Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home High School students will present “Shrek” as a musical play next week.
The students perform at 7 p.m. May 30 and May 31 and at 2 p.m. June 1 in the high school auditorium, 1641 Long St. Admission is $3 for students, $5 for adults and $14 for a family of up to four.
Students performed “Shuddersome Tales of Poe” and “The Importance of Being Earnest” earlier this year, said choir teacher Duncan Tuomi. “Both were just awesome shows.”
Now it’s his turn to put the new sound and lighting equipment to work, he said.
It was installed in time for “Earnest.”
“I was excited to do something where we could really show off with it,” said Tuomi, who noted that musical theater lets the students show off what they can do and what the facility can do.
Tuomi and language arts teacher Liz Wilkes chose “Shrek” for similar reasons, Tuomi and social studies teacher Alain Brown chose “Little Shop” last year, Tuomi said. “The core ensemble is not too terribly large.”
It’s not difficult for such a young musical theater program, Tuomi said, and it has a popular title.
“At the beginning of the year, Duncan sent me a list of all the musicals we could do,” Wilkes said. “I liked ‘Shrek.’ Let’s do ‘Shrek.'”
Where “Little Shop” was aimed more at adults, “Shrek” is geared toward younger people too, Tuomi said.
“I’m especially interested in getting younger folks interested in music theater and the arts. ‘Shrek’ speaks to a wider audience on a wider scale.”
When he first heard “Shrek” had been made into a Broadway musical, Tuomi said, he was skeptical, but he warmed to it when he saw it was a quality play.
“It still feels like a family story,” he said, with “genuine moments of musical emotion.”
Tuomi said he can’t wait to see it in full costume, full lighting and full sound.
“This is a show that really comes to life when the tech is applied to it,” Tuomi said.
Wilkes said the actors and singers are doing “pretty well for putting a musical together.”
“I’m very excited. The kids are getting excited.”
Christian Black, who is playing Shrek, has been “very good” at it. He has been heavily involved in putting together every part of the play, and he’s helped build sets. The entire program has been helpful getting props and sets built.
“This is the third play,” Wilkes said. “It’s the last play,” and as a musical, it takes a lot more work.
Tuomi and the music programs collaborated with the theater program, with help from the wood shop and art club, last year to make the musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” which was “collaborative across everything.”
With the upcoming musical, “the stagecraft has been done by the theater students,” Tuomi said. They’re reusing platforms built last year by the wood shop.
Wilkes said the marketing program has helped promote the program by making posters.
“This one is getting more people involved,” Wilkes said.
The pit band includes four high school students and up to six adults. Members of the band are Bill Langdon, Mark McCallister, Matthew Swenson, Breyanne Babbitt, Jey Sanderson, Dylan Love, Ashley Morelli, Alex Springer, Elijah Heide and Chelsea Heide.
Crew members are Natali Chase, stage manager; Annalee McIntosh, lighting and sound; and Rebekah Woody, technician.
Cast members are Christian Black, Zoe Opperman, David Briggs, Hayden Deatherage, Avery Hoyt, Kassandra Matney, Allison Keel, Mary Young, Kendall Blasingame, Jenae Ashton, Peter Kanngiesser, Ashley Morelli, Melissa Evans, Hunter Kelch, Esther Ramsey, Victor Meza-Rojas, Janelle Matney and Olivia Martineau.