Anyone who has journeyed through the chaotic world of middle and high school knows the true angst of being different from one’s peers during a time when conformity is embraced. Finding one’s way through the awkward years can be challenging, but knowing that we should always love ourselves and celebrate our differences is a lesson we all need to learn in life.
Honk! the Musical and its junior version Honk! Jr. is a powerful show, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story of The Ugly Duckling. The musical explores the power of words, the cruelty of judgment and the importance of embracing our differences whether they be appearances, abilities, cultures, religions, or heritages.
Let’s explore this delightful and award-winning adaptation of one of the world’s most beloved fables and the backdrops that Charles H. Stewart offers its clients.
A Little Background on Honk! the Musical
Honk! the Musical is a musical adaptation of the 1843 Hans Christian Andersen story The Ugly Duckling. It dives into the themes of diversity, tolerance, loving oneself and looking within to celebrate the world’s differences. The script and lyrics are by Anthony Drewe and the music is by George Stiles (of the British songwriting duo Stiles and Drewe).
Most of us remember the fairytale story of The Ugly Duckling in our youth. This story explores the feelings of a young swan, mistaken for an ugly duckling who is then treated poorly due to perceived ugliness.
Honk! the Musical follows a similar storyline. Ugly, a young duckling, looks very different from his adorable duckling sisters and brothers. The other animals on the farm notice this difference as well and begin to mercilessly tease him for his appearance. Ugly sets off on an adventure to find his place and his family on the farm. His journey takes him to a pond where he encounters beautiful swans gliding across the water and a barn where a wiley tomcat lives who wants to eat Ugly for dinner.
Ugly finds his way through this chaotic and sometimes hilarious adventure where he learns to believe in himself and to love his differences. Eventually, Ugly emerges from his ugly stage after the long winter as a graceful and beautiful swan. Honk! is a heartwarming story of celebrating differences. It was the winner of multiple awards, including the 2000 Olivier Award for Best Musical.
Backdrops for Honk!
Backdrops by Charles H. Stewart offers more than 20 backdrops perfect for your performance of Honk! the Musical. Set in the countryside on a large plot of land with a pond and a big red barn, this show relies heavily on backdrops that display the outdoors and the interior/exterior of a barn.
This Farm Landscape Backdrop #2379 shows a rolling hill landscape with fences and a barn in the background. The land is offset by the blue sky and clouds. It is perfect for most scenes to show the countryside setting.
This Cornfield Backdrop #2315 shows a mature cornfield with a wood post fence and a blue sky. This is an ideal image for Ugly to encounter the sly tomcat out to discover his dinner.
This Farm Backdrop #1541 shows a traditional farm with a large red barn, a cornfield and a large tree.
Explore all the Honk! backdrops and choose one that best fits your performance.