Sofia Maclean (left) and Patrice Mitchell run through a scene of Honk! Jr. during a rehearsal of the  Superstar Productions performance that will run Saturday and Sunday at Bromfield. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Superstar Productions brings Honk! Jr., a musical “reimagining” of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, to Harvard’s Bromfield School this weekend. Combining a traditional tale with a positive message, catchy musical numbers, and exciting choreography, the show brings 18 area children ages 6 to 13 to the stage through Harvard Community Education’s Spectrum program. Two shows conclude more than a month of production and rehearsal. This will be Superstar Productions’ 19th production.

Director Kate Hoch, a Westford resident and the founder and artistic director of Superstar Productions, said that the hard work that goes into her organization’s shows are worth it. Superstar Productions’ is tuition-supported—participants’ fees pay for production costs, musical rights, costumes, sets, and the salaries of the musical director and choreographer. “The costs can be astronomical,” said Hoch. “The performance rights alone were about $800.” Hoch does not draw a salary, however, she said, “The opportunity to watch the children grow, the look on the children’s faces when they see their costumes, and the pride that they have in their performance is more than enough payment for me.” She clearly believes in her work: Hoch, along with six parent volunteers, has spent hundreds of hours creating costumes for Honk! Jr., not to mention the time spent on administrative and directorial duties.

The cast, too, has spent a great deal of time in preparation for Saturday and Sunday’s performances—about 56 hours worth of after-school and weekend rehearsals. During the stressful final days before Honk! Jr.’s Bromfield premier, though, these young performers approached the experience with enthusiasm, as well as an appreciation for the value of Superstar Production’s mission of performing artist development through meaningful, positive plays.

Sofia Maclean (left) and Patrice Mitchell run through a scene of Honk! Jr. during a rehearsal of the  Superstar Productions performance that will run Saturday and Sunday at Bromfield. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Spirits were high during one recent rehearsal. Julia Leblanc of Harvard, who plays the part of Mother Swan, expressed delight for “all of the new friends” she’s made. Emily Ferguson, playing Maureen and also of Harvard, said, “I really like the costumes and it’s cool to work in Bromfield.” Both agreed that the bonding involved in working to put on a play was valuable, something that’s not lost on Hoch. “Putting on a play is just like being on a team; it teaches reliability,” she said.

Beyond reliability, though, is the deeper message of the play. Hoch emphasized this from the very beginning of the process. She said, “In early rehearsals for Honk! Jr. we sat in a circle and I talked about empathy and what it would be like to be the central character, Ugly. Many of the children shared examples from their own lives of being judged by others and how that felt. Some shared that being friends with someone who is different can be cause for ridicule and that we could all think of examples of times that we ourselves have judged others.”

With its colorful, interpretive costumes, clever music, professional-level choreography, and dedicated cast and crew, this is a message that will be made loudly and clearly this weekend: don’t judge a book by its cover, and definitely don’t judge a bird by its feathers.

Honk! Jr. shows at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28. General admission tickets are $7. To order tickets call 978-424-5530 or send an e-mail to honk@stillriver.org.