spencer, Mary Kiernan and Hudgins, house managers; Hudgins, publicity; Sue Duncan, Dee Bixby and Linda Skodak, properties; Suzanne Johnson, Jennifer Maser, Sandy Lixey, Lisa Denney, June Groff and Janie Mundy, costumes; Sharon Langley, script prompter; Witt, set design; Ray, Sayer, King, Chris Nunn, Hudgins and Janie and Chris Mundy, set dressing; Karen Curtis and Annette Allore, hair; Meaghan Nunn, Diana Shackleton and Hudgins, make-up; Mandi Farmer and Shackleton, lighting techs; Ray Skiver and Vincent Weiler, sound; Mike Merluzzi, lobby board and dressing; Tara Western, biographies; Vicki Szatkowski, Judy Quarters and Eileen Brewer, tickets and reservations; Casey, Hudgins, Janie Mundy and Maryanne Michalski, pictures and programs; Al Bixby, Lynn Phillips, Chris Nunn, Janie and Chris Mundy, Bessie Smith, Hudgins, Haskin, Merluzzi, Ray and Duncan, set construction; Casey, cast awards, and Miernan and Spencer, refreshments.