“Honk – An Ugly Duckling of a Musical” – Nekoosa High School

Welcome, everyone, to Midday Magazine for this March 5th, 2024.

Have your host, James J. Mailoff here.

At 3.30, we're going to welcome in our friends

from the South of County, YMCA.

We'll have Baxter and Carly joining us,

looking forward to talking with them.

Right now, in the studio, we have some members

from the Knuckles High School musical play coming up

that we are going to be talking about,

Honk, a ugly duckling of a musical.

This is premiering Friday, March 15th.

We've got the cast members with us.

We have the assistant director with us.

I'm going to point to you guys, let you introduce yourself

so the audience can put a voice to the name.

I will start and put you on the spot for,

I mean, ask the first question to, I'm Joe Kidd, Jenny.

We have assistant director, Jenny.

Ooh, Jenny, you got a last name like I do.

How do you say that one?

Guilden's off.

Guilden's off.

OK, Jenny Guilden's off with us, assistant director

with us, Jenny, thank you very much for being here.

Absolutely, thanks for having us.

I'm really excited.

We got two kids that were here last year,

so they were excited to come back and then two that are new.

I love it.

Love seeing new faces as much as familiar faces,

so it's great to see you guys again.

Let's go ahead and go right down the line here

and let you introduce yourselves.

And please say your name and your character's name.

Hi, my name is Ashen Wilcox.

I play the character's grace, dot, and the character Lovat,

who is a hen.

Thanks for being here, Aslan.

That's awesome.

Go ahead.

My name is Malena.

I play Mother Swan, Snowy, Marine, and Queenie.

Excellent.

Thank you for being here, Malena.

Appreciate it.

And?

My name is Michelle Shannon, and I play Ida, so the mom.

Excellent.

Thank you, Michelle.

Appreciate you being here.

My name is Angela Adele, and I play Drake and Pinkfoot.

Awesome.

Thanks for being here, Andrew.

Appreciate it.

Really appreciate you guys being here.

I want to go ahead and get into a little bit about what

the play is first, if you don't mind, Jenny.

And we can give just kind of a cliff notes version.

We don't want to give too much away or anything.

But Honk, a ugly duckling of a musical.

I love this right away.

I'll be honest, I haven't read this play,

but I already love it.

Yeah, so Honk is the story of the ugly duckling.

So I mean, it is the classic story of the ugly duckling,

but I would say it adds so much humor.

And when I say humor, this is a great show for young kids,

but really for adults too.

Mr. Cyple, my fellow director and I,

we sit and laugh and laugh at the jokes in this musical.

And sometimes our kids look at us like, what's going on?

And like, well, it's just better for us.

But kids, young kids, we're having Humkey come next week.

Our elementary school to see it.

It's really a story about ugly and learning

that not only is it OK to be different,

but it's really a wonderful thing to be different.

So he goes on a whole journey, a hilarious journey, really.

Through time to figure out, you know,

if he gets separated from his family

and he has to really decide, you know, what do I want for me?

And is it really OK to be different?

The kids have had a great time with it,

really making it their own.

It's not a really well-known musical.

It's not done very often.

I know in our area about 20 years ago,

I remember going to see it at Assumption.

And it was a fantastic show.

So we wanted to bring it to Nikusa because we

wanted an opportunity to have the success we've had

in the past with like Little Mermaid of getting kids

through the door because they just love it.

I know that some of our actors here

remember coming to see musicals we did years ago,

like Susical, where they were like, wow, I remember that.

And I wanted to be a part of that someday.

So that's how we really get the kids to keep coming back

wanting to be part of that show.

Fantastic.

It's awesome.

I'd love to hear the attention to detail you guys have.

You and your fellow director there.

I'm sorry, what was the name again?

Mr. Cypill.

Mr. Cypill, I want to send a shout out to Mr. Cypill.

I'm a good work he is doing too.

The selection of a play can be really important

on this level.

