Un-Jolly Green Giant

March 1, 2015

Comes to Old Town Playhouse

Shrek can’t catch a break. First, he’s thrown out by his parents, then, after settling into a nice swamp, he finds it overrun by a bunch of misfit cartoon characters. And now he has to sing and dance.

"Shrek the Musical" brings Shrek, Fiona, Lord Farquaad, Donkey and the rest of the beloved characters to the Old Town Playhouse stage.

"It’s a lot of fun," said Brian Dungjen, the actor who will bring the great green ogre to life.

Yet, it’s more than just fun and games for Dungjen, who said he feels a responsibility to both the movie and the audience when portraying the much-loved character, originally voiced on screen by Mike Myers.

Will Dungjen be using a Scottish accent as Myers did?

"I’m gonna try," he said with a laugh. "It’s a combination of Shrek from the movie, Groundskeeper Willie from "The Simpsons" and Darrell Hammond on "Saturday Night Live" doing Sean Connery."

Director Brett Nichols explained the production is very involved, as it contains multiple cartoon characters, including a dragon, Pinocchio, tap dancing rats and more.

"There’s a lot of dancing. It’s a big song and dance Broadway-type show," said Nichols. "It’s huge in every scope."

With a large cast, large characters and larger-than-life settings, getting everything on stage is a challenge. Nichols said the talents of those putting it together are what make it work.

"The sets are pretty ornate. We fit it all in.

One of the advantages is it’s a cartoon," he said, which means things don’t always have to reflect the real world. "The set design is fantastic."

He also notes the difficult work of costuming such a disparate cast. "Teter Orthotics is doing the masks for Shrek, Fiona and others," Nichols said. The process involves creating a plaster cast of the actors’ heads so the resulting silicone masks are crafted to the shape of each individual. The masks consist of several pieces, which can move independently.

Nichols credited the many volunteers, working on everything from sets to costumes, for making a believable and enjoyable cartoon world possible.

"Nothing’s rented. We have a lot of people. We spend a lot of time at Jo-Ann Fabrics."

Nichols’s wife Kristina is pulling double duty on this production, portraying Fiona and serving as choreographer. "We have some very strong dance talent and others who have never danced in front of people," she said.

That’s just fine with her. "The point of community theatre is twofold: it’s for the audience to enjoy, but also to help the actors grow," she says.

She’s pleased with the way rehearsals have gone. "Some of the numbers are just a delight," she said.

She also enjoys her character. "Fiona’s a nut job," Nichols said with a laugh. "She’s a really fun character. She’s over the top, but deep down, she’s just like most people."

This production gave Dungjen the chance to portray a character his young sons could readily enjoy. "My last role was as Javert [police inspector obsessed with capturing Jean Valjean in "Les Mis"). I wanted to do something fun for my kids."

Sam Clark is "Shrek’s" music director and this production presents her with the enormous job of managing 25 musicians, 13 per performance.

"We’ve got violin, cello, brass, and woodwinds, two keyboardists and a full rhythm section: guitar, bass, drums and percussion," she said.

Clark says the music is a mélange of styles.

"It’s a mix of classical, funk, things from Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, other Broadway musicals, Swan Lake, the Monkees, folk music."

The cast ranges from children aged 10 to adults in their 50s, which makes sense because, like the movie, "Shrek the Musical" is intended to appeal to all ages. "It’s not just for kids. It’s a show grownups will appreciate. There’s some subtle humor," said director Nichols.

Shrek the Musical opens March 6, running Thursday through Sunday until March 28. For tickets or more information, visit: OldTown- Playhouse.com.