Filipino talent brings Shrek to life onstage
FAMILIES, friends, and kids at heart have another fun musical to look forward to this year as Shrek The Musical will be hitting the stage in time for Halloween.
The Broadway comedy-fantasy musical from Newport World Resorts’ production arm, the Full House Theater Company (FHTC), will have performances at the Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) from Oct. 31 to Dec. 6.
Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig, the show features the swamp world of Shrek the ogre. The high-energy show features the original book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. The hit musical was originally produced by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions.
Some of the fan favorite songs from the Broadway show are “Who I’d Be,” “Don’t Let Me Go,” “The Ballad of Farquaad,” “I Know It’s Today,” and the feel-good finale “I’m A Believer.”
Veteran actor Jamie Wilson, who will be starring as Shrek, told the media at the Aug. 13 preview that the musical tells people “not to judge a book by its cover.”
“It’s about peeling back the layers. I’m glad we get a chance to do that in this fun show through these fun characters,” Mr. Wilson said.
He added that Shrek is ultimately a lovable character: “In a deeper sense, I love Shrek because he’s an everyman, and outcast just because he was born an ogre. He has to fend for himself and find his own way in the world, and he finds that he can be a hero.”
WHY SHREK?
FHTC chose Shrek The Musical as its second production of the year following the drag musical Delia D. to showcase the variety that they’re capable of.
“We want to be versatile. We haven’t done a sort of children’s musical in a while. Ushering in Halloween and moving towards Christmas, we brought back a musical that’s good for the families,” said FHTC artistic director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo.
She also considers it a good choice in order to take advantage of the local jukebox musical market they found when they produced the very successful musicals Ang Huling El Bimbo and Buruguduystunstugudunstuy.
Krystal Kane, who will play Shrek’s fiery love interest Princess Fiona, said that her goal is to find the truth in the often-silly, fantastical material.
“Fiona is iconic and not like any other princess. She has spunk and she’s headstrong. It’s a demanding role, too,” she said.
Meanwhile, Topper Fabregas will take on the role of Donkey, who is Shrek’s sidekick and the comic relief of the show. He explained that playing a donkey once voiced by Eddie Murphy is “a lot of pressure.”
“I’m still trying to figure it out because the role is so iconic. I want to honor the character but also inject it with my own sense of humor,” said Mr. Fabregas. “I don’t usually get to play characters that take very big swings, so if I fail, I will fail miserably!”
Alongside Mr. Wilson, Ms. Kane, and Mr. Fabregas are Alfredo Reyes as Lord Farquaad and Julia Serad as the Dragon. They will be joined by an ensemble of fairytale creatures, from Pinocchio to the Big Bad Wolf, each ready to bring mischief and magic to the stage.
The show’s creative team is headed by director Dexter M. Santos, with Michael Stuart Williams and Cara Barredo as associate director and assistant director, respectively, and music director Ejay Yatco.
THEME PARK FEEL
As director, Mr. Santos said that the biggest challenge so far has been putting up a show in a way that best utilizes “the humongous NPAT theater.”
“The dream for this production is to make the kids feel like they are entering a theme park. We want to induce the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs,’” he explained. “I am nervous about the dragon scene. It’s a chase scene and we’re trying to do something different that’s dynamic.”
He also spoke to the relevance of Shrek to the millennial generation, which can now be shared with younger audiences.
“Our notion of a hero used to be a prince. Shrek struck a chord in our generation because it broke a stereotype, that an ogre can be a hero, that even fairytale creatures were given a voice,” Mr. Santos said.
For Mr. Wilson, the goal is for kids, families, and everyone in between to go on the adventure and find themselves inspired.
“Shrek just wanted his swamp back. He didn’t know he’d fall in love, and he didn’t know he’d save the day. That’s what makes it exciting.”
Shrek The Musical premieres on Oct. 31 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Tickets, ranging in price from P1,500 to P4,500, are available at TicketWorld, HelixPay, and the Newport World Resorts Box Office. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
