Shrek the Musical is a Magical Adventure at the Levoy Theatre

by Aimee Ferenz

The lights have come up on another fantastic production at the Levoy theater in Millville, NJ. Shrek the Musical is a full musical adaptation of the hugely successful Dreamwork franchise of the same name, originally hitting Broadway in 2008. Since then, there have been thousands of productions at local theaters and high schools across America making it one of the most produced musicals in history. With so many different casts and performances, it can be difficult to keep the material fresh and exciting. Not only did the Levoy theater keep the performance feeling authentic, entertaining, and joyful, but they excelled in bringing new life into well possessed roles.

This production is under the superb leadership of Director Dominic Barnes and Assistant Director Taye Hopkins. Barnes cultivates an excellent rapport between the actors which comes across in several scenes, particularly in the rare moments of sincerity between characters. In these moments of raw emotion, the characters transcend their quirky comedic roles and become a fully fleshed out individual, therefore bringing them from a silly story to a deeply relatable moment of vulnerability. It is clear that the actors were given a safe space to experiment with their scenes until they reached a version of their performance that they were each deeply proud of, thanks to Barnes and Hopkins. This continues in the Vocal leadership of Jimmy Jesberger. While the show did not utilize a live orchestra, Jesberger continued to lead the ensemble through a monitor as they used the pre-recorded tracks. I found that the vocal ensemble was extremely well balanced with crisp diction and fantastic energy. This energy is furthered through the unmatched Choreography prowess of Olivia A. Cruz. What I loved in particular in Cruz’s work is how the dances were overflowing with joy and energy while still being conscious of the limitations in various complicated fairy tale costumes. These beautifully created costumes are provided by Kim Brown through Spotlight Costumes in Pittsburgh, PA. The look of the show is completed by the incomparable work of John Rattacasa. The wig fairy of New Jersey has done it again, providing perfection in the Wig/Make up Design for his fifteenth production of Shrek while also creating top-notch applications for Shrek and the other ogres. Behind the scenes, the show is led by Carrie Ellis (Stage Manager) and Julie Morell (Assistant Stage Manager). The two are masters in maintaining the speedy pace of the show, especially in moments where live theater likes to keep the staff on their toes. They lead a crew made up of Toni Rada, Angelina Heuser, Eddie Rada, Marlo Rada, Austin Satinsky, Justin Peterson, Austin Miller, and Brejai Grant. Massive shows like Shrek have many moving parts that need a keen attention to detail, particularly in set and prop design. The Set is Designed and Painted by Mary Boner with Builders Tim Boner and Chris Watts bringing her vision to life. Props are provided by Donna Laning, ranging through various levels of magic and whimsy. Rounding out the production staff is Producer/Sound Designer Sean Pedrick and Lighting Designer Tyler Daddario. Both are masters in their fields, bringing a highly coveted level of professional theater to the South Jersey area. I must particularly commend Pedrick on his quick thinking during the performance when there were issues with the Dragon (Salimah Davis)’s microphone at the Saturday night performance. 

The cast is made up of incredibly skilled performers, led by Nick Somodi, Olivia Conti, and Chris Crawford. Somodi is an absolute sensation as the titular character, mixing together unmatched vocality and authentic acting in a perfect concoction. I loved his presentation of the character and was impressed by how consistent his accent remained throughout. His relationships with Conti and Crawford are beautifully developed throughout the performance as he peels back the “layers” of his character. I was particularly moved by the gentleness Somodi and Crawford exhibit in the “Don’t Let me Go Reprise” and how this returned after “Build a Wall”. Crawford (Donkey) is a joy in this role not just because he is an excellent singer and deeply funny, but because he walks the line so beautifully in creating a genuine, thoughtful character. While Donkey is a comedic sidekick turned noble steed, Crawford does an excellent job in creating more substance in the role and allowing the audience to see a fully realized character. Conti completes the trio as Princess Fiona, matching the professional quality performances beautifully. She brings a gorgeous vocal tone, exceptional comedic timing, and a truly incredible level of energy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Conti has a secret stash of Redbull hidden off stage with the sheer outpouring of power behind her performance. Conti is a vision in green as she too balances the nuance of a comedic role going through deep complex feelings. 

