'Shrek the Musical' dazzles at Dundee-Crown
Described as a "high-energy work that entertains," "Shrek the Musical" will be performed this weekend at the Dundee-Crown High School auditorium, 1500 Kings Road, Carpentersville.
Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 14-16, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 17. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and are available at www.greateventseats.com/dc/. The production team consists of Andrew Bero, Lisa Bettcher and Mark Bettcher.
The Daily Herald caught up with music director Lisa Bettcher to learn more about the show.
Q. Why did you choose "Shrek the Musical" as your spring play?
Bettcher. Last year we did "The Secret Garden" which is more of an opera than musical. This year's choice gives our students a variety of musical theater genres.
Q. What makes this production of "Shrek" stand out?
Bettcher. Our cast has 72 students, 24 students in the pit orchestra, 24 students on the technical crews, and 100-plus parents donating their time to help with the set, costumes, etc. There are eight alumni parents who still continue to work on the show with our production team. We used two student choreographers, Sydney Faler and Molly Foulkes, to create the seven dances, including tap.
Q. What students are playing the lead roles?
Bettcher. Our leads are Alyssa Weir as Fiona, Eric Torres and Riley Elmore as Shrek, Lorimer Arteaga as Lord Farquaad, Quinn Miller as Donkey, Kelly Hicks and Jessica Matulac as Dragon, and Elise Deremer as Pinocchio.
Q. What are some of the biggest challenges in putting on this production?
Bettcher. There are many large ensemble numbers that also require dancing and high energy from our students. We have spent countless hours on the dancing alone. Another challenge: most of the music is belting. This style of singing has to be done with good vocal hygiene and practice. Otherwise, voices will tire quickly. A challenge for our costumer, Linda Nemec, has been creating 170 costumes with some characters changing costumes up to six times.
Q. What have you found most rewarding about this production?
Bettcher. The most rewarding aspect of this production is the collaboration between myself (producer/music director), Andy Bero (director), and Mark Bettcher (pit orchestra). We have all put hours and hours of labor and love into this thing.
Q. What do you think audiences will like best about the show?
Bettcher. One of our favorites numbers is Freak Flag! The color in the set, lights, and costumes will surprise the senses of audience members. This is a high energy work that entertains, pulls at your heart, and recognizes the choice to be different.