Music Theater Works, currently presenting Lerner & Loewe’s Brigadoon through November 12th, is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the final production of its 2023 season, Shrek: The Musical, in the Center Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts In Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, December 21 – December 31. Shrek: The Musical is directed by Johanna McKenzie Miller, choreographed by Laura Savage and music directed by Linda Madonia.
The performance schedule includes preview performances on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. and Friday, Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. with press opening Saturday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Saturday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 26 at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. Select performances include post-show discussions and meet and greets with the actors. Tickets are now on sale from $39 to $106 with tickets for guests 25 years old and younger available at half-price at MusicTheaterWorks.com or by calling the Music Theater Works box office at the North Shore Center, 847.673.6300. Group discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more by contacting 847.920.5360.
Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film, Shrek: The Musical features a score of 19 all-new songs telling the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure joined by a wise-cracking donkey. This mismatched duo fight a fearsome dragon, rescue the feisty princess Fiona and learn that happy endings are not just for fairy tales. Shrek: The Musical is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone.
The cast of Shrek:The Musical includes Jordan DeBose (they/them, Shrek); Eustace J. Williams (he/him, Donkey); Dani Pike (she/her, Fiona); Michael Metcalf (he/him, Lord Farquaad); Maddison Denault (she/they, Dragon/Mad Hatter/Duloc); Crystal Claros (she/they, Gingy/Sugar Plum Fairy/Duloc); Michaela Shapiro (they/them, Pinocchio/Magic Mirror/Duloc); Shaya Harris (she/her, Teen Fiona/ensemble); Omi Lichtenstein(she/her, Young Finona/Baby Bear); Brian Acker (he/him, ensemble/King Harold/Captain of Guard/Bishop/Grumpy); Joel Arreola (he/him, ensemble/Duloc/Guard/Donkey U/S); Andrew John Baker (he/him, ensemble/Piggie/Duloc/Rat/King cover); Kristin Brintnall (she/her, ensemble/Mama Ogre/Duloc/Fiona U/S);Christin Boulette (she/her, ensemble/Queen Lillian/Wicked Witch,others); Alexander Christie (he/him, ensemble/Piggie/Duloc/Guard/Rat); Jake Elkins (he/him, ensemble/Papa Bear/Guard/Shrek U/S); Christopher Johnson (he/him, ensemble/Papa Oger/Farquaad U/S); Steven Labine (he/him, ensemble/Peter Pan/Duloc/Rat); Liora Lahav (she/her, ensemble/White Rabbit/Duloc/Pied Piper); Rachel Livingston (she/her, ensemble/Fairy Godmother/Duloc/Rat/Gingy U/S); Ethan Lupp (he/him, ensemble/Duloc/Rat/Pied Piper cover/Pinnochio U/S); Teah Kiang Mirabelli (she/her, ensemble, Young Shrek, Ugly Duckling, Duloc, Rat); Lizzie Mowry (they/them,ensemble/Piggie/Guard/Rat); Adam Raso (he/him, ensemble/ Wolf/ Thelonius/ Guard); Peter Ruger (he/him, ensemble/Guard/Duloc /Papa Ogre and Papa Bear U/S); Savannah Sinclair (she/they, ensemble/Humpty Dumpty/3 Blind Mice/Dragon U/S); ;Jazmine Tamayo (she/her, ensemble/Elf/Duloc/3 Blind Mice); Jenece Upton (she/her, ensemble/Mama Bear/3 Blind Mice/Mama Ogre/Queen Lillian cover) and Lea Biwer (she/her, Youth/Teen Fiona/Baby Bear U/S).
Shrek: The Musical’s creative team is Johanna McKenzie Miller (she/her, director); , Laura Savage (she/her, choreographer); Linda Madonia (she/her, music director); Amber Wuttke (she/her, fight & intimacy choreographer); August Rain Stamper (she/her, dialect coach); Allison Gonzales (she/her, stage manager); Ethan Colish (he/him, assistant stage manager); Ann Davis (she/her, scenic designer); Rachel M. Sypniewski (she/her, costume designer); Kristen Brinati (she/her, assistant costume designer); Alice Salazar (she/her, hair, wig and makeup designer) Melanie Saso (she/her, assistant hair, wig and makeup designer); Pia Macias (she/her, SFX makeup designer); Andrew Meyers (he/him, lighting designer); Chelsea Lynn (she/her, ME/lighting programmer); Matthew R. Chase (he/him, sound designer); Anthony Churchill (he/him, media designer); Will Hughes (he/him, scene shop technical director) and Chris Chase (he/him, production manager).