You mentioned getting kids engaged

and getting them to want to try out and everything.

Not everybody always pays attention to that stuff though.

I appreciate that you guys do.

And it's about them first and message as well.

It's funny, not to age you here and make you as old as me.

But growing up, in our generations,

the ugly duckling story was one we heard all the time.

I find it cool how we kind of reimagine these stories

to get to younger audiences or to just tell them

a little bit differently in this story kind of does that.

Absolutely.

I mean, I know when we bring our kids from the elementary

over, they're going to be familiar with this story.

But there are other kind of little side stories added in there.

I mean, ugly, of course, has a little crush on,

and other swan things like that.

But that humor piece, it's going to be there for sure

for the adults.

But it really is a show that anyone can bring their kids

to and feel comfortable, like it's totally appropriate for them.

It's funny, it's cute, it's big and flashy and colorful

because we have an awesome set designer

and costume designer as well.

So it's totally a show for the whole family.

And I think people really enjoy it.

And I should mention to great acoustics in that theater.

I've always wanted to perform on that stage.

It's great acoustics, great stage to be able to perform.

Yeah, we're very, very lucky to have the facility we do.

We really appreciate the school district

and the high school for giving us a great facility.

But then just every year sponsoring this musical

because they're not inexpensive to do.

And they let us do one every year.

They really give us the creative side to decide what's

going to work for us.

And they just mostly want the community

to get in there and enjoy this.

So we really appreciate it a lot.

And I want to ask you guys a little bit about your characters,

but I should let the audience know.

We're actually going to get some scenes in today.

And I'm so excited about that.

I just want to do that, actually.

I want to spend the next 20 minutes

just letting you guys act out the play.

But I got a job to do.

So I'll ask your questions first.

And Ashlyn, I'll start with you.

And we'll work our way down the line here.

Introduce yourself again with your character name

if you don't mind.

And then if you could tell us a little bit about the character.

So my name is Ashlyn.

I play three different characters, but by far

my favorite character that I play is Lobot the Hen.

She's this kind of sassy domestic hen

who lives with her friend partner, Queenie, in a house.

And they meet Ugly along his journey.

And they kind of teach him about being different.

Like, it's kind of like one of the big stepping stones

of the thing, of the whole musical.

And so, Lobot is a really fun character.

She's just so unbelievably snarky.

And her name is named because of her Lobot.

She's got a big bustle that I wear in the back of my costume.

But it's really, really funny.

But I really enjoy playing her because of her personality

and because she is such a comic character.

And she's so unique throughout the entire musical.

Yeah.

It's great to hear, Ashlyn.

It's great to hear.

Melanie.

I'm Melania.

I get the right.

Melania.

Melania, she's in the third try, I'll get it.

Just give me a couple more tries.

I'm bad at names, I apologize.

Melania, tell us about your character a little bit.

So I actually play four characters.

One of them is Queenie, who, as Ashlyn mentioned,

is like Lobot's housemate.

They live together.

And she's pretty sassy, too.

They're just a sassy pair.

Lots of banter between those two.

And another one of my characters is Maureen.

And she's actually the best friend of Aida in the musical.

Aida is Ugly's mom.

So I really enjoy getting to do that role

because I get to sing with Aida.

And there's just a lot of those characters are very close.

And it's just a lot of fun for me

because I am out of character also very close with Michelle

who plays Aida.

Very cool, very cool.

Thank you for that.

Michelle.

OK, so Michelle, I play Aida.

So Aida, she's kind of, she's Ugly's mom.

She's very like, everyone else in the dark yard

is very like, he's different, so he's not good.

And she's very, he's different, and that makes him good.

Like, it just makes him, like, someone that is to be loved.

So yeah.

And it's just really fun to play the character.

She's very sassy.

She doesn't take anything from her husband, nothing.

Nice.

Very cool.

Thank you for that.

Andrew, how about you?

So my name is Andrew.

