While the hype of “the Wizard of Oz” flew through the hallways at Freedom, other schools were preparing and performing their musicals as well. Signs and cut-outs could be found all over Beaver County advertising various high school’s musicals. Starting on Feb. 28 through March 2, Western Beaver High School performed their portrayal of “Shrek: The Musical.”
The audience followed Shrek as he journeyed to save his swamp. The most enjoyable aspect of this musical was how humorous it was. All of the characters made everyone laugh in their own way: Shrek and Donkey’s constant bantering, Farquaad’s knee-running across the stage and the giant-headed Walter fleeing from Shrek in fear were just a few examples. If you have even the slightest sense of humor, this definitely would’ve been your kind of musical.
This musical was unique in the sense that not many people have even heard about the popular cartoon, Shrek, becoming a musical. The plot followed close to the movie, with Lord Farquaad exiling the fairy tales to a swamp and Shrek saving Princess Fiona in the end. All around, this musical didn’t disappoint.
Talent was found in all ages at Western Beaver, with a cast consisting of middle school actors alongside the high schoolers. One part of the show I found interesting was having Princess Fiona portrayed at different ages. All three actresses sounded wonderful together, and the audience got to see the different Fiona attitudes in the castle.
Throughout the show, there was never a dull moment. Whether captured by the strong voices of the singers in the cast or the talented dancers taking over the stage, audience members were entirely entertained. The show featured a number of dances throughout the show, including a fairy tale revolt and a tap number.
Besides the cast itself, the scenes and set pieces were remarkable. From the tower-guarding dragon to the moving rope bridge, the set came to life. Along with set, costume pieces provided a great aspect to the show, from the giant green ogre, to the various fairy-tale characters, and the villagers who were identical to one another.
Overall, I found this musical to be a lot more than expected. I had never seen another performance of Shrek: The Musical, and this was a great one to see first. The cast featured a lot of talented underclassmen, and I thoroughly look forward to seeing what they perform in the future.