Springhouse Middle School Theatre students will perform the musical “Honk Jr.,” March 10-12 at the school.

“Honk Jr.,” set in the countryside, tells the story of Ugly, a swan mistaken for an ugly duckling after falling into his mother Ida’s nest.

He is shunned by everyone except his mother for his odd appearance.

This musical is based on the adaptation of Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Ugly Duckling.”

The book and lyrics “Honk Jr.,” is by Anthony Drewe and George Stiles.

Isaiah Moreef, who portrays Ugly, and Kelly McMahan, who plays Ida, commented on their characters and the musical.

Moreef said Ugly is the outcast of his family.

“Everyone thinks he is a disgrace of a duck, but it turns out he is a swan,” Moreef said. “I like playing Ugly because I get to play so many emotions and get to do so many fun dances and musical numbers.

“Ugly is also the main character so I get to be on stage a lot which is really fun.”

McMahan said Ida is sweet and feisty and loves Ugly for who he is because he is her son.

“Often, she is the only one who is there for him,” she said. “She [Ida] is open-minded and knows how to handle her husband Drake.

“I like playing Ida because she has many songs that have important messages behind them.

“These are really great songs for people to hear because of how much ‘no bullying’ is emphasized in school.”

Andrew Buckwalter, who plays Drake and Raphael Ettinger-Finley, who portrays Greylag comment on their roles in the musical.

Buckwalter said his character Drake is a duck, who is the father of Ugly and thinks he is atrocious.

“When my wife Ida leaves I discover that I needed her to even survive without going insane,” he said. “My character has a lot of funny lines that will have the audience in stitches.”

Ettinger-Finley said his character Greylag is a British goose who helps Ugly on his journey.

“He is the commander of a squadron of geese who offer to search for the farm, but are shot down by hunters,” he said.

“I enjoy how my character has some humorous lines, but still is serious in general,” Ettinger-Finley said. “I also enjoy the singing and choreography in ‘Wild Goose Chase.’”

“I really enjoy how much of a tightly unit group this cast is,” he stated. “We are all able to work really hard on the show, but still have fun.”

Taylor Shortell, who portrays Maureen and Natalia Cao, who plays The Cat also comment on their roles and the musical.

Shortell said Maureen is a crazy and spunky character.

“She loves all the ducklings as if they were her own,” Shortell said. “She often gossips about Ugly with some of her other barnyard friends, Grace, Henrietta and the Turkey,” she said.

Shortell said she likes playing Maureen because she has lines and she isn’t afraid to shine and be loud and proud.

“I love the music in this show,” she said. “I think it ties in perfectly with our no bullying program at school.”

Cao said the Cat is an evil feline that is looking for lunch.

“When she realizes that everyone dislikes Ugly, she takes the opportunity to trick the clueless duck into being cooked for a meal,” she said. “You have to really focus in order to make the audience believe you.”

“Honk Jr.,” is directed by Springhouse Middle School teacher Jessica Reitnauer, with musical direction by Alaina Swartz, and choreography by Stephanie Knowlton.

Swartz said they chose “Honk Jr.,” because they had such a fantastic group of students this year and needed a show with opportunities for many students to shine.

“Honk was a great fit, and we also think it’s a really entertaining show,” Swartz said.

“The play is a twist on the classic tale of the Ugly Duckling,” Swartz stated. “It’s a great story for any age about the power of positivity and importance of embracing the differences in all of us.”

“Honk Jr.,” will be performed at 7 p.m. on March 10 and 11; and also 4 p.m. March 12.

Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the door.