About 45 San Lorenzo Valley Middle School students worked through their final rehearsals this week in preparation for the Thursday, Dec. 6, opening performance of “Honk!”
The show is a musical comedy version of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling,” and will feature sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students singing and dancing.
Will Guilford, longtime drama teacher at the middle school, said the show’s message about accepting others who are different is particularly relevant for preteens and teenagers.
“We’re all different — we hope to learn and grow,” he said. “That’s the cool thing about it. It’s not your typical middle-school show.”
The double-casted show features Travis Gorham and Aaron McKay as the protagonist, Ugly. Maddy McMillan and Aidan O’Connell portray Ida, his mother, and the villain, The Cat, is brought to life by Sabrina Chinello, Maddy Stein and Josslyn Andrews.
Guilford said “Honk!” will be the middle school’s final theatrical performance in the school’s existing performing arts center, which is slated for demolition.
According to Erik Slaughter, the construction manager for San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, plans will be submitted for state approval in February to replace the existing building — constructed in the early 1980s — with a modern replacement in time for the 2014-15 school year.
The construction will be paid for with money raised by Measure O, the $18.9 million bond measure approved by San Lorenzo Valley voters in 2008.
Assuming the project gains approval, Slaughter said, the district will begin searching for bids as early as June.
“Honk!” runs until Dec. 16. Performances begin at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m.
Tickets go on sale 30 minutes before each show and cost $13 for general admission, $10 for seniors and $8 for students.
The performing arts center is on the San Lorenzo Valley High School campus, 7105 Highway 9, in Felton.
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