Shrek the Musical is a "Shrekcess"
There were doubts in the weeks leading up to the opening night of Mission Vista’s performance of "Shrek The Musical." Posters decorated school walls advertising the upcoming spring musical, but no one knew if it would live up to all it promised. After opening night, however, there was no longer any doubt that the show was a hit.
"Shrek The Musical" is about Shrek, an ogre, who is played by David Spitzfaden, travelling through a fantasy world to get back his swamp with his friend Donkey, played by Cassidy Jessup and Jackson Taitano, by his side.
Everyone involved put forth a lot of effort for this musical, and many of the people behind it had to learn new skills and take on unfamiliar roles. For example, this show required more innovation in costuming and prop design than many of the shows of the recent past.
Mrs. Jones, drama teacher and director of the show, says she chose to produce this show because it would be a nice change of pace from their earlier fall play," The Crucible."
“There were times when I wasn’t sure that we would actually be able to," Jones admits. "There were just so many details and so many moving parts,” Jones explained.
Strawberry Thomas, a ninth grade actor in the musical, says that on opening night, the actors felt like they “were not prepared” and “were terrified because this was our first performance in front of people.”
One reason the show was so popular with audiences was due to the fact that the show was very interactive. Throughout the show the characters spent a lot of time off the stage moving through the aisle of the theater, generating a lot of enthusiasm and energy from the audience.
Despite the anxiety of the actors and a couple mishaps, this show will remain a favorite for many.