SCR Presents LUCKY DUCK, Closes 2/27

Animals talk, sing and do complicated choreography in the kingdom of Lucky Duck, which closes Feb. 27 on South Coast Repertory's Julianne Argyros Stage.
 
With a book by Bill Russell and Jeffrey Hatcher, music by Henry Krieger, lyrics by Bill Russell and orchestrations by Harold Wheeler, Lucky Duck is a good-hearted show about making the most of who you are.  The duck in question is Serena, who has great pipes but can't compete in the looks department and so is not qualified to enter the competition for "the best songbird in the land."  To top things off, she learns that she's a foundling and-upset by the news-flees to the forest.  Waiting for her is Wolf, a slick agent (and alleged vegetarian), who convinces her to seek her destiny in New Duck City.
 
Art Manke, a five-time Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (LADCC) Award-winning director, who is also an esteemed choreographer, will wear both hats for this production.  He returns to SCR after directing numerous productions, including the LADCC winner Bach at Leipzig and, most recently, Noises Off.
 
Jamey Hood (SCR's Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business and Imagine) plays Serena; SCR newcomer Brian Ibsen plays the Wolf/Narrator who goes into agent mode to make Serena a star.  Portraying the King and Queen (among other characters) are Tom Shelton (In the Next Room or the vibrator play and numerous Theatre for Young Audiences productions) and Amy Tolsky (Sideways Stories from Wayside School).  Rounding out the cast as barnyard animals and New Duck City characters are Gloria Garayua (La Posada Mágica), Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper (Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business), and Renee Brna and Jeffrey Christopher Todd, making their SCR debuts.
The production's creative ensemble consists of Fred Kinney (Set Design), Angela Balogh Calin (Costume Design), Jaymi Lee Smith (Lighting Design), Cricket Myers (Sound Design), John Glaudini (Music Director) andJennifer Ellen Butler (Stage Manager).
 
Emulex is Lucky Duck's Corporate Honorary Producer, andOC Family is SCR's Theatre for Young Audiences Media Partner.
 
About TYA: SCR's Theatre for Young Audiences(TYA)presents three professional productions each season designed especially for children and their families.  In addition to the public performances, TYA hosts more than 10,000 students from elementary schools annually in an effort to introduce the next generation to the magic of live theater.
 
TICKETS to Lucky Duck can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.  Performances begin on Feb. 11 and continue through Feb. 27. Ticket prices range from $18 to $30.  Low-priced previews are available from Feb. 11-18.
 
LOCATION:  South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Folino Theater Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available off Anton Blvd. on Park Center Drive.
 
ABOUT SCR:  Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, under the artistic direction of David Emmes and Martin Benson, is widely recognized as one of the leading professional theaters in the United States.  Founded in 1964, SCR is committed to theater that illuminates the compelling personal and social issues of our time, not only on its stages but through its education and outreach programs.  While its productions represent a balance of classic and modern theater, SCR is renowned for its extensive new play development program, including the Pacific Playwrights Festival.  Of SCR's more than 450 productions, 117 have been world premieres with subsequent stagings achieving enormous success across America and around the world.  SCR-developed works have garnered eight Pulitzer Prize nominations with Margaret Edson's Wit winning the prize in 1999 and David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole in 2007.  Located in Costa Mesa, California, in 2002 SCR opened the Folino Theater Center, an expanded three-theater complex that includes the 507-seat Segerstrom Stage, the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 94-seat Nicholas Studio.