The villain of the show, Lord Farquaad, is brought to life by Alec Lacher. Lacher is divine in this role, particularly in how he brings his own deeply captivating acting choices from the second that he knee-walks on stage. Lacher shows no hesitation in his performance and instead catapults the audience into the stratosphere with his larger than life personality. Another magnificent presence on the stage is that of Salimah Davis, who plays The Dragon and is followed by a 3-person dragon puppet. Davis commands the stage from the moment she enters, her energy doubled by the puppet, and furthered by her intense gaze. During this particular performance, there were issues with her body microphone but that did not stop the audience from hearing her vocal prowess. I was sitting in the back half of the orchestra and could still hear every word which I must commend her for. Davis did not allow herself to falter and instead maintained her strength. When she was given a handheld microphone during her second verse, she received thunderous applause from the audience in a wonderful show of support. Andrea Ellis is another standout as she portrays Gingy and the Sugar Plum Fairy. She brings a fantastically farcical character voice to the puppet while being right on the money in the melodies that she must sing as this character. Our named roles in the program are completed with Alex Manzo as Pinocchio. I have been lucky enough to see Manzo perform a series of times now and with each performance I am consistently blown away. Manzo’s performance is lively, invigorating, and wonderfully inspiring as a leader for the fairytale creatures. He is impressive in his vocality, especially in “Freak Flag” where he inspires both creature and audience member alike. 

While the rest of the cast is listed under “Fairytale Creatures/Ensemble” in the printed program, a more detailed list of the ensemble can be found by reading their bios via the QR code. I am not able to shine a separate light on every member of the ensemble, but there were several that stood out to me throughout the performance. The first two being Lauren Fazenbaker-Satinksky and C.J. Jarema. These two work closely together, first as Mama and Papa Ogre and then again as Mama and Papa bear. I found that their voices together were beautiful, setting a very high bar for the show from the first musical number. They continued to entertain on their ensemble tracks, Jarema as a soldier and Fazenbaker-Satinsky as the bird vocalist in “Morning Person” and one of the three blind mice in “Make a Move”. Both Jarema and Fazenbaker-Satinksy are clear leaders within the ensemble, helping the group gel into a cohesive collective. I must also commend Jada Mayo, who sings as Humpty Dumpty throughout the fairytale creature scenes. Mayo is a powerhouse vocalist and proves this during “Freak Flag”, seeming to riff with ease through the melody. Another vocal Adonis is Natalie Wrigley, who brings down the house as the Fairy Godmother while lighting up the stage with an infectious smile. The children in the show, Young Fiona, Teen Fiona, and Young Shrek, are portrayed by Arabella Pacitto, Adrianne Castro, and Mason Hemphill respectively. Young and Teen Fiona are featured in the song “I Know it’s Today”, setting the tone for the hardship that Princess Fiona faces in her tower. Pacitto and Castro are exceptional in their roles, mastering the difficult harmonies at the end of the song and showing off their skills in their solo portions as well. While Hemphill starts his track as young Shrek, his biggest moments in the show are actually as the Pied Piper and as Grumpy. The range that this young performer exhibits jumping from one role to the next is a skill beyond his years; I cannot wait to see all of the ways that he continues to grow through theater. My final shout out belongs to Julianna Giordano, who provides an explosive energy as the featured Duloc singer in “What’s Up Duloc?”. She and Amanda Ellis (Ugly Duckling/Dance Captain) are stand outs in the choreography, furthering the intense value of a talented ensemble in a show such as this. The cast is completed by many incredibly talented individuals listed as follows: Jason Reynolds (Big Bad Wolf), Claire-Elizabeth Patterson (Little Pig 1), Gabrielle Johnson (Little Pig 2), Jeffrey Horsman (Little Pig 3/Captain of the guards), Samuel Vidro (White Rabbit), Jackson Brown (Peter Pan), Elena Marcato (Wicked Witch), Jamir Dixon (Mad Hatter), Nathan Lera (Puss N Boots), and Alexander Rowe (Little Red Riding Hood). 

In all, this production of Shrek the Musical is a delight. It is charming, quick witted, passionate, and wildly entertaining. The pace of the show is lightning fast while the actors maintain a wonderful diction that makes the dialogue easy to understand. Any audience member will have a great time at this show, but I cannot help but recognize the young boys who were riveted in the seats behind me. Their unbridled joy, particularly in the silliness of Donkey and Farquaad, is exactly why this kind of theater exists and their laughter is just as sheer a sign of success as any theatrical review. Performances continue next weekend through March 1st and tickets can be found at https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/8920/levoy-theatre.