playbill vip

A Note From The Director:

Before Shrek was a musical, or even a movie, he began life as a story book character created by famous New Yorker cartoonist and author, William Steig in 1990. Interestingly, the name Shrek came from German and Yiddish roots meaning ‘fear’and ‘terror’. The first film in 2001, a computer animated comedy film, was based on the picture book of the same name, starring the green ogre who left his home to see the world. Shrek won the first ever Academy Award For Best Animated Feature and was a widely successful DVD. The original Broadway production opened in December 2008, and closed after a run of over 12 months in January 2010.

As Shrek takes us on his journey with him, we realize that this musical is more than than the light hearted tale we may have anticipated. Have you ever met someone, made a snap decision on them, only to find out you were wrong? “Shrek, the Musical” demonstrates to everyone how to celebrate their individuality and encourages everyone to stand up tall and let their “Freak Flag Fly!” We learn that we should revel in our uniqueness, and we don’t have to be perfect to have a happy ending. As Mama Bear sings, “what makes us special makes us strong!” Through our process, we have grown to love our big hearted Shrek, his talkative side kick, Donkey, the audacious Princess Fiona, the less than gargantuan tyrant Lord Farquaad, and all of the characters in between.

Thank you to the very talented group of young performers who worked very hard on their roles to make “Shrek, the Musical” a success. Thank you to the production team (Brian, Thomasina, Larissa, Roger and Dee), and producer, John T. Asselta. Thank you to the theatre operations at Ben Franklin Middle School and to all of the parents who volunteered their time and efforts. And, thank you to Hawes Elementary School for welcoming our production team, especially Silvana Penava and Sue Molloy. It was a pleasure working with all of you.

Enjoy the show!

Thank you,

Tammy Colucci