Shrek the Musical
at Sun Valley High School

Reviewed on March 16, 2018

Trinity Pike
Upper Merion Area High School
Submitted for publication to Philadelphia Inquirer - 1

Familiar fairy tale tropes fill the stage - a beautiful maiden in a tower, a ferocious fire-breathing dragon, and a king with an army of knights. But with a sarcastic green ogre and sassy donkey as its heroes, Shrek at Sun Valley High School is nowhere near typical.

Whether recognized for the 2001 Dreamworks film or the 2008 Broadway musical, this famous story is adored by many. On his seventh birthday, Shrek was sent away to live alone on a miserable swamp. But fairy tale creatures interrupt his quiet, isolated life. Desperately, they beg for the protection of a giant, ugly beast like Shrek against the egotistical cruelty of Lord Farquaad. Shrek's adventure begins when he hesitantly agrees.

Despite the challenge of recreating a cast of well-known characters, Sun Valley won the hearts of the audience with their lovable fairytale world. While cast energy was occasionally low, they came alive to make group numbers like "Freak Flag" shine. Comedy, engagement, and perseverance beyond technical challenges defined Sun Valley's production as a wonderful, endearing one.

Lead actors Gianni Palmarini (Shrek) and Elizabeth Powell (Princess Fiona) elicited giggles from the crowd. Palmarini's fabulous vocals, consistent accent, and lively acting brightened the production. Powell had great personality and body language, switching from graceful royal to aggressive boss within seconds. Their strong chemistry gave a punch to "I Think I Got You Beat" as they rocked out across the stage.

Despite Shrek's quips, David Valentine (Lord Farquaad) never fell short. Combining skilled regal vocals with hilarious melodrama, Valentine ensured that even though plenty would make fun of him, no one would forget him. Matching his energy was funny, over-the-top Zack Volturo (Donkey), accompanied by melodic Jacqueline Scheck (Dragon). Tommy Christaldi (Pinocchio) led the freaks in their rebellion with passion, perfectly reproducing the character's iconic high-pitched voice. While the ensemble was sometimes lacking expression, volume, and movement, their large stage presence in "What's Up, Duloc?" and "Morning Person" revealed their true potential.

The sound crew struggled with the challenge of balancing the quiet cast with the loud pit, but they persevered beyond a few distracting mistakes to make many of the actors' lines crisp and clear. The marketing team successfully transported guests into Shrek's world - as soon as audience members entered the school, they were surrounded by colorful cutouts of the characters begging for a photo-op. Smooth set changes by the stage crew fluidly pushed the storyline along.

With spirited efforts, the cast and crew of Sun Valley's Shrek defined morals with heart. Together, they showed that friendship and acceptance can give anyone a happy ending.

Bailey Collington
Interboro High School
Submitted for publication to Philadelphia Inquirer - 2

"It's a bright, big, beautiful world– but not for you" is a tenet accepted by the titular character in ‘Shrek the Musical' at Sun Valley High School. From when the curtains open, Sun Valley stuns the audience with it's self-aware humor, enticing vocalists, and more than a few heartfelt moments expertly captured by the actors as they sing their catchy, more often than not humorous, songs.

‘Shrek' originally opened in 2008 on Broadway, and was written by David Lindsay-Abaire. Based off the 2001 film, the musical captures the feel of the movie and the lovable characters perfectly and with intent as even the youngest of fans who only knew the show from the movie were invested in the performance.

The show was packed to the brim with talented student actors who were very aware of their own characterizations and developed dimensional, hysterical characters. Standouts include the talented Gianni Palmarini as Shrek, who possessed a magnitude of charisma, impressive vocals and had audience members attentively watching his every move with his comedic timing and uncanny ability to deliver sincere, heartfelt moments. The memorable accent from the film is captured by Palmarini and consistently maintained throughout. The adorable powerhouse that is Elizabeth Powell as Fiona also gained laughs as well as admiration from the audience as she was a triple threat of acting, dancing, and singing excellence. Perhaps the most memorable performance of the show was that of David Valentine as the imposing Lord Farquaad. From his first entrance, Valentine seized audience's attention and held it. His comedic timing was masterful and the mannerisms he developed as he embodied his character was a treat for everyone to watch, leaving the audience as invested as they could be while they were still laughing at what he had just sang in his standout number, ‘What's Up Duloc?'

Backing the leads is an equally as talented ensemble and supporting cast. The first ensemble number ‘Story of my life' is a catchy standout number that shows they are a joy to watch in themselves, and share the leads' charisma.

Stage and tech crews did their jobs effectively and without any detectable hitch. The stage changes and set switches were simple enough and they executed them consistently well.