ABOUT JOHANNA MCKENZIE MILLER, DIRECTOR
Johanna McKenzie Miller is making her Music Theater Works debut. Previous directing credits include The 39 Steps,Steel Magnolias and Shrek (Theatre for Young Audiences) at Drury Lane Theatre; Elephant and Piggie, We Are In A Play!, Wizard Of Oz, Junie B. Jones, Madagascar and Kiss Me Kate at Marriott Theatre, The 91st and 92nd Annual WAA-MU shows at Northwestern University, Jungle Jim with CPA Theatricals and SHREW’D! at First Folio.
ABOUT LAURA SAVAGE, CHOREOGRAPHER
Laura Savage was Jeff nominated for her choreography in Cruel Intentions at Kokandy Productions. Past choreography work includes: Rock of Ages (Mercury Theatre) RENT (Porchlight Music Theatre), Zorro (Music Theater Works), Shrek (Drury Lane), Elephant and Piggie (Marriott Theatre) and eight productions for BAM Theatre. Savage has associate choreographed and dance captained at: Marriott Theatre, Paramount Theatre and Drury Lane Theatre. She is a Jeff nominated actress and has performed in more than 35 productions across the Chicagoland area. Laura also choreographed for and appeared on Fox’s hit show “EMPIRE.”
ABOUT LINDA MADONIA, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Linda Madonia has been music directing in the Chicago area for more than 25 years including Pippin, Pirates of Penzance, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Camelot for Music Theater Works. As well as Porchlight’s Broadway in your Backyard 2023, New Faces Sing Broadway 1979, Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway and for the 2019 critically-acclaimed production of A Chorus Line. Other credits include Holiday Inn at Drury Lane Oakbrook and Forbidden Broadway: SVU at The Royal George Theater; Grand Hotel and Nunsensations at Drury Lane Water Tower Place and Gigi, She Loves Me and Me and My Girl at Theater at the Center. Madonia has also been the music director for Chicago’s Equity and non-union Joseph Jefferson Awards numerous times. She owns American Eagle Productions, an educational theatre that has presented 300 shows and workshops a year in Chicago area schools for almost 30 years.
MUSIC THEATER WORKS 2024 SEASON
Subscriptions are now available at MusicTheaterWorks.com for its 44th season including 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, March 7 – 31, 2024, followed by Carousel, August 8 – August 18, 2024, Little Shop of Horrors, October 24 – November 17, 2024 and concludes with Legally Blonde: The Musical, December 19 – 29, 2024. All performances are at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd. Single tickets go on sale for the 2024 Season Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024 at 12 p.m.
ABOUT MUSIC THEATER WORKS
Music Theater Works is a resident professional not-for-profit music theater founded in 1980. During its 43-year history it has presented more than 150 productions and intimate presentations. Music Theater Works is a professional theater company whose mission is to present works for the musical stage including historic repertoire, revitalizing the Golden Age of Broadway and earlier works, celebrating the Great American Songbook and introducing modern classics.
JOYCE SAXON is the 2023 Music Theater Works Season Sponsor.
Music Theater Works presents
Shrek: The Musical
December 21 - December 31
Center Theatre
North Shore Center For The Performing Arts In Skokie
9501 Skokie Blvd.
Skokie, IL 60077
Directed by Johanna McKenzie Miller
Choreographed by Laura Savage
Music Directed by Linda Madonia
Preview:
- Thursday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 22 at 8 p.m.*
Press Performance: Saturday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m.*
Press Performance: Saturday, Dec. 23 at 8 p.m.*
- Tuesday, Dec. 26 at 1 p.m.*+
- Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 1 p.m.*
- Friday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m.*
- Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m.*+
- Saturday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m.*
- Sunday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m.*
*Meet and greets following the performance
+Post-Show Discussions
Tickets: $39 to $106, tickets for guests 25 years old and younger are available for half-price.
Music Theater Works Box Office: (847) 673-6300
Website: MusicTheaterWorks.com
Run Time (currently): Including intermission - 2 hours and 30 minutes
