This November, everyone’s favorite ogre hits to the local stage. Relive the adventures of Shrek, his sidekick Donkey, Princess Fiona, Lord Farquaad and everybody’s favorite fairy-tale creatures with an all-new musical score based off the blockbuster hit animated film.
Tigard High is staging Shrek the Musical with two-weeks of performances. You can catch the show on November 15-16 and 21-23 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on the 23 at 2:00 p.m. Shrek the Musical is a wholesome musical comedy (a few fart jokes aside) directed by Caitlin Brooke. The show is produced by Todd Hermanson and vocal director Robert Hawthorne. They are accompanied by conductor Rob Fishel. Tickets are $12 at the door and $10 online at THSDrama.com.
Set in the mythical, magical land of Duloc, Shrek the Musical is the story of a green ogre who, after being mocked and feared his whole life for being different, retreats to a slimy green swamp to exist in happy isolation. One day, a gaggle of fairy-tale characters (The Gingerbread Man, Pinnochio, the Three Pigs, you name it) breaks into his swamp, saying they’ve been evicted from their homes by the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad. Shrek has no choice but to strike a deal: I’ll get your homes back, if you give me my home back! Shrek confronts Lord Farquaad with the help of his trusty sidekick, Donkey. The Lord strikes a deal of his own: He’ll give the fairy-tale characters their homes back, if Shrek rescues Princess Fiona from the Dragon-guarded tower. Shrek obliges, yet finds something strange and different about this pretty princess. He likes her. A lot. But why does she always run off when the sun sets?
Behind the scenes, the cast prepares for the 2 hour and 30 minute hilarious burping and farting spectacular. The stakes are raised for the students acting and working in the production. Tigard High School puts on a large musical production once every two years, which makes all of those involved determined to put on a great performance. The cast is filled to the brim with singing, acting, and dancing talent. Actors come to the show from professional theater productions, and even Broadway. Bobbi MacKenzie plays Donkey in her first high school show. The all-around performer made her Broadway debut as an original cast member of the Tony-nominated “School of Rock” the Musical. Since then, she has gone on to perform at the White House for Michelle Obama in “Broadway at the White House.”
Junior Dryden Raschdorf plays the title role. He jokes that Shrek is like an onion; he has layers. “There’s a lot more to Shrek than people think in the musical adaptation. The musical shares the story of Shrek’s childhood, and where all of his deep-rooted issues come from.” Raschdorf feels that audience members can resonate with Shrek being bullied and his journey to self-acceptance. Raschdorf and MacKenzie are a firecracker dynamic duo as Donkey and Shrek. “My favorite thing about bringing the show together is working with new people, like Bobbi. She is so much fun to work with.”
Senior Oliva Conant plays Fiona, the quirky princess from Far Far Away. She is thrilled to be in her musical debut. “All of the cast members have something unique and beautiful to bring to the show, and I am proud to be part of that,” says Conant.
Burp and fart jokes aside, Shrek the Musical inspires audiences to let their freak flag fly. With a strong anti-bullying message, the musical tells audiences young and old that what makes you special makes you strong.
Shrek the Musical
When: Friday, Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2:00 p.m.
and 7:30 p.m.
Where: Deb Fennell Auditorium,
Tigard High School.
Tickets: $10.00 advance at THSDrama.com or (503) 431-5500, $12.00, the door
