‘Shrek the Musical’ on stage this week at Mainland Regional High School
LINWOOD — A big, ugly ogre will be at Mainland Regional High School this week, and it’s not Mark Marrone on a bad-hair day.
The chief school administrator hopefully will be in a laughing mood as the school’s drama club is set to present “Shrek the Musical,” a comedy about the ogre’s journey from his beloved swamp to save a princess, meeting a colorful cast of characters, both familiar from fairy tales and otherwise, along the way.
The 2001 movie “Shrek” was a huge success for DreamWorks, starring Mike Myers as the title character, Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona, as well as John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad and many others. It spawned three sequels and millions in merchandise sales.
The student production will be the second under the direction of drama/performing arts teacher Curt Foy, who joined the staff in September 2021. His first production was the fall play “Midsummer Jersey,” a high-spirited mashup of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Jersey Shore.”
Foy said the students are excited to perform a spring musical after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the theater program for a couple of years.
“It’s been a very exciting year knowing that we were permitted to bring live theater back to Mainland after such a troubling and unprecedented time,” Foy said. “After a successful fall play, we knew we would have an equally enjoyable experience putting on a musical in the spring.”
He said “bumps along the way” included concerns about presenting a full production amid the pandemic restrictions and doubts whether the show would even go on.
“We are elated that we are able to put forth a full-scale musical as per usual expectations pre-pandemic. It’s very exciting and the students are having a blast,” he said.
Foy said the pandemic taught everyone a lot of lessons, not the least of which was not to take anything for granted.
“I have learned that the theater students at Mainland are resilient and dedicated. Not only are they very easy to work with but they are all very talented. It has been a pleasure working with them thus far,” he said.
He described the musical as a true underdog story, the tale of an unlikely hero who becomes a champion for those who need help having their voices heard.
Foy said “Shrek” is one of the “few exceptions in which the stage production actually expands upon and better illustrates the deeper story behind these characters.”
“The musical production gives us so much more to love about each individual character and fairytale creature. This is a fun show for everyone of all ages. Everyone will walk away from this show with a smile on their faces, no doubt,” he said.
Christian Orlowski is the star of the show in the title role, with Olivia D’Alessandro as the female lead Princess Fiona, Michael Leiderman as the sarcastic sidekick Donkey and Mia Derosa as Lord Farquaad.
“Our cast is so wonderful in their individual roles, it’s hard to imagine our show being cast any other way,” Foy said. “We ultimately felt we had a stronger show by single-casting and were able to acquire costumes that were more tailored to each performer’s needs.”
Foy said Orlowski and D’Alessandro “blew us away at auditions with their chemistry, nailing both the comedy and sincerity these characters need to make these roles come to life.”
He called Leiderman “a very animated guy to begin with and he really shines as the lovable Donkey.”
In all, including support cast, dancers, backstage, costumes, lighting and sound crews, 33 students are taking part.
Foy said that while the “spotlights may be on the performers,” there are many indispensable people working behind the scenes.
He noted Alex Dannecker, technical director and lighting designer; Stephanie Maehr, stage manager; Lily Newton, student stage manager; Marissa Mast, costume designer; and all of their student assistants.
Vocal director Amy Melson, choreographer Clare Eger and music director Derek Rohaly also are providing their expertise.
Other Cast members
Ella Osbeck, Scarlett Brookbank, Molly Pacanowski, Haylee Cass, Yullian Pereira, Isabela Perez, Mason Naman, Sydney Shim, Carly McCarthy, La’niya Atkinson, Miller Lichtenwalner, Cam Ramos-Reyna, Kailan Cass, Audrey Seals, Kate Michel, Luna Navas, Eva Brozosky, Sam Goldstein, Max Pisetzner, Cenzi Caruso, Roselyn Driscoll, Franchesca Bozzi, Katie Leonard, Mya Mazurek, Smith, Kendall Demorat, Anna Geubtner, Payton Lamp and Tati Waxman.
“Shrek the Musical” is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, March 17, and Friday, March 18, as well as 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Mainland Regional High School. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased online at mainlandregional.net or in person at the door.
Masks will not be required and there are no limitations on seating.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff