Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek the Musical is a TONY Award-winning fairy tale adventure! Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage, and proves there's more to the story than meets the ears.
"Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek…” And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude, and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand...and his name is Shrek.
Irreverently fun for the whole family, Shrek proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre.
Music by
Jeanine Tesori
Book & Lyrics by
David Lindsay-Abaire
Based on the Dreamworks
Animation Motion Picture
and the book by William Steig
Summer 2015 • July 17-19
Shrek the musical
Cast
Backstage Shots
(alphabetical order)
Josh Adelstein .................Young Shrek, Thelonius, Happy Villager
Anna Bakina .............................Alice in Wonderland, Duloc Dancer
Dara Balter .........................................White Rabbit, Happy Villager
Kate Barranco .........Fairy Godmother, Blind Mouse, Duloc Dancer
Sara Buchdahl .................Mama Bear, Blind Mouse, Duloc Dancer
Ashley Case ......................................Wicked Witch, Happy Villager
Spencer Eldridge .............................Papa Ogre, Peter Pan, Guard
Alana Gordon .......................Dragon, Tweedle Dum, Duloc Dancer
Grace Heffernan .......Mama Ogre, Blind Mouse, Sugar Plum Fairy
Leo Hojnowski .....................................................Pinocchio, Guard
Raquel Hyatt ...........................................................................Fiona
Azende Johnson Kendale ........King Herold, Wolf, Happy Villager
Elizabeth Johnson ................................Tinker Bell, Happy Villager
Mikayla Johnson .................Little Red Ridinghood, Happy Villager
Kali Karpovich ..............................................Little Bo Peep, Guard
Daniel Kim ..............................................................................Shrek
Julia Macdonald ..............................................Young Fiona, Guard
Meredith McGowan ............................................Papa Bear, Guard
Gina Melnick ..........................................................Little Pig, Guard
Sasha Melnick .......................................Baby Bear, Happy Villager
Hailey Mostow .........Queen Lillian, Humpty Dumpty, Duloc Dancer
Brooke Neuberger ..................................Goldilocks, Duloc Dancer
Nikki Neuberger ..................................................................Donkey
Lily Nisbet ......................................................Ugly Duckling, Guard
Jaclyn Okun ....................................................Gingy, Duloc Dancer
Madison Paylor ..........................................Little Pig, Duloc Dancer
Jacob Rose .........................Pied Piper, Mad Hatter, Happy Villager
Rachel Silverman ........Teen Fiona, Bluebird, Tweedle Dee, Guard
Kayla Sloan ............................................................Little Pig, Guard
Noah Tunis ........................................................................Farquaad
Izzy Ubriaco .........................................Elf, Grumpy, Happy Villager
Lauren White ..............Captain of the Guard, Bishop, Cheshire Cat
Isabelle Zagranichny ......................Puss in Boots, Happy Villager
Production Crew, Musicians & Staff
Director Molly Moores Technical Assistant Tyler Groton Lead Keyboard Mathew Lane
Musical Director Lisa Diver Scenic Painter Michael B. Ayers Reeds Russell Kirk
Technical Director Alison Andersen Student Dance Captain Hailey Mostow Reeds Adam Corson
Choreographer Rayna Berger Student Make-Up Assistant Emma Paterson Bass Broc Mertz
Tap Choreographer Rachel Ayers Waller Light Board Op Mandi Merlo Percussion Matthew Dupree
Assistant Director Kate Forton Sound Engineer Joshua Waller
Costume Designer Mandi Merlo Junior Counselor Danny Palmatary
Co-Costume Designer Ellie Vidmar Junior Counselor Emma Ubriaco
Costume Assistant Olivia Hollender Backstage Crew Rayna Berger, Makenzie Frieman, Jordan Kiser,
Music Assistant Jordan Kiser Olivia Hollender, Danny Palmatary, Emma Ubriaco
Props Assistant Makenzie Frieman Ellie Vidmar & our backstage volunteers
Director's Note
SHREK the Musical has a big heart, a little gas, and lots of good lessons for all of us. Don’t judge
someone before you know them. Don’t assume your problems are worse than anyone else’s.
Try friendship even when it seems strange. Try forgiveness even when you’re hurt.
Accept yourself as you are. Redefine beauty. And most of all “Let Your Freak Flag Fly”!
I think people who participate in theatre are perhaps the most tolerant, open-minded, accepting people
I know. We open our hearts to characters who are obviously very different than us because they are
orges or donkeys or dragons, and as a result we melt away prejudice in our own human world.
Learning to coexist peacefully in a world of differences is an invaluable lesson.
I also love that SHREK the Musical pokes fun at Disney princess images of girls waiting for
“prince charming” and a life of romance. I think it is healthy for our pre-teens and teenagers to learn
to expect the unexpected and not to expect a fairy-tale life. Fiona’s journey from romantic princess
to self-accepting ogress is another terrific lesson.
Sometimes we hide parts of ourselves like Fiona hid the fact that she was an Ogress after sunset. She was hiding one of the important layers of
her true self. As Shrek tells Donkey, “Onions have layers. Ogres have layers.” And we all have layers, too. Our layers can be character traits,
special talents or unique physical or mental conditions. Our layers can also be our secrets, our background, our experiences. Our layers make us who we are and give us reason to celebrate being unique.
But who likes to celebrate alone? Friendship is worth the effort. Fiona, Shrek, Donkey, Dragon, and all the fairy-tale characters realize that when
we share our layers with each other, our friendships deepen and make life extra special. Take it from Shrek, living in a swamp alone is all fine
and good but sharing jokes with Donkey and s’nothers (squirrel gizzards and mulch) with Fiona is a lot more fun!
Who knew that the comedy SHREK the Musical could teach us so much? When we layer acceptance of others, real-world expectations,
celebrating individualism, and making new friends we get a “big, bright, beautiful world” with all types of people to make it shine.
I hope SHREK encourages you to make a new friend today and celebrate what makes them special.
- Molly Moores, Director of SHREK
