LUCKY DUCK book by Bill Russell and Jeffrey Hatcher music by Henry Krieger lyrics by Bill Russell orchestrations by Harold Wheeler directed and choreographed by Art Manke February 11 - 27, 2011 Julianne Argyros Stage
The Ugly Duckling meets “American Idol,” with music by the composer of Dreamgirls! This rollicking riff on a favorite fairy tale begins in the barnyard, where things aren’t going so well for a waterfowl named Serena. She’s got great pipes but is lacking in the looks department, so off she goes to the big city where she lands a wolf agent and gets a fabulous make-over. But as her journey toward superstardom progresses—with help from her animal friends (including a few that step in from other fairy tales)—Serena discovers that fame is only feather deep.
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Playwright Bios
Bill Russell wrote the book and lyrics for the critically acclaimed Broadway musical Side Show, receiving a Tony nomination for book and sharing a nomination with composer Henry Krieger for score. He co-wrote the book and lyrics for Off-Broadway's long-running musical, Pageant. Other credits include the book and lyrics for Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging, Off-Broadway's Fortune and The Texas Chainsaw Musical (co-author), Family Style and Kept (with Henry Krieger and Steven Chbosky), which premiered at TheatreWorks of California.
Jeffrey Hatcher is a prolific and frequently produced playwright in the U.S., and he recently adapted his play Compleat Female Stage Beauty for the screen. He wrote the screenplay Casanova for director Lasse Hallstrom, as well as screenplays for directors Steven Shainberg and Kim Pierce. Hatcher grew up in Ohio before attending New York University to study acting. After a brief career on stage, he turned his hand to writing. His many award-winning original plays have been performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally across the U.S. and abroad. He has won grants and awards from the NEA, TCG, Lila-Wallace Fund, Rosethanl New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Barrymore Award and others. A four-time participant at the O'Neill National Playwrights conference, he is a member of the Dramatists Guild, New Dramatists, The Playwrights' Center and the WGA.
Henry Krieger, as a young adult, accompanied his parents to Broadway musicals, where the production numbers made an indelible impression on him. While still in his twenties, Krieger began composing for Off-Off-Broadway, where he met playwright-lyricist Tom Eyen. Together with director-choreographer Michael Bennett, they created the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, which went on to win six Tony Awards, and Krieger was nominated for his now legendary score, for which he won the Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album. Two years later, his musical The Tap Dance Kid opened on Broadway, winning two Tony Awards. His most recent Broadway musical, Side Show, opened in 1997 and received four Tony nominations, including Best Score. In 2000, Krieger debuted a new musical entitled Everything's Ducky, from which the TYA show Lucky Duck is adapted. The show won the 2000 Backstage West Garland Award for Best Score as well as the Will Glickman Award for Best New Bay Area Play. He is currently working on a musical version of Moonstruck.
