Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure! Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there's more to the story than meets the ears. "Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek..." And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude, and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek. Irreverently fun for the whole family, Shrek proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre. Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire Music by Jeanine Tesori Originally produced on Broadway by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions Shrek The Musical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
Welcome Gavin Thomas Drew as he makes his Fort Wayne Civic Theatre directorial debut!
Gavin is a nationally recognized director, performer, and playwright. Locally, he is the Artistic Director of Summit City Music Theatre. He attended Oklahoma City University for Musical Theatre and Directing. His starring turns as Igor in Civic Theatre’s production of Young Frankenstein and a host of characters in Forbidden Broadway garnered him praises and two Anthony Awards. He won a BroadwayWorld Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Summit City Music Theatre’s You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown as Snoopy. He won another for Best Ensemble of a Play with Nina Raine’s Tribes at the University of Central Oklahoma. As a director, he has led casts to award-winning performances at AACT Festival and is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. As a profoundly deaf performer and director with cochlear implants, he takes pride in mentoring disabled/differently abled casts and holding seminars on inclusion and accommodation for all talents. He has guest lectured on disability in theatre at the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. He is proud to be making his Civic Theatre directorial debut with this talented cast and production team.
Here are a few insights from Gavin about the production!
"It’s a Big, Bright, Beautiful World…and Shrek The Musical is a shining example of that, right here at the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, where the arts are alive and talent abounds. It has been my good fortune to lead this amazing cast through the swamps and sights of Duloc and beyond. It’s not my first rodeo with this “ogre” of a show… As a 17-year-old, I appeared in Shrek The Musical at the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre in 2014. Then, I reprised my role of Pig #2 again at a small theatre in Oklahoma City in 2016. So, to say me and Shrek are old pals, is an understatement.
Almost everyone has seen the 2001 (feel old?) DreamWork’s film Shrek, or one of its three sequels. Far less are familiar with the original source material, a children’s book called Shrek!, written and illustrated by William Steig. The book tells the tale of a repugnant, green-skinned, fire-breathing seemingly indestructible Ogre who enjoys causing misery with his repulsiveness. After his parents decide that he must be sent out into the world, they kick him out of their swamp. Along the way, Shrek soon encounters a witch, is taken to a castle by a donkey, battles a knight, and marries a princess who is even uglier than him. Together, they live happily ever after and vow to scare the socks off anyone who ever dares come near them. So, you know… a classic love story!
Beyond the incredibly gifted designers, technicians, and production team that have worked on the show you are about to see, I have been blown away by the insane talent of this magnificent cast. After an overwhelming audition turn-out, we can safely say that we have amassed the most talented cast in Fort Wayne, a majority of which are making their Fort Wayne Civic Theatre debut. I cannot wait for you to experience this screwy but delighted crazy stew that this cast has been cooking up for the last seven weeks. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this hilarious, crude, and downright adorable story. If you look past the fart jokes, you might just find a whole lot of heart."
Shrek The Musical Study Guide
Come meet Shrek and his friends at Shrek the Halls, Sunday November 19th! Begin the Holiday Season in true ogre fashion with a day at the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre!
Event starts at 12:30 PM and includes your meal, tickets to the show, door prizes, and much, much, more (maybe even a visit from our jolly friend) After a fun afternoon, enjoy our final production of Shrek The Musical at 2 PM - tickets on sale now!
