Review: Shrek the Musical

Review: Shrek the Musical  | The Wesley Players | Littleton, CO | Curtain Up! | Gina Robertson

Unchain your heart for Shrek the Musical, produced this weekend by the Wesley Players at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Littleton. With a talented and diverse cast of all ages, this company brings it all to the stage for every show. This one in particular presents messages of exuberant optimism and inclusion in the form of a fun, live action cartoon.

The shows that are produced by the Wesley Players often include a live orchestra rather than a song track, which gives added punch to each musical number. Conductor Chris Rigolini leads a large lively group of musicians including piano, strings, brass, guitar and percussion.

On stage, Shrek (Josh Holcomb) and Donkey (David Sanders) learn the meaning of friendship while rescuing the feisty Princess Fiona (Erynn Shryack). These three form the tripod on which this spectacular musical rests. They convey sweet, tender moments and subtle comedy with flair, along with the more vulgar physical jokes loved by audiences for decades.

The beautiful red dragon (Tracy Yacobellis) steals the heart of Donkey and sets the stage on fire with her vocals, enhanced by eye-popping costume and lighting by Julie Snow and Sam Werkema. She will make audiences want to stay forever.

L to R: Taylor Robinson, Kristianne Seaton, Tracy Yacobellis, David Sanders | Photo Credit: Ken Fong

The villain is Lord Farquaad (Denton Hanson), a little lord with a large ego. Hanson has a great time with a fun character, adding just a touch of vulnerability to this comically unlikable fellow.

Visually stunning, the show is filled with bright, colorful costumes and lighting effects. Dance numbers as well as entrances and exits are managed nicely by choreographer Hannah Rose-Brown and director Roberta Hamilton-Griggs with this enormous cast, where the challenge is keeping it all moving smoothly without re-using the same movements excessively.  The Duloc dancers and Fiona with her green-skirted rat dancers are especially fun to watch.

When three Fionas appear (Caroline Coltharp, Hannah Jo Shelton, and Erynn Shryack) for a magical song representing the princess at different ages, their voices combine in lovely harmony and give us the heart-breaking story behind the princess in the tower. The movement of a large stage piece on set for this isn’t as smooth as it could be but does give Fiona a space of her own to demonstrate her isolation and frustration.

 L to R: Caroline Coltharp, Erynn Shryack, Hannah Jo Shelton | Photo Credit: Ken Fong

Fairy tale creatures are a big part of the magic of this show, and there are many. Pinnocchio (Brody Hartmann) is the funny little puppet who leads a freak rebellion. Mama Bear (Anna Fields) is soulful and sweet. The plaintive voice of Gingy (Rachel LaRue) is distinctive and delightful. All the pigs, mice, witches, and animals that come together to embrace their freakish nature give this story its message, that being different is what makes us strong.

It’s true that Shrek has been done by drama clubs and youth groups for decades, and the jokes and music don’t change much from one show to another, but it’s always a frolicking feel-good story with catchy songs and interesting costumes. This show is a dazzling example, and you can catch it through Sunday March 1 in Littleton.

Tickets here: https://wesleyplayers.org/join-us-for-shrek-the-musical/