The endearing story of a romance between an ogre and a princess will be retold on
the AV¶¶Ňő campus when the Xtreme Teenz will perform
three showings of “Shrek: The Musical” in April.
Performances will take place at the Breedlove Auditorium at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 12 and 2 p.m. April 13. Admission is by an On Stage series ticket or $12 for adults and $8 for children 10 and under.
“Shrek: The Musical” is an adaptation of the hit 2001 animated movie about an ogre who is tasked to rescue Princess Fiona for the devious Lord Farquaad, who wishes to wed her. But Shrek complicates matters by falling in love with the princess along the way.
Director Shannon Stoddard of Fort Smith said the musical “will be the biggest show the Academy has done so far.”
“It’s a brand new script which has never been performed in this area. We’re renting costumes, making our set huge and going all-out wherever we can,” she said. “Audiences will be amazed.”
Stoddard said she has been continually impressed by the ability of her cast and crew.
“I am consistently blown away by the level of talent in this theatre company, and this show has raised the bar even higher,” she said. “It’s obvious how much the students love this show, and it’s fun to see them put their hearts and souls into it.”
The cast of the show is also excited about the production. Cameron Law of Fort Smith, who plays Donkey, said it was “an honor” to play the part.
“To be playing a great comedic character like Donkey is more than I could’ve asked for,” he said. “This is such a great cast to be working with, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Cody Walls of Greenwood, who will portray Shrek, said he enjoyed the demanding role of the title character.
“Shrek is definitely a very challenging role to be playing, but I’m really excited to be doing it,” he said. “The show has never played in the Fort Smith area, so I’m really excited to be a part of the cast that’s bringing the story to the community.”
Academy Executive Director Dr. Rosilee Walker Russell of Fort Smith praised the talent of the group acting in the play.
“This is the most talented company of 28 teenagers that we have had so far, and I’m so proud of all of them,” she said. “They’ve been participating for so long in our program, so they’ve become very seasoned at what they do.”
The crew includes:
Fort Smith: Shannon Stoddard, director; Jennifer Woodside Anderson, choreographer; Amy Medlock, musical director.
The cast includes:
Fort Smith: Kariman Alsein, Blake Bulger, Claire Cabaness, Hailey Douglas, Casey Goodson, Caleb Hopkins, Brigitte Koprovic, Cameron Law, Shannon Lott, Dani Mays, Rylee Norton, Derrick J. Rassinier, Adyn Rink, Kelsey Vickery, Lindsay Vickery, Annalise Worgan.
Greenwood: Jacob Edwards, Jada Mack, Zachary Rylee, Cody Walls.
Hackett: Abby Williams.
Central City: Hannah Pair.
Alma: Thomas Long.
Charleston: ShaLee Rose Jackson.
Barling: Carly Austin.
Muldrow, Okla.: Desi Dees, Rhianna Pierce.
Spiro, Okla.: Cassidy Stout.
“Shrek: The Musical” is part of the Academy of the Arts’ On Stage series, which includes other productions such as “A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS” and “Pirates of Penzance JR.” The On Stage series has a total of 12 events featuring young and seasoned performers in musical and theatrical productions.
For tickets, contact the AV¶¶Ňő Box Office at 479-788-7300 or visit . For more information on the Academy, call 479-788-7253.