author: Jake Schwartz
I feel like at least once a year, you can find that a local theatre is putting on a production of Shrek the Musical. I got the chance to see the McLean Community Players production of Shrek, and I’d pretty confidently say this is the best production of this show that I’ve seen. While I have minor gripes, I found this particular production does a masterful job as conveying its core themes: comradery, acceptance, and not judging a book by its cover.
Director Jarod Glou did an incredible job assembling a solid group of artists that did an excellent job of portraying his vision. It was abundantly clear that Glou created a fun and safe space for his performers, because anyone who saw that show could feel how much fun everyone on stage was having. And the joy being experienced by the cast was palpable and made it an even more enjoyable audience experience. The pacing was tight and concise, minus a few set changes here and there.
As for the musicality of the cast, both Music Director Rachel Bradley and Associate Music Director Lizzie Bartlett deserve gold medals. Every single number of the show from its opening to its closing has a near perfect sound. The harmonies were executed expertly, the raw sound of the ensemble was powerful, and the leads were to die for. I also want to shout out the live orchestra, also conducted by Bradley, for their amazing sound.
Putting it bluntly: the choreography itself nearly stole the show for me. Ariel Kraje does an excellent job of storytelling through the choreography, while making it so dynamic and eye-catching. In my opinion, Kraje’s creative and innovative choreography elevates the show to a five-star production. My personal favorite songs of the bunch were “Freak Flag” and “Ballad of Farquaad.”
Now, when we get to the technical elements is where I have a few minor gripes with the show. There were some issues going on with the microphones or sound mixing, where it was very difficult to understand and hear quite a few of the actors at multiple different points throughout the show. Lights had a few moments of actors being left in the dark, however when this happened the actors played it off excellently. Shoutout to Farquaad yelling “Hello?”, had me laughing hysterically.
Lastly, I found there to be a great deal of inconsistency in some of the costumes. Some of them were these incredible Broadway level costumes, and then others I couldn’t tell what character they were supposed to be. Also, in “What’s Up Duloc?” it was difficult to buy into the theme of conformity and uniformity when there were multiple different costumes that were clashing with each other for the ensemble members.
Moving on to the performances, spoilers – there wasn’t a single weak performance in the entire production. The entire ensemble stands out in their own way, with their hilarious acting and beautiful singing. I’d like to shout out three specific members. Owen Potts as the Big Bad Wolf/Thelonius brings this great dry humor and stoicism that serves as a nice juxtaposition to the high energy of the other fairy tale creatures and royal knights. Joshua Bush brought a really nice level of physical and vocal comedy to his roles of Walter and Little Pig, not to mention a great sound as Papa Ogre. And Jordan Naeve’s Peter Pan has several very impressive vocal moments, alongside a hilarious background moment at the end where they come into contact with the Royal Crown.
Kevin Donlan and Shelby Young as Pinocchio and Gingy respectively do an excellent job of bringing their characters to life from the screen to the stage. Both actors are hilarious and have great singing voices, which is especially noticeable in the song “Freak Flag.” Both of their acting was incredible as well, with Donlan’s performance genuinely leaving you feeling sympathy that he was born a wooden boy. You grow to care for these characters immediately, which is a testament to both of the actors’ performances.
While the Dragon doesn’t have the most stage time in this show, Ariel Friendly takes every second she is on that stage and makes it hers. Her performance of “Forever” was worth the price of admission alone. Her voice is at the Broadway level and would give any Tony Award Winner a run for their money. Friendly is truly a triple threat and utilizes every single second she is on stage. Also, shoutout props designer Natalie Foley for the unreal Dragon Puppet. It looks amazing.
I would like to take a short moment to talk about everyone’s favorite villain, Lord Farquaad played expertly by Garrett Walsh. Walsh does a great job of showcasing the range of Farquaad, showing his lighter side in “What’s Up, Duloc?” and the transition to how scary and intimidating he can be in “Ballad of Farquaad.” Walsh’s performance makes you love this evil little man that you know you’re supposed to hate, but you can’t because he’s just too funny. Plus, the opt up at the end of “Ballad of Farquaad” was such an excellent choice.
I have few words that I can use to describe Cam Powell’s portrayal of Donkey in this show. I would describe Powell as “hilariously perfect” in this show. Their physical comedy in this show had me falling out of my seat laughing, especially in “Don’t Let Me Go.” A complete scene stealer, Powell perfectly captures Donkey’s eccentricities, while also making him an earnest and lovable character. Powell was my personal favorite performance in the show, and I cannot wait to see whatever they do next.
Not your typical princess in a tower, Alexandra Lagos brings Fiona to life in a hilarious, sympathetic, and earnest way. Her honesty in the characters wants and desires is crystal clear – and it allows her to layer in a good amount of humor in a genuinely effortless way. Her stage chemistry with everyone she interacts with is next level, and not to mention her vocal/dancing prowess shown in the beast of a song that is “Morning Person.” Anyone that can do that song as well as Lagos can deserves a trophy.
Leading the show, you have Noah Beye as the titular Shrek. What I really enjoyed about Beye’s portrayal, is he really uses each scene he is in – you can see the character adapt to what is going on around him. You can see him grow to accept Donkey throughout “The Travel Song,” and that really makes it hit harder when Shrek leaves him for “Build a Wall.” Beye gives a dynamic portrayal of Shrek, focusing on the relationships between the characters and conveying the central themes of the story. He is an excellent leader of this cast and show.
Clearly I can’t say enough good about McLean Community Player’s production of Shrek of the Musical, so what are you waiting for? The show runs through July 27th, so don’t miss out on this five-star production!
Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
Shrek plays through July 27th 2025 with McLean Community Players at The Alden Theatre— 1234 Ingleside Avenue in McClean, VA. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online.