And I play Drake, who is the father of Ugly, the husband of Aida.

And my role is kind of like a stereotypical sitcom,

like Deadbeat Dad.

I've kind of tried to go with a Homer Simpson type with it.

And I don't know how well I'm doing,

but Andrew, I have no doubt you're doing well.

I should journalistically mention

that I am the biggest Simpson's fan on the planet.

So I love hearing that you're embodying the Homer Simpson

there, that's fantastic.

And a good note, a good character

to kind of build off if that's good.

Have you been enjoying it?

Yeah, I have been.

This is my first year doing anything like this.

So I was very skeptical going into it.

But I guess the bond that I've created with everybody

has been my favorite thing.

There's a lot of people in the musical that I probably wouldn't

have gotten to know and have been close with if it weren't

for musical like Malena and Ashlyn.

So right on.

And I appreciate you sharing that, man.

You actually set me up perfectly.

My next question before we get to some of the play reading

is your experience before.

So you say you haven't done anything.

What made you want to do this play?

What made you want to act?

The biggest reason I wanted to act

is to just do something different and get out

of my comfort zone.

I've always enjoyed it, but I've never really

been open about it because my friend group and stuff

have been weird.

But I figured I wanted to do something

that I never would have done even three years ago.

Because growing up, I always had really bad stage fright.

Whenever we did the elementary Christmas concerts,

I would always have to sit by Santa because I was scared.

And I get that.

Yeah.

And again, thanks for sharing that, man.

I appreciate that.

I think one of the bravest things a human being can do

is getting out of their comfort zone, is trying new things.

And it's so easy to just kind of do the same old, same old

that you at your age are realizing that.

That's awesome, man.

That's all very good on you for doing that.

Michelle, I know that you've acted before.

What got you to want to act?

What got you to want to be on stage?

Well, I didn't do it my freshman year.

Well, it was COVID.

So there was a lot of different, like, just aspects

that made it, like, so I just wanted to watch.

And I watched it.

And like, when she said, I watched them, like, before,

like, I watched when they did school,

I watched when they did disco and for a no.

I watched all that, and I thought it was really cool.

And I just wanted to be a part of that.

So I don't know, right now.

Mel, no, I'm just kidding.

Melania, but Melania.

Melano.

Melano, no?

Melizzi?

No.

How about for you?

For me, I've always, like, been big into singing.

And musicals are kind of another way for me

to explore, like, range and singing

in different scenarios and that kind of stuff.

And my older sister also did a lot of musicals

in plays.

She was a big actor, big singer.

So she's definitely one of the reasons

I got into acting more.

Because, like I said, I was always big into singing,

but acting as kind of iffy.

But she really just encouraged me and told me

to get involved with that kind of stuff.

And I turned out, like, you know, a lot more than I thought

I would.

And I've been doing, like, plays and stuff

since middle school now.

And I really like musicals, because it

can find singing and acting.

Right on.

Yeah, that's very true.

And thank you for sharing that and being such a good sport.

Appreciate you.

You can mess up my name all you want.

Ashland, how about for you?

And I know that you've had some previous experience

and everything.

This is my third musical I've done at the high school.

But I got into acting my freshman year, mostly

because I had a lot of friends who wanted to do it.

Michelle, she's been my friend since we were teeny tiny.

And she did it.

And so I wanted to join her.

But mostly because I really like the aspect

of being able to perform and sing.

I'm a big singer as well, like Malena.

But I wanted to be able to make people happy by watching that.

And, like, especially like my family,

a bunch of my family has been to musicals.

My older brother was the lead in the Nikuzov high school

musical way back 20 some years ago.

And so I really wanted to perform for them

to be able to make them happy and have them enjoy just a moment

where I can be a part of that.

So I want to be a part of something bigger

to give people that sense of, like, this is awesome.

We're speaking with the students and assistant director

of the next high school musical,

the Nikuzov high school musical,

Hunk, a ugly duckling of a musical.

