‘Honk!’ arrives in time for the holidays

***image1***Ducks, geese, chickens and other barnyard animals show their “human side” in “Honk!” A retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen story “The Ugly Duckling,” Honk! starts its five-week run 7:30 p.m. today at KMC Onstage, Bldg. 3232 on Kleber Kaserne in Kaiserslautern.

“It’s just got a lot of heart and warmth,” said Richard Roberts, the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern entertainment director. “I love the message: It’s okay to be different; Everyone is beautiful in their way; and, just because you are different doesn’t make you wrong.”

The story centers on an ugly ducking who discovers his inner beauty by becoming a swan. There’s a barnyard of loveable characters including his tearful mother “Ida,” his dad “Drake,” who “ducks” his responsibilities, and a gaggle of comical geese, sly tomcat who just wants to play with his food, wisecracking bullfrog, and other such barnyard creatures. There are also plenty of “fowl” puns.

A new family price is now available, said Mr. Roberts. The cost now for a family of three or more is $30. Taking into account the cheapest children’s price, he said this is a savings of at least $8 for a family of three. Roberts added this price will be offered for all future family shows at KMC Onstage.

Cost is $14 for adults, $12 for students, 12 and older, and seniors, 60 and older, and $10 for children, 11 and younger. Performances are 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday, Dec. 14 and 15, and Jan. 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26, and 3 p.m. Sunday and Dec. 16, and Jan. 13 and 27. Children under 5 years old are only permitted for the matinées due to the length of the show.

The matinée show at 3 p.m. Jan. 20 is only open and free to the families enrolled in the garrison’s Army Community Service Exceptional Family Member Program. Outpatients staying at the Medical Transient Detachment on Landstuhl Regional Medical Center can see any of the shows for free.

For details, call KMC Onstage at 483-6626 or 0631-411-6626.