Shrek was a monumental movie making over 4 billion at the box office since its release on May 18, 2001. KHS has put a theatre twist to the iconic film, resulting in a fun spring show “Shrek the Musical.” The many attributes of the play including singing, dancing, and props all took high efforts of the cast and crew. This is an insider view of how the cast pulled this show together.
Many components went into making the excellent show including costume design, set preparation, and memorizing lines. Cast member sophomore Lindsey Mattie is playing Shrek’s mom and is in the ensemble. “There were efforts from Mr. Linnell working lines and music schedules, also Ms. Csatay working on all the dances and choreographing.” One of these efforts from play director Charles Linnell was having a clear calendar for all cast members regarding when practices and setup would be. These efforts were shown throughout the play as all aspects were well designed and the cast worked hard to memorize Linnell’s script.
Another behind-the-scenes of the Shrek musical was the memories made by the cast. Sophomore Sofia Villegas who plays “The Big Bad Wolf,” says that her favorite memory was, “Hanging out during tech week,” which is a week of preparation before the play where attendance is mandatory to help with lighting, mics, and rehearsal. “It’s super stressful, but also really fun.”
Mattie also has a favorite memory, “Just laying on the stage with Sofia and Alice while we are supposed to be doing things.” These cast members not only go to practice to put on a great performance but also to make memories with friends around them.
One of the most important parts of any play is the costumes. It’s crucial to have well-planned costumes, from deciding what colors to what style and what accessories. Senior Nathan Shurts playing Shrek shows some of the behind-the-scenes of making these costumes. “This year we ordered them so all we really had to do was get measured by Kaelyn and Mr. Linnell took care of the rest. We get them sometime around tech week typically.” This work was worth it as the outfits look well-planned and professional.
After performing the musical, it is a relief that all the hard work put in by the cast members was worth it. For seniors like Shurts, it also meant the end of a chapter. He has been a part of Kinnelon’s theatre program since freshman year and finally ended his career in the musical Shrek. A memory that he will bring with him to the college next year is “I imagine being green and having to use a Scottish accent won’t be something I forget quickly, but my favorite memory is getting to do duets with Tomas and cracking bad jokes back and forth. He’s a very fun Donkey.”
The Shrek musical took a lot of work, but more importantly, a lot of fun went into the production. From the audience’s view much of the audience enjoys the great production, without knowing all the hard work and dedication those parts of the play put into their performance.
