CHS, CGS students to perform musical theatre production of Shrek The Musical Jr.

By Editor | April 5, 2023 |

Nasty will be nice and Carrollton will be ogre-the-moon when Carrollton High School (CHS) and Carrollton Grade School (CGS)students present their production of Shrek The Musical JR. beginning Saturday, April 15, it was announced today by Freddie Gershon, CEO of Music Theatre International (MTI).

Performances will take place on Saturday, April 15, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 16, at 2 p.m. at Carrollton High School Gymnasium at 950 3rd Street in Carrollton

The family-friendly musical comedy follows the adventures of an ogre named Shrek who sets off on a quest to save a princess from a dragon. However, it turns out that in order to ultimately succeed, Shrek must battle an even bigger obstacle: learning how to believe in himself and open his heart to others.

“Shrek’s unique story of discovery encourages each of us to examine our prejudices, review what we believe to be our limitations and work to better understand ourselves and others. The actors and crew in this production have embarked on a similar journey, as students and teachers with many different interests have learned more about themselves and each other while collaborating towards the common goal of presenting this musical,” says Gershon.

In the musical, Shrek has to learn the hard way that “people hate the things they cannot understand.” For many years he has protected himself from the hurtful actions of those who are scared of him by living as a recluse in a cozy cesspit. One day, his peaceful swamp is disturbed by new tenants: fairytale misfits — including Pinocchio, the Ugly Duckling, the Wicked Witch, Peter Pan, the Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf — have been banished there by the villainous Lord Farquaad. In order to gain back his land, Shrek makes a deal with Farquaad to rescue the feisty princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a fierce dragon. Setting off with his faithful companion, Donkey, Shrek begins the journey of a lifetime filled with adventure, romance, and hilarity.

With music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical is based on the DreamWorks Animation film and the book Shrek by William Steig. The original Broadway production, starring Brian d’Arcy James as Shrek and Sutton Foster as Fiona, ran for twelve months and received a total of twelve Drama Desk Awards and eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. The musical was adapted to be performed by students by educational musical theatre consultancy firm iTheatrics under the supervision of Timothy Allen McDonald.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and may be purchased at the door for each performance. For more information, please contact Director Jean Heil at [email protected] or 217-942-6831.

Shrek The Musical JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com.

Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting schools as well as amateur and professional theaters from around the world the rights to perform the largest selection of great musicals from Broadway and beyond. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these shows to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 60,000 theatrical organizations in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide.

MTI is particularly dedicated to the idea of theater as education and has created special collections for younger performers. The MTI Broadway Junior Collection® includes JR. titles, 60-minute musicals for performance by middle school children; and KIDS titles, 30-minute musicals for performance by elementary school children resulting in over 80,000 productions consisting of more than 300,000 performances.

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