Shrek the Musical: Stellar Cast, Relatable Characters, Top-Notch Talent

This is the second part of a two-part series about Lincoln High School’s production of “Shrek the Musical.” Part one highlighted a Q&A with the cast and was featured yesterday. VIEW PART ONE OF OUR SERIES

Friendship, laughter, adventure, and love. It’s “Shrek the Musical” at Lincoln High School.

Not being familiar with “Shrek the Musical” before attending the dress rehearsal for this coming weekend’s show, I didn’t know what to expect. I went into it wondering how this high school cast was possibly going to make the stage production as lively and as relatable as the movie. I also wondered how they would be able to make it as funny (I mean come on, the movie featured Eddie Murphy). But, I was impressed with what I saw.

Photo by Felicia Greco

Let’s start with who shaped up to be my favorite character, The Donkey, Dorian Anderson is stellar in the part. With his clumsy hooves, he nails it. I was the most skeptical about this role and who could pull it off better than Eddie Murphy, but in the end Anderson’s portrayal surpassed my greatest expectations. His voice inflections, his humor, his body language are all spot on. His costume is endearing with those iconic hooves and big donkey ears. Finding out that this is only Anderson’s second musical came as a surprise to me because he has no problem getting and keeping attention on stage. I just assumed he has been doing this since childhood.

Then there is his BFF Shrek, played by Jack Brown. Brown brings Shrek’s vulnerable side brilliantly to the stage. He makes Skrek so relatable. You just want to be his friend. You can’t help but constantly root for Shrek to capture the heart of his princess while saving her. Brown is a veteran of the stage as this is his eighth musical, and it shows in how he transitions in his role all while stealing the heart of the audience.

Photo by Felicia Greco

Speaking of the princess, Fiona is a breath of fresh air. Played by Hayley Wright, Fiona is brought to life with vibrant sparks of Hayley’s energy. She is an absolute delight to listen to. Wright’s vocal talents are stunning. There is an angelic purity to her voice that lends perfectly to the part of Fiona. She seems to effortlessly hit every note with the proper tone. To say Wright has a gorgeous singing voice would not be saying enough.

The show wouldn’t be complete without Lord Farquaad played by Zachary Stiles. The comedy spewed by Stiles doesn’t stop short despite his short little legs. Stiles legitimately walks around and dances on his knees to perfect the Lord Farquaad role (I imagine that is tiring and at times painful). It’s isn’t effortless being a villain. His skinny little hanging legs are hilarious, but it’s his command of the stage and audience that is the true attention getter. He’s funny, he’s mean, he’s talented.

Photo by Felicia Greco

The four leads are backed by supporting cast members that bring the entire show to life. And the orchestra made up of adult volunteers is top notch.

This is a show you won’t want to miss!

Performances of Shrek the Musical will be held on Friday, November 8th at 7:30 pm, Saturday, November 9th at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, November 10th at 2:00 pm.

Tickets prices are $13 for adults and $11 for Students/Senior Citizens and can now be reserved by calling 724-752-1591 x3002 or by emailing ellwoodcitymusical@gmail.com.