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 The Coterie Theatre and  Artistic Director Jeff Church have once again premiered an exciting new production aimed at young audiences.  A Theatre for Young Audiences premier, Lucky Duck is an adaption of a larger production with music by Henry Kreiger, lyrics by Bill Russell, and book by Bill Russell and Jeffrey Hatcher.   This production has been described as "The Ugly Duckling meets American Idol." I would have billed it as "a hilarious, sophisticated musical - with animals!" 

For the past few weeks, 'the creators' have been in residence at the Coterie Theater reworking the show with a pared down cast, a smaller stage, and a tighter timeframe.  The 28 characters were presented by 10 actors, the stage transforms from barnyard to forest to jailhouse to runway to stadium, and the fast pacing required the editing of songs and lines to a) get the show performed in 70 minutes and b) keep the attention of an audience with the mean age of nine. 

The production began with a soft start - a duck quack soundtrack, some characters on stage schmoozing with the audience, and a warm up routine with the applause sign - to set the tone of "this is fun, be involved, have a great time."  That was easy to do since the writing was witty, contemporary and light hearted, and had delivery to match (despite a few jokes I wouldn't want to explain to a seven-year-old).

Written with an adult audience in mind, but reconceived for the children's audience, the kid-friendly aspects of the show were obviously the personification of the animal characters and the broad themes of tolerance, equality, and that singing contests could make you a national hero.  I had a feeling that some of the jokes were emphasized for younger audiences to catch, such as the pronunciation of Armand "Di-YO" and said Armand's reaction to a fright.  Others, though, were so off-the-cuff and thrown in at such a rate, that I was laughing through a whole scene.

No poultry pun was left "unplucked," but the actors delivered the lines with aplomb.

The actors were well cast and the characters creatively divvied up. With a production of this scope and a company of this size, the challenges were to make a distinguishing character with wardrobe choices and allow the actors to switch (and change) on a dime.  The cast did a skillful job of jumping from character to character.  I especially enjoyed the performances from Julie Shaw as Goosetella and Katie Karel's brief but entertaining Chicken Little.  

The main characters were relatable choices, though refreshingly atypical of fairy tales.  Jenny Greenberry played Serena, the ugly duckling who transforms into a fashion model in her quest to be a superstar.  The rejected gosling travels to the big city to "prove" something to everyone who mocked her - she may be angry and naïve, but also smart and knows what she wants.  Wolf, played by Tim Scott, was smarmy, but his wit and sang-froid made him an incorrigibly likable character.  It was obvious he couldn't be trusted, but darn it, he made a compelling case.  Prince Drake, played by Seth Golay, was handsome, narcissistic, and unrepentantly shallow - or as he put it, "aesthetically acute."  The language doesn't dumb down to children and I liked that.

The tunes were Broadway all the way, easy to latch on to, with creative lyrics and more punning, as in Wipe the Egg Off Your Face and A Helping Paw.  I especially enjoyed the duet between Serena and Drake in Too Bad You're Not My Type.  However, while the singing may have been the point of the plot, it wasn't exactly the star.  I couldn't tell if it was a matter of projection or amplification, but solos were easily lost within group numbers.  Miss Greenberry looked and acted the part, but while her voice was clear and natural, she couldn't quite land the Broadway belting.  She had more success when she was singing in the Quackerdome (with the help of a microphone).  There were some projection issues with other members of the cast, which makes me think it may have been a technical issue.  (I’ll mention here that my husband is in ‘house band,’ so I won’t comment too much about them – except that if the band isn’t stealing the show in a production like this, they are doing their job!)

The choreography had some hits and misses.  The two big dance breaks looked frantic and cramped, but the fashion show was convincingly over the top, glamorous and exuberant.  The use of smaller gestures was the most productive in both the dancing and during scenes. The bit in which Serena chased the spot light in Average, Simple, Mega Superstar was effective for the number and the character. 

Wardrobe and props went a long way to bolster the believability.  Some aspects were scaled up, some down, some animalistic traits simply alluded to.   Wedged in many a nook and cranny were nests of hay filled with goose eggs.  The jail cell made of gigantic chick wire was inventive.  The costuming was more streamlined and personal; rarely was a character festooned entirely with fur or feathers.  A few of my favorite decisions were Goosetella in a golden, Vreelandesque suit and turban, Armand in a gray leather jacket, and the taupe and grey paisley fabric used in Serena's "before" look.  Unfortunately, the "model" look was my least favorite choice.  The kitten-heeled shoes and knee length skirt made her look stumpy, not statuesque.  And her hair tightly pulled back in a bun was distractingly plain.  Get the girl a wig, a headdress or some sparkly barrette. However, Serena's final "look" was spot on for a swan - an elegant construction of a swirling material that really looked like something a superstar would wear.

While the end was too succinct, it fit well within the fairy tale archetype - with the final revelation, all previous misadventures were forgotten and crimes forgiven.  The final number was catchy, though, and I left humming the tune.  Overall, it was an engaging performance, well written and enjoyably performed. 

REVIEW:
Coterie Theatre
Lucky Duck
Runs through August 8^th.
Friday, June 25 at 7:30 at p.m.  (Reviewed)
First floor of the Crown Center Mall
2450 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-474-6552 or online at www.coterietheatre.org

Cover photo: Clem (Keenan Ramos), Wolf (Tim Scott) and Carl (Greg Krumins) in Lucky Duck. Photo by J. Robert Schraeder/Coterie Theatre. 

By Libby Hanssen

Traditional and New Classical, Theatre Contributor

Libby Hanssen holds degrees from University of Missouri-Kansas City (M.M.) and Ball State University (B.M.) in trombone performance and also studied music education at Indiana University. She has studied trombone with Carl Lenthe, JoDee Davis, John Seidel, John Huntoon and Denis Wick, and music education with Brent Gault, Estelle Jorgensen and Katherine Strand.

While at IU, she taught classes in general music, focusing on listening skills and music fundamentals through practical music usage and exploring new sound constructions. During the course of her studies at UMKC, she performed with many ensembles, including the Conservatory Orchestra and Musica Nova. She has also performed with the Kansas City Puccini Festival, the People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, the New Jazz Order, the Indiana Wind Symphony and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.

In 2010, she was a fellow (one of 23 journalists selected from across the US) for the seventh annual National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University’s Journalism School in New York City.

Most of her free time is spent with her three boys (son, dog and husband) and camera, exploring the many fine aspects of Kansas City living. She enjoys listening to KKFI - Kansas City Community Radio and KCUR - Kansas City's NPR station, visiting Kansas City's fine collection of museums and galleries, and scavenging in thrift and antique stores to add to her collection of toy instruments.

She writes for the joy of words and the process of constructing a story, maintaining the blog Proust Eats a Sandwich (www.prousteatsasandwich.wordpress.com). She is working on her first book: Murray Goes to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

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