The Spectacle of Shrek The Musical

Experiencing a spectacle like Shrek The Musical at BDACT this year is a treat for the senses. Personally, I wanted to go big with this show. Large cast. Bright colors. A variety of textures and locations. Numerous songs, both loud and quiet. Plenty of dancing. Moving stage pictures and opportunities for the audience to laugh, to feel sadness and happiness, and everything in between.

A production like this doesn't just appear on our stage. The entire process begins about a year in advance. Rights have to be secured and a team needs to start being assembled. Just the preparation takes a lot of dedicated people. As director, I feel like the coach of a sports team going into the playoffs. Obviously, no matter how much time I put into it, I can't do it without a talented and ambitious staff, volunteers, and of course performers.

An incalculable amount of time goes into phone calls, emails, and meetings. A budget is prepped. Items begin to be ordered. Logistics start to be mapped, scheduled, and ironed out.   Then it's time to draw designs for costumes and sets and props.   

All of this happens before auditions. In May, we auditioned for roles in the show and we were blessed with a large turnout of enthusiastic and experienced actors, singers, and dancers. For this particular show, I wanted everyone to have plenty to do. If you look through the playbill, you'll notice the majority of performers on the stage play multiple roles.

Shrek The Musical presents its own unique challenges. A plethora of fairytale creatures, an ogre and a talking donkey are only the beginning. How do you transform one of the characters back and forth between two different forms? How do you manage a 3-dimensional talking gingerbread cookie? A castle, a tower, a dungeon, a forest, a swamp, and a field of daisies all have to be created. Over 100 costumes needed to be rented and/or sewn from scratch.  Oh yes, the show also features a dragon!

The staff of volunteers got to work. Mark, fresh off directing the area high school musical in June, assembled a remarkable group of musicians to create our live orchestra. They began rehearsing separately from the rest of the cast. Roni, Jena, and Marissa, our 3 choreographers, split up the songs and began teaching dance moves. Karilynn began researching and traveling as far away as Chicago to get costumes and material.  Alex drew up plans for our set needs while he was working on several other summer shows at BDACT. Tommy our tech director began creating a tech team and designing lights and special effects.

Kevin and Mike, our producers, began making arrangements for EVERYTHING.  Dale kept track of countless details and made endless copies and phone calls and emails to coordinate the entire project. Judy and Karla broke down the songs and arrangements and began teaching the vocals.  I started blocking and working the acting scenes. All of these various rehearsals involved so much overlap with performers and characters that scheduling the rehearsals themselves was a virtual nightmare. Things changed rapidly and the cast responded. Rick, Bryan, Sarah, Owen, and Jessica worked on learning all those songs and all those lines and movements to bring those characters to life. (Much of that they did on their own away from rehearsals.)

"Tuesday 6 to 6:45 pm, tap dancers rehearsing on the 3rd floor. At the same time, Act 1 scene 4 and 7, and act 2 scene 6 rehearsing on the stage.  Meanwhile 6 to 7:30 pm Duloc Dancers rehearsing in Encore Hall.  Dancers, please be aware there are tables filled with costumes and sewing machines so stay clear of those. 7 to 9 pm, everyone on stage for finale and fairy tale creature music rehearsal."

And so it went.  I located a dragon in Traverse City, Michigan and did the 16 hour round trip drive to pick it up and bring it to the theater. (I had to drive all the way around a very large lake that someone inconveniently placed directly between Beaver Dam and Traverse City.) Four puppeteers with no previous experience began walking around and learning how to make it move. Rehearsals were videotaped and watched over and over.

After seven weeks, we packed everything into the stage and began rehearsing exclusively there because the other summer shows were finally done and out of the building. (That was ten days before opening night.) We brought in the musicians to work with the cast. Tommy our tech director added lights and sound effects. We added every set piece and prop. Actors practiced quick costume changes and the orchestra practiced when to come in and out coordinating with the slides on the backdrop, the light changes, and the entrances and exits of the performers.

Last minute touch-ups and minor changes (and lots of reminders), and we're ready for the audience to be let in. This process is not unique. This is what happens with all the main stage musicals at BDACT and it's been going on for well over 60 years.

When you experience Shrek The Musical at BDACT this summer, you're going to be part of a two hour performance. Two hours. It took an army of dedicated and talented volunteers HUNDREDS of hours to make that happen. We do all these things, and you attend these shows, for the same reason. We all love it.

You'll really enjoy Shrek The Musical at BDACT. I'm very sure of that. That much hard work from that many very special individuals can't help but create an amazing and memorable production.  The staff and performers are ready for the playoffs. Now the coach gets to sit back and enjoy the show. I'm so excited for you to enjoy this magical event I've been privileged enough to be part of creating. Places! Cue the overture!