Jennifer Macari

Sophomores Kate Malone, Julia Macari and Mykala Kunickis sing “I Know it’s Today”, representing young Fiona, older Fiona and teen Fiona, respectively.

As always, the Lemont High School theater department delivered an amazing spring performance. ‘Shrek: The Musical’, which ran from May 9 through 11, offered something for everyone, with sentimental and humorous moments scattered throughout the performance. Crowds of young families, teenagers and seasoned audience members enjoyed a night of fantastically funny music and showered the cast with praise.

Shrek, played by senior Max Schutte, and Donkey, portrayed by senior Kaitlyn O’Donnell, made for a comedic duo. Nailing their comedic timing and perfecting their character voices, Schutte and O’Donnell stole the show in regards to their comedic abilities and heartfelt deliveries. 

“Donkey and Shrek have a humorous, unbeatable friendship,” said sophomore Annabelle Dierking, who played Mama Ogre. “Max and Kaitlyn as Shrek and Donkey accomplished this [humor] with ease. Their relationship from the beginning made the show more entertaining for the audience.”

But that’s not to say Shrek and Donkey were the show’s only source of comic relief. Lord Farquaad, played by senior Tess O’Brien, was certainly the source of some of the funniest moments in the show. Walking around on her knees and making a show of being a “big man”, O’Brien demonstrated a stellar comedic performance. 

Highlighting the musical aspect of the show, Fiona, portrayed by sophomore Julia Macari, and the dragon, played by freshman Ella Kincaid, proved to be vocal powerhouses. The two stole the show and left the audience in awe with their performances, both having quite a presence in the Lemont musical theater world.

The show would fall flat without the cohesion of the entire ensemble. The fairytale creatures, featuring the likes of Humpty Dumpty, Pinnochio and the Three Little Pigs, easily found their way into the audience’s hearts. With creative costumes and a number of dance breaks, the ensemble were an important addition to the cohesion of the production.

“I loved being in Shrek,” said sophomore Nadia Wodziak, who played Queen Lillian “The jokes were so funny; they had both me and the entire cast laughing!”

Overall, the musical offered a family-friendly outing and drew considerably large crowds each night. Community members and high school students alike had nothing but good things to say about the show, walking away reciting lines and laughing. Though it took a lot of hard work to pull the show together in time, the dedication of the cast and crew truly paid off.