By CRISTINA JANNEY and JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
After a couple of years of dramatic musicals, Thomas More Prep-Marian will enter the storybook world of "Shrek The Musical" from Thursday through Sunday at the Dreiling Theatre on the TMP-M campus.
Tickets are available online for $8 each. You can also reserve your tickets with cash or check by calling the box office at 785-621-5478. Shows will be 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.
The music from "Shrek The Musical" is by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics are by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film.
"Shrek is a great musical. It's a lot of fun," Travis Grizzell, director, said. "A lot of people liked the movie and the subsequent movies that followed. ...
"Coming out of the pandemic year, we wanted to have some fun and have a big old party on stage, and there's no show that does that better than 'Shrek.'"
Theater-goers will enjoy some added songs that are not in the movie, but for the most part, the show will parallel the action and characters in the first movie.
"It's one of those shows that everyone can have a good time at because it's relatable humor-wise and message-wise to the older folks and the adults in the crowd," he said, "and it also has the fairy tale characters and humor moments for the kids as well."
Grizzell said the student actors also have fun with their parts.
"They can just cut loose, and they can totally lose themselves in a different character than what they are used to being on stage or what they are off stage," he said. "They can go out there and tell the story and have fun doing it. That's the most important thing."
TMP conducts auditions for its fall musical in the spring. This year, the school opened up the auditions to the junior high to fill out the chorus and fairy tale characters. A few students from Holy Family are also participating. With the crew, more than 50 students are involved in the production.
The lead of Shrek is played by Jensen Brull. His love interest, Fiona, is played by Madelyn Seiler. She played Belle in "Beauty in the Beast" last year. Lord Farquaad is played by Maggie Brull, a senior. Donkey is played by a newcomer to the stage, Rebekah Schroeder.
"They're a lot of familiar faces that people who have been coming to the shows the last few year will see," Grizzell said. "It's always fun to see people you know or you think you know in such a different drastic departure from their normal person."
He said the students are amping up for the production as costumes, makeup and lighting are added.
"There's a lot of good memories that are being made and will be made in the next week with 'Shrek,' " Grizzell said.
He encourages people to come to a performance and see what the students have been working on.
"They love seeing a full house," Grizzell said. "They love seeing people they know in the audience. Once you leave the house and get the feet going toward the theater, you're going to have a good time."