We're going to have some interact, some play reading

in just a moment here.

But Jenny, one of the things that I get from these kids

and I pick up right away from this,

I teach acting and improv on the side here and everything.

And one of the things that I note from that

is we get a lot of people that come in

that want to be the next great actor

and next great stand of comedian.

But a lot of what we get are, like, attorneys, doctors,

different people that come in that want

to build their social skills,

want to be able to talk to people a little bit better

and everything.

You guys are doing something right now

that your future self is going to be so thankful for.

Whether you never act again a day in your life,

the confidence, the speaking in front of others,

the things that you get from this, I promise you,

you're going to take with you whatever field you go into.

So I admire that so much.

Not everybody can do what you guys are doing

and I appreciate that.

And when it comes to encouraging

and supporting that confidence, Jenny,

do you consider that just as important

as them learning their lines?

Oh, absolutely.

I mean, I can speak for myself.

I was never in a musical or a play

and it is one of the biggest regrets of my whole life.

Like, and I tell the kids at all the time

because I was just too scared to put myself out there

or to fail or to feel like I wasn't good enough.

And one thing I love about the musicals

were very inclusive.

Like, we will find a spot for you.

Like, if you don't want to sing

and necessarily like you don't want a solo, whatever,

generally we will find a spot in the chorus

or we'll find a place where you can shine still on stage

and a lot of kids start off there.

Like, they are too afraid, but then they do it once

and they think, you know what?

Maybe I can really do this.

I mean, our ugly duckling this year, Kaden.

He was in our musical last year.

He was an eighth grader.

He was in the background, played a couple little parts.

And then this year in his audition,

he just went for it and said, you know what?

I think I can just put myself out there and try.

And he did and it was awesome.

Everybody is just where they should be in this cast.

It's perfect.

But I always tell the kids, you know, we'll get there.

You will get better.

You will improve, but the best part for me

is seeing them get their moment at the end.

Like, I'm not, I, you know, I'll hide

for the last one because I'm like, I don't want the attention.

But I love seeing all the kids on stage

getting the applause and the attention

because they work so, so, so hard for weeks

and weeks and even longer for this.

So, we get kids every year who ultimately come back

because they took just that little tiny step

and they realized, man, I think I can really do this

and they just get that confidence

and then they build those relationships with each other

and they all encourage each other.

I mean, it's, it's a great little family, you know,

that we get by the end.

And thank you for that, Jenny.

We're gonna actually have the kids read a little bit

from the way out of a little script reading here

from the kids and wanna get out of the way

and let you guys do that.

Now with readings from the musical

honk, a ugly duckling of a musical,

some of the Nekutsahai school players.

Okay, so this is right after our opening number

and this is just the dialogue that opens it.

Okay.

Drake, Drake, it's no good peddling away, I've seen you

and it doesn't do for a duck to look sheepish.

It confuses the other animals.

How's it going, Aida?

You still sitting?

I don't know, it's all right for some.

Well, if you like the sound of it so much,

why don't you take a turn on the nest?

And wipe your webs, I just did the floor this morning.

Oh, Aida, I'd love to have a crack at sitting

on the eggs for a bit, but you look so comfortable up

full up there, seem ashamed to disturb you.

Huh, and what about that extension?

You promised to build on the nest?

It's going to be very cramped with a little ones arrive,

especially with that one big egg in the clutch.

Goodness knows, besides that, chick's going to be.

You know, I reckon that might be a turkey's egg.

Oh, Drake.

Had the same problem with my eggs.

Here we go.

We had a whole pack of troubles with the young ones,

I tell you, they're afraid of the water.

She had me running up and down the bank shouting,

KFC, and they still wouldn't go in.

Drake, how would a turkey's egg get to be in my nest?

Must be or side of the family.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see who he takes after.

Won't we, dear?

Yes, dear.

Anyways, must fly.

I promised a rooster that I'd help him count his chickens.

