Review: SHREK JR. at The Players Centre For The Performing Arts

The Players Centre for Performing Arts concluded its Players Kids' Season with a hilarious production of Shrek Jr. This show was a prime example of the exceptional young talent that exists in our community. It is a marvelous thing to be able to go see a production of all young people and not be disappointed. Shrek Jr. certainly achieves this.

Shrek Jr. directed by Alyssa Goudy and Berry Ayers follows the path of the Ogre, Shrek on his life-changing journey to find his one true love. Complete with an array of fairy tale creatures and an evil Lord, this story with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrcis by David Lindsay-Abaire reminds us all that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

All 43 performers were energetic and true to their portrayal of characters that can often be difficult to genuinely convey. Ricky Bizzaro as Shrek, exudes a presence that is needed of his boisterous character. What many theatre-goers may not realize is that the story in and of itself is not comical. It is up to the actors to bring forth the humor through their actions and mannerisms. To this end, Bizzaro did not disappoint. He carefully navigated the complexities of the character while delivering a delightful and entertaining performance.

Ryan Modjeski was sensational as Lord Farquaad. He exhibited a wit that made his character endearing and an arrogance that made you cheer for his demise. Modjeski did a masterful job balancing a character that must present himself as powerful and yet be seen as feeble at the same time.

In terms of making an audience fall in love with a character, one need look no further than Princess Fiona played by Laura Swartzendruber. From her powerful performance of I Know It's Today to her command of the stage as she endures her quest to find true love, Swartzendruber is magnetic and endearing throughout the production.

The story of Shrek would not be complete without Donkey. Dylan Ramon takes the role of the much-maligned animal and does so with the perfect combination of dry humor and charm was the perfect complement to the ongoing love-hate relationship between Shrek and Princess Fiona.

I personally wish this version had more of the Dragon played by Rylee Martin. Goudy and Ayers maximized Martin's talent and ominous presence on the stage, and her depiction of the loveable beast had the audience mesmerized each time she took the stage. Her costume was perfect and provided an incredible visual representation of a Dragon.

The entire ensemble brought the story to life every time they were on stage. It is clear that the Players Kids has a strong focus on character development and in helping each young performer develop their musical theatre skill set.

Players Kids is an audition-only group for young performers who meet every Saturday throughout the school year. In addition to producing a junior musical, the group does multiple outreach performances in the community. More information on the Players Kids can be found at www.theplayers.org.

Photo Credit: Don Daly