Friday, August 3, through Sunday, August 12
Prospect Park Auditorium, 1584 34th Avenue, Moline IL
An intimidating green ogre, a feisty pricess, a wisecracking donkey, a diminutive tyrant, an ambulatory gingerbread man, and other fantastical figures take over Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium when Quad City Musis Guild presents its August 3 through 12 run of Shrek: The Musical, the Tony Award-winning fairytale slapstick based on the Oscar-winning animated smash, and a show USA Today called “a triumph of comic imagination with a heart as big and warm as Santa's.”
Set in a mythical land of “Once upon a time ...”, Shrek: The Musical tells of a hulking green ogre who, having been mocked and feared his entire life, retreats to an ugly green swamp to exist in isolation. Suddenly, though, a gang of homeless fairytale characters (among them Pinocchio, Cinderella, and the Three Little Pigs) raid his sanctuary, and announce that they’ve been evicted by the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad. Shrek strikes a deal with them, saying that he'll gets their homes back, but only if he gets his own home back in return. They agree, and when Shrek and Farquaad meet, the lord says he'll give in to Shrek's demands as long as the ogre rescues the trapped Princess Fiona. Shrek obliges, yet finds something strange and appealing about this pretty princess. He likes her – a lot – but why does she always run off when the sun sets?
With Variety calling it a work of “irreverent charm” that “never stints on spectacle or laughs,” Shrek: The Musical received eight 2008 Tony nominations including Best Musical, Original Score, and Book of a Musical, winning the Tony for its imaginative Costume Design. Beth Marsoun, who also helmed Quad City Music Guild's 2013 Peter Pan, serves as director, with venue favorite J. Adam Lounsberry (The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast) playing the titular green ogre and other beloved Shrek figures portrayed by Megan Warren (Princess Fiona), Keenen Wilson (Donkey), Jeremy Weinstein (Lord Farquaad), Andy Sederquist (Pinocchio), and Callen Brown (Gingerbread Man).
Joining them are two dozen additional talents than encompass both Music Guild veterans and newcomers: Kailey Ackermann, Kalsey Baker, Lillian Cobert, Matt Downey, Joey Dryoel, Eva Fielder, Julia Fiedler, Amelia Fischer, Curtis Fischer-Oelschlaeger, Olivia Gasper, Kallista Goerdt, T.J. Green, Robbie Greve, Amelia Hinch, Kat Jecklin, Joel Kolander, Kara Milkowski, Grace Moore, Sheri Olson, J.J. Pierce, Claire Schaecher, Jack Stremlow, Emily Winn, and Jonathan Young.
Shrek: The Musical runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., admission is $11-16, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-6610 or visiting QCMusicGuild.com.