Shall I see you back here?

Well, where else do you suppose I'm going to be?

Nicely done.

Nicely done.

Bravo.

Well done.

Well done, you guys.

Nicely done.

So this is the scene.

One of the dialogue parts that opens the second act,

which is where we first get introduced to Queenie and Lobot.

So we're going to have, actually,

we're going to have Andrew read for Ugly.

Oh, OK.

Because, unfortunately, Ugly's not with us right now.

Oh, OK.

Thank you, Andrew.

Appreciate that.

So, but what do you do here all day?

Well, we sit in chat and we sit in chat and oh, sometimes

I'll arch my back and let sparks fly for my fur.

And then we sit in chat and sit in chat.

And sometimes I will lay an egg.

And is that it?

What else is there for civilized folk to do?

Well, what do you do?

Well, my absolute favorite thing is swimming.

It's so wonderful letting the water close over your head

as you plunge right down to the bottom.

Lobot knows all about plunging down at the bottom.

Don't you, dear?

Come on, I'll show you.

Swimming in the autumn.

I don't ever think I've heard such a crazy notion before.

Well, you could use that exercise, dear.

Think of your fine meat.

She's got drumsticks like an ostrich.

Well, you haven't exactly been a slave to your step aerobics.

It's as much as you can do to get your flap open.

Gracious Lobot, you're missing your TV program.

Chop chop.

She loves watching her antique show.

Where's the remote?

You're sitting on it.

That actually does.

That's a problem, problem.

And now you guys have a singing piece

that you're going to do for us.

Let you, yeah, you're all set.

If you need a second, please go ahead and take a second there.

Yeah, go for it.

That's the joy.

It's the joy.

It's the joy.

It's the joy.

It's the joy of motherhood.

The little purse that make it all seem worthwhile.

I'll do what any other motherhood

to get my dog stacked out.

And a living in stock.

To get my dog stacked out.

To get my dog stacked out.

And a living in stock.

Wow, wow.

Yeah, I don't know how to top that.

I don't know where to go from there.

That is amazing, you guys.

Jenny, it's not fair that I've been acting my whole life

and these guys are running circles around me with their talent already.

It's unbelievable.

The things these kids can do with just their little tiny time on this earth.

I mean, it just blows me away.

I could only pray for talent like that.

I've blown away.

I am by all four of you guys.

And I imagine you have an amazing cast with you.

We want to send a shout out to all your fellow castmates and all the people

working behind the scenes and that.

And I'm sure you might have some other thank yous who want to get out there.

Is there anybody else that you want to make sure to thank?

Yeah, so it is Mrs. Severson who is our absolutely amazing,

wondrous costume designer.

It is her last year.

She is going to be leaving us after this year's musical.

So we just wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything

that she's ever done with us and everything she's ever had to go through

all the stress of having to make dozens upon dozens,

probably hundreds of costumes now.

And the amount of just time and effort she makes into it,

making them absolutely spectacular.

We just wanted to thank her so much for everything she's ever done for us.

It's people like her the keypest theater alive.

Oh, absolutely.

And we send a real special shout out to her.

Thank you for that.

That's very nice.

Thank you all for joining us.

Really enjoyed this.

This was a really fun time for me.

I don't feel like I should have been paid for this.

I should have just been able to enjoy this.

I had the best seat in the house.

Well, you guys got to get your seat to see the Hunk Hunk

and Ugly Duckling of a musical.

This premieres Friday, March 15th at 7th.

The show on Saturday at 2 and at 7.

So you got a matinee.

You can also get tickets for as well.

Get those tickets at showtix4u.com.

That showtix4u.com.

Or you can get them right at the Nicos High School office

over at 500 Cedar Street and beautiful Nicosa.

You guys break a leg.

Have a great run.

Enjoy yourselves.

And thank you again for the time.

Thank you.

Will and more Midday Magazine coming up right here on WFHR

locally grown radio.