Kickoff Spring with Keith Valley Middle School’s Shrek The Musical

There’s no better way to start off the spring season than with some theatrical fun as Keith Valley Music Theatre’s middle school acting troupe brings the beloved story of Shrek to life on stage. The amazing cast and crew are set to dazzle audiences with the enchanting story of Shrek (Alex Keane, 8th grade), who makes a deal with Lord Farquaad (Joshua Reichner, 8th) to save Princess Fiona (Molly Harrington, 8th) from the dragon (Ray Weachter, 8th).

Shrek teams up with Donkey (Aiden Ball, 7th), who comedically accompanies him to achieve his goal of simply being left alone in his swamp, where a clan of classic storybook characters has been banished by Farquaad.

Audience members will meet Pinocchio (Margo Verdeur, 8th), Gingy (Tyler Rosenthal, 8th), The Three Little Pigs (Ryan Walsh, 7th, Kiera Kaufmann, 8th, and Leah Whittaker, 8th), The Three Blind Mice (Taryn Wanner, 7th, Faith Ciciarelli, 7th, and Ondine Van Tassel, 8th), The Three Rats (Olivia Figueroa, 6th, Alexis Lynch, 6th, and Sadie Worley, 8th), The Big Bad Wolf (Mikayla Trachtman, 8th), The Wicked Witch (Ava Sutula, 8th), and Peter Pan (Nathan Black, 6th).

The classic characters also include Mama Bear (Samantha Johnson, 8th), Papa Bear (Lucia Fuller, 8th), Baby Bear (Elena Brennan, 6th), Puss In Boots (Aliana D’Angelo, 7th), and the Pied Piper (Caroline McLaughlin, 7th).

The story also features Young Fiona (Sara Joachim, 7th), Teen Fiona (Ciara Lacey, 7th), Mama Ogre (Rylan Nellett, 8th), Papa Ogre (Tobias Cuiffitelli, 8th), Little Ogre (Robbie Williams, 6th), Captain of the Guard (Nicholas Mahaffey, 7th), and The Bishop (Kieran McSherry, 8th).

The show also includes a spectacular ensemble of Emily Cooper (6th), Olivia Fuller (6th), Chelsea Goldring (6th), Evelyn Goldsman (6th), Melanie Hood (6th), Victoria Kanoff (6th), Aradhya Pokhriyal (6th), Kavya Sharma (6th), Anabelle Swanson (6th), and Sarah Verdon (7th).

The musical features fun tunes ranging from “Story of My Life” and “I Think I Got You Beat” to “Travel Song” and “Freak Flag.” The production takes place along the backdrop of the mythical land of Duloc with spectacular costumes and sets that take you from Shrek’s swamp to Fiona’s tower to Farquaad’s kingdom.

The show, performed by Keith Valley Middle School students, is produced by Nicole Reichner, directed by Mindy Rubinlicht and Jenn Goldberg, with music directed by Meghan May.

Director Mindy Rubinlicht explained the decision behind selecting Shrek, saying, "This show has it all, adventure, comedy, romance…and a talking donkey. There are so many classic characters that will have the audience laughing and singing along. It’s a fantastic show for all ages.”

All performances are at Keith Valley Middle School, with shows on Thursday, 3/30 @ 7:00 pm, Friday, 3/31 @ 7:00 pm, and Saturday, 4/1 @ 1:00 pm. Tickets for all three performances are $10. The box office will be open in Keith Valley Middle School’s lobby on Monday, 3/14 @ 7:30 pm and Tuesday, 3/16 @ 7:30 pm. Tickets will also be sold at the door 30 minutes before showtimes.
You can follow Keith Valley Music Theatre on Facebook (facebook.com/KeithValleyMusicTheatre) or visit keithvalleymusical.com for updates and sneak peeks and see what is coming up next for the theater company.