On the weekend of April 26-28, the Griffith Theatre Company will be performing their spring musical, Honk!, a musical adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s story of the ugly duckling. The 26th and 27th’s shows will be performed at 7pm in the auditorium, and the Sunday matinee showing will be at 3pm.

When it comes to the spring musicals, actors and crew members have a lot more to keep in mind than the fall shows. Spring musicals still require the same amount of dedication and heart that the fall shows do, but fall shows focus exclusively on acting performance. Actors involved in the spring musical, not only memorize lines and blocking, but songs, dances, and oftentimes two or more roles.

For students willing to take the challenge like junior Jesse Miller, performing the lead role of the ugly duckling is an exciting experience, “It’s awesome to be the lead in Honk!,” said Miller, “I always study my lines and think of funny things to help get into the mindset of Ugly.”

Getting into the mindset of the characters’ helps the show come to life, so for students like junior Jackie Bobos (Ida), it’s the top priority. “I try to start practicing as soon as possible, and I try to watch different versions of the show on YouTube to try to get a feel for the character,” said Bobos. With dedicated performers like these, the show is more enjoyable for students, parents, and the performers alike.

The different crews of the GTC create the scenes for the shows, and the pit band brings the tone and atmosphere that the scenes need. Offstage, pit band and the crews put their hearts into the shows. Crew members dedicate weekdays and weekends, much like the actors, to literally piece together the show. The band members perform, bringing the music from notes on paper to anthems of “barnyard boogies”. The costume, hair, and makeup department all make the actors look the part, making the characters come to life. The lights and sound are in charge of microphones, spotlights, stagelights, and house lights. Without these, the other crews’ work would be in vain.

The students of the GTC have once again worked hard for their spring musical, and the best way to support them is being there for April 26th, 27th, or 28th’s showing of Honk!