‘Shrek the Musical' at Sun Valley truly leaves one invested in the cast as they show off their vocalization and brilliant comedic timing. From heartfelt numbers like ‘When Words Fail' to hilarious ones like Don't Let Me Go,' the cast of ‘Shrek' is commended for their ability to keep audiences connecting with their overarching message of ‘what makes us different, makes us strong.' The stellar cast provided an enjoyable night at the theater with this memorable performance.

Adelynn Anderson
Episcopal Academy
Submitted for publication to Voice of the Valley

Sun Valley High School's rendition of Shrek the Musical was wonderfully layered with beautiful vocalists, synchronized dancers, perfectly-timed jokes, and all-around family fun.

Shrek the Musical is based on the DreamWorks film Shrek, and has a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. It ran on Broadway for a little over one year, opening in November 2008. The musical follows largely the same plot as the film it is based on. Shrek's life of solitude is interrupted by the arrival of a multitude of fairytale creatures and his to-be friend, Donkey. The two end up embarking on a journey to rescue the Princess Fiona by orders of Lord Farquaad, but their trip does not end up as planned.

Sun Valley was able to bring a unique light and life to the Shrek many of us know and love. They had a solid understanding of the comedic nature of the show, as well as it's hidden messages regarding difference and acceptance that lie beneath the surface.

In the titular role of Shrek, senior Gianni Palmarini was a stand-out talent. The role requires a high level of commitment, understanding of character, and comedic timing, in addition to being vocally demanding; he delivered on all fronts. Particularly enjoyable was Zack Volturo (Donkey)'s performance. His ability to elicit the maximum level of hilarity from both his one-liners and solo songs was commendable. One of the most impressive vocalists in the cast was Elizabeth Powell (Fiona) with an impressive belt and mix that carried her character's demanding music.

In addition to being the one behind a majority of the audience laughter, David Valentine (Lord Farquaad) was also a remarkable singer and actor. Many of the fairytale creatures were portrayed by impressive character-actors, such as Tommy Christaldi (Pinocchio) and Hanna Buerklin (Gingy/Mad Hatter). The dance ensembles, particularly the Rats (tappers) and Duloc dancers, possessed superb dance talent and technique.

The production was well-organized and ran smoothly, thanks to the work of Sun Valley's stage management and crew team. There was occasional faultiness with microphones, but this is understandable considering that there were many working at once, and the sound was quite clear for the majority of the show.

Sun Valley High School was able to execute Shrek the Musical in a manner that gave it both the depth and lightheartedness it requires, and reminded the audience of why this story has remained a family classic for so many years

Lea Harlev
Archmere Academy
Submitted for publication to GPC Website Review 4

On Friday March 16, Sun Valley High School delighted audiences with its energetic and joyful performance of Shrek the Musical.

Shrek the Musical is based on the popular movie franchise Shrek, which was inspired by William Steig's 1990 novel. Shrek the musical incorporates all of the classic characters like Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey, and Lord Farquaad, along with a lively group of fairytale characters and more. The show follows Shrek and Donkey as they carry out their quest to rescue Princess Fiona with lots of twists and turns (and farts) along the way.

Gianni Palmarini as Shrek demonstrated tremendous skill as a performer. His perfectly peculiar Scottish accent and powerful voice were a joy to watch. Elizabeth Powell as Princess Fiona complimented Palmarini on stage throughout the production. Powell's comedic choices and timing coupled with her strong yet purposeful vocals were outstanding. Powell truly put her own unique spin on the character, and it brought her performance to a new level. Together, Palmarini and Powell wowed the audience with their onstage dynamic, especially during their comedic duet "I Think I Got You Beat."

Zack Volturo, playing Donkey, Shrek's hilarious sidekick, gave a wonderful performance as he delivered countless one-liners and physical comedy. The trio of Shrek, Princess Fiona, and Donkey touched audiences as they concluded the first act with the emotional "Who I'd Be," featuring crystal-clear solos as well as tight three-part harmonies. David Valentine portraying Lord Farquaad exhibited such confidence onstage as he made walking on his knees for the entire performance look easy. He consistently had the audience in stitches as he executed hilarious facial expressions and purposefully broke the fourth wall. The standout vocals were those of Jacqueline Scheck portraying the Dragon. Scheck displayed her soulful and smooth pipes as she skillfully belted her character's difficult songs. Scheck's voice stood out as controlled, but powerful.

The production's ensemble brought another level of spirit to the show. In a few numbers the ensemble was relatively quiet, but "Freak Flag" made up for it with dazzling stage presence and excitement. The Rat Tappers ensemble, in particular, did an exceptional job as they gracefully and energetically tap danced in "Morning Person."

Although sound issues occurred throughout the show, they did not hurt the overall performance, and the cast handled them with ease. The student crew-team did a fantastic job; with many set changes necessary within this musical, the crew carried them all out quickly and seamlessly.

Between the thorough commitment to character and the palpable energy, Sun Valley High School presented a "big bright beautiful" production of Shrek the Musical, and reminded audience members that it is okay to "let your freak flag fly."