Shrek The Musical
The Augusta Players will close their season with the Augusta premiere of Shrek The Musical at the historic Imperial Theatre on Mother's Day weekend May 8-10. Shrek The Musical is based on the Oscar winning DreamWorks film, "Shrek" with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire.
Like the film, the musical offers a contemporary twist on the classic fairytale and focuses on a kind hearted, but often misunderstood large green ogre named Shrek. Because of his outward appearance, Shrek has been mocked and feared his entire life and retreats to a swamp to live alone in isolation. After a gregarious group of fairy tale characters interrupt Shrek's solitude, he sets out with a wise-cracking donkey to rid himself of the nuisance, and unknowingly embarks on a hero's journey to rescue Princess Fiona, who is awaiting her true love in a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon.
Director Richard Justice, who began his acting career in the Augusta Players Youth Theatre in 1978, lends his talents to the musical and says, "Between performing and directing, I have probably been involved with over one hundred productions with local theater. I have worked on Chicago, Gypsy, Beauty and The Beast, and Fiddler on the Roof to name a few. With the magnitude of a Disney type musical like Shrek, there are so many parts with the costumes, make up, and special effects that it can be a challenge for community theater to produce, but we remain true to the original script and always try to capture that theater magic. The community can expect great singing, fun choreography, and a realistic set complete with a tower and dragon’s liar. If you like the story of Shrek, then you will love the musical."
Justice is directing a cast of forty actors, some of whom will be making their debut appearance in lead roles. The main cast includes Ryan Abel as Shrek, Kirsten Newlin as Princess Fiona, Antonio Scales as Donkey, Tracey Eubanks as Dragon, and Mike Sleeper as Farquad. The musical also features a large supporting cast of fairy tale characters including Pinocchio, played by Eddie Renew, and The Gingerbread Man, played by Meredith Hyman.
"Dozens upon dozens of fairy tale characters are intertwined in this production,” Justice says. “The storybook characters act as a unit in the musical and they really knock it out of the park portraying their characters." Abel adds, "In theater it is important that you nail the character because that is what everyone is showing up to see. I have been working very hard on Shrek's Scottish accent because you have to keep true to the character, but at the same time you also have to make it yours. That is the beauty and the struggle of the journey.”
Scales, whose journey led him to the role of Donkey, agrees, “I watched some Eddie Murphy clips and also watched the Shrek film several times while preparing for my role. There are some hints of Eddie that I portray in my character, but I add my own flair to it too. You have to make it your own."
Shrek The Musical employs a diverse mix of music with undertones of rock, gospel, rhythm and blues, and show tunes. Abel says, “There are a lot of show stoppers in the musical including, 'Who I’d Be' (trio with Abel, Newlin, and Scales) and 'Forever' (Eubanks). Donkey (Scales) has a great song called “Make a Move' which will channel James Brown and Farquads’s (Sleeper) big song is “Things Are Looking Up,” a classic broadway number."
While touching on themes of self-actualization and acceptance, Shrek The Musical embarks on a soul searching journey while attempting to dispel outdated myths and the fallacy of judging a book by its cover. Newlin who plays Princess Fiona says, “I think the real message is about accepting yourself. I am a teacher and I am always trying to teach this to my students. There is a line at the end of the musical that addresses the idea that the very thing that makes us different is the thing that really makes us special and strong. Fiona has this idea that she knows who her true love is and she wants to be pretty, but in the end she finds out that her true love is Shrek and that he thinks she is beautiful just as she is."
Shrek The Musical is a three hour production that delivers the classic magic and fantasy that goes along with the traditional fairytale story, while also interjecting Twenty-first Century insight and humor. Welcome to "once upon a time," to the land of Duloc, where ogres are the good guys, princesses belch, and Prince Charming doesn't always get the girl. In as much as the storyline deviates from fabled romance stories of the past, in the end good still defeats evil, love still triumphs, and they all still live happily ever after. Show times are 8 p.m. on May 8-9 and 3 p.m. on May 10. Tickets can be purchased at www.imperialtheatre.com
