'Shrek The Musical' at the Warner Theatre - My Review

My second Shrek of the weekend was the outstanding production at the Warner Theater. Sheila Waters Fucci directed and choreographed the large and very talented cast and crew that she called a "small regiment." This show is a huge undertaking and requires not only a large number of performers and crew members, but a complicated set, a myriad of props and costumes, and a 28-foot long dragon and four puppeteers.  Truth be told, I was a little concerned that it just might be a bit too much for any community theater to pull off. This community theater not only pulled it off, they set the bar very high for any further productions.

The Sunday matinee was packed with 1100 excited patrons, many of whom were young children. We had seats in the half-price for kids section. This made my teen groan a bit, since he is used to being among the youngest people in the audience, but I thought that the kids were very well behaved. A few of the youngest near us fell asleep before the second act and there was a lot of taking little ones to the restroom. However, this is the perfect show for young ones and it was fun to hear little voices predicting what would happen next because they knew the story of the loveable ogre on a quest so well.

Ms. Fucci writes that on his journey Shrek "learns a lot about himself, makes a steadfast friend, finds his true love and embraces his own 'Happy Ending.'" Of course there are lots of challenges, surprises, laughter and a little danger along the way, not to mention some humor that adults will appreciate and a few Broadway show references, just for good measure.

What this production did really well was, well, everything. The orchestra conducted by Music Director Elizabeth Lorenzo sounded professional. The musical numbers I especially enjoyed included the trio of Fionas singing "I Know It's Today," "Story of My Life," "Freak Flag," and any time Lord Farquaad was on the stage. The set from Chinchilla Theatricals and augmentations designed by the director worked well and were moved around efficiently.

The costumes rented from The Croswell Opera House and overseen by Leslie Neilson Bowman were spot on and the wigs were all flattering. Shrek was a convincing shade of green and Donkey could not have been cuter (or funnier.) The dragon puppet* was huge and beautiful and expertly worked by her handler Alex Gibson and three others. In a production this size, the props are handled by a crew of three.

And then there was the cast that included many Warner Stage Co. veterans as well as many new young faces. Each and every one of them should be proud of themselves for a job well done. The impossibly adorable fifth grader named Trevor Rinaldi was amazing in the roles of Young Shrek, Walter the Greeter, and a very important Dwarf. Kennedy Morris (one of the Annies in Blessed Sacrament's Annie) had another chance to shine as Young Fiona and the elf.

Some of the best fairy tale creatures were played by Cole Sutton (as Pinocchio,) Troy Bond (as the White Rabbit,) Lauren Stango (as Peter Pan) and Rachel Oremland (as both Sugar Plum Fairy and Gingy.) John Ozerhoski (of Backstage fame) never met a character part he didn't like and was a strong Papa Bear and others, and Sybil Haggard Chamberlin returned to the stage to play Mama Bear. Richard McKenna was one of the dance captains and played a slew of roles as expertly as he always does.

The lead performers could not have been more impressive. Michael Cartwright was the ultimate Shrek; a strong singer and actor, he was both funny and touching. The lovely Rebecca Russo played the feisty and funny Fiona with great comic timing and, of course, sang beautifully. Zach Carter, who has always been talented beyond his years, almost stole the entire show as the height-challenged Lord Farquaad. And Moses Beckett was a comic genius as the loud-mouthed but loveable Donkey. At the risk of repeating myself, this supremely talented young man can do everything well and possesses a keen comic timing that is perfect for this role.

Ultimately this is one of the best productions I have ever seen at the Warner. Kudos to everyone involved in bringing Shrek to the Warner stage. I heartily encourage everyone to call for tickets for next weekend's three performances. You will be singing "I'm a Believer" all the way home from Torrington.