REVIEW: Shrek the Musical is a delightful homage to the animated classic
Now through 01/26 @ The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck
“...not just about true love’s triumph and the value of inner beauty over appearances but the life-affirming truth that every soul is sacredly beautiful and worthy of being cherished for its true self.”
Shrek The Musical is the enormously popular musical based on the enormously popular series of animated films featuring the vocal talents of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy & Cameron Diaz. It should come as no surprise that the parking lot at The Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck was overflowing on Friday’s bitter cold night.
The musical as written has many things to recommend it and the Center Stage Production at The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck has even more. It is exceptionally well directed by Emily Woolever, superbly cast with every member of the 33 strong ensemble making a positive impression and it looks and sounds great. Sets are by Matthew & Emily Woolever and the extraordinary costumes are by Juanita LaPlant & Katie-Beth Anspach. Music direction is by Matthew Woolever and sound design is by Scott Tunkel.
David Lyndsey-Abaire (book & lyrics) and Jeannine Tesoro (music) have collaborated more recently on the sweet, whimsical Tony Award-winning Best Musical Kimberly Akimbo but here, they are having a ripping good time in Shrek’s swamp. They’re wallowing in the ogre’s scatalogical humor and delighting in their use of the fairy tale characters (Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Red Riding Hood and her cross-dressing Big Bad Wolf, the three bears and pigs respectively…) to tell this story not just about true love’s triumph and the value of inner beauty over appearances but the life-affirming truth that every soul is sacredly beautiful and worthy of being cherished for its true self. The 11 o’clock number is a full cast anthem called “Let Your Freak Flag Fly.”
It’s a huge cast and all the fairy tale characters are fully alive and distinct onstage but they also play in different groups as Duloc citizens, Dragon Knights, a Happy Mob and especially a group of Rat Tappers. The well chosen, energetic, fun choreography is by Jordan Stroly. It is not a brief evening but the scene changes are executed briskly and everyone (!) seems to be having so much fun: the large group dancing numbers go a long way in ensuring that. It’s a pleasure to watch.
The leads are fantastic. Yurble as Lord Farquaad (who is costumed to walk on their knees with small prop legs attached to make them a little person) gets squeals of delight with every entrance. They have the best time hurling their diminutive body about.
Duane Joseph Olson (as the titular character) has a solid, grounding presence that treats his own needs and reactions to the foolishness around him truthfully which supplies the beating heart of the show.
Jalen Carr is ass-tonishing as Donkey! He steals what he wants from Eddie Murphy but can do more with a throwaway gesture or a twist of his heavy hips. His subdued upstage reactions to Shrek & Fiona’s gross-out competition, “I Think I Got You Beat,” are delicious.
Appropriately, the princess Fiona has the most beautiful, pleasing voice of the evening and she gave me shivers of delight with her vocalizing and her game personality and, and, AND …she was co-costume designer!?! Come see this show and witness Katie-Beth’s accomplishments, the miracles of community theatre and you too will be singing along with Shrek and The Monkees: “And then I saw her face / Now I’m a believer!”
Shrek The Musical plays through Sunday, 1/26 at The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck. Coming up in February are Grease (2/7-2/16) and The Mousetrap (2/21-3/2). For tickets, visit www.centerforperformingarts.org
