KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
QUACK! Everyone flees from the quacking ducklings, above, in the MVT production of "Honk!" Ducklings include Elise Minkin, Anthony Chang, Kaitlin Kiyan and Alaura Ward.
Manoa’s ‘Honk’
both fair and fowl
"Honk!" presented by Manoa Valley Theatre, 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $30. Call 988-6131.
Review by John Berger The term "adult humor" is often a euphemism for comic material that relies on sexual references or bodily functions for laughs, but with Manoa Valley Theatre's production of "Honk!" there's a brighter and cleaner meaning. Make no mistake about it, MVT's "Honk!" is excellent family entertainment. It's just that it contains a few subtleties here and there that kids can't fully appreciate.
jberger@starbulletin.comTake the scene in which Cat (Kevin W. Yamada), cleverly disguised as a duck, seems on the verge of convincing a skeptical chicken (Terri Seeborg) that he is indeed the father of the strange "ducking" that has taken refuge there. Cat can almost taste the delicious "duckling" when Queenie (Katherine L. Jones, playing a very desirable female cat) appears. Bang! Or, rather, Yeeeowlll! Cat's desire for a tasty piece of duck is no match for his desire for, well, female cat companionship and he blows his cover.
Yamada instantaneously morphs from faux fowl to feline playboy and engages Jones in a comic yet very sensual tango while Seeborg tries to break them up with a broom. Kids can appreciate the broad comic aspects of the three-way encounter. Adults will enjoy the deeper elements (yes, most men are like that!) -- and appreciate how the excellent ensemble work of Yamada, Jones and Seeborg is enhanced by Cathy Foy's choreography and Greg Howell's hair and make-up design (note, for instance, the cat ears combed into Jones' wig and Yamada's facial make-up).
KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
At left, paper beats stone and Cat (Kevin Yamada) is unhappy as Ugly (Michael Hanuna) wins at jan ken po.
"Honk!" is a non-stop triumph for Yamada, who plays Cat with a panache reminiscent of Cesar Romero's portrayal of the Joker, and a blind persistence second only to Wile E. Coyote's endless pursuit of the Road Runner.
Why would any intelligent cat leave a duckyard, farm and pond full of birds for a cross-country search for one oversized duckling? Don't ask, just enjoy Yamada's showstopping almost-seduction of Queenie ("Together"), his first big showcase number ("Play with Your Food") and the grand finale that comes when Cat realizes that the "duckling" he's been pursuing all these months is a swan.
"Swanee?" he says tentatively. One Al Jolson impression coming up!
By that time, Gary Masuoka has distinguished himself as the singing, dancing Bullfrog who cheers up the lost swan-to-be with an expansive vaudevillian number about positive attitude.
And then there's Michael Hanuna, instantly likable as Ugly, the much-maligned over-sized "duckling." Hanunu effectively suggests the wisdom and emotional growth that results from encounters with Cat, a flock of ill-fated wild geese, Queenie and her chicken friend, some swans and the inhabitants of the duckyard. Hanuna is excellent throughout.
The music is not particularly memorable, but each song does something to advance the storyline or help define one of the characters, and musical director Darren Server gives the cast all it could ask for in the way of musical accompaniment. The impact of the comic song-and-dance numbers is especially strong, but Katie Doyle (Ida) stars in a couple of heartbreakers as Ugly's devoted "mother." She defends him against even her own nasty little ducklings -- and when Ugly disappears she must leave the duckyard for months searching for him.
Athena Espania's costumes are a mixed bag. Hanuna's brown tweeds set him apart from the ducks as surely as his physical size sets him apart from the other ducklings (played by pre-teens). The ducks and frogs are also well-visualized, but simple hats and scarves are not enough to define the turkeys, chickens and other fowl. (It's Michael Pae'kukui's characterization, rather than costuming, that makes him recognizable as a turkey).
Lloyd S. Riford III (set and lighting), Michael Harada (props) and scenic artist Karen Archibald, share credit for a gorgeous set rich in detail, and for a series of visual surprises that heighten the entertainment value of several scenes.
To come full circle, MVT's "Honk!" is excellent entertainment for children, but there's enough sophistication in director Karen Bumatai's production that adults can count on enjoying it too.
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