Niwot High School's production of "Shrek The Musical"

Niwot High School's Production of "Shrek The Musical" closed recently after six shows over the course of two weekends. Under the direction of Amanda Foust and technical director Jason Watkins, the show ran seamlessly.

The high energy from the cast made this show one of a kind. Along with its appeal to children, this musical is enjoyable for people of all ages. The underlying message of embracing uniqueness, inner beauty, and the importance of community create a beautiful story about various familiar characters such as Shrek, Donkey, The Ugly Duckling, Mad Hatter, and The Three Bears.

With elaborate costumes created by Anna and Mimi Archibold, Valentina Godat, and Foust, each character was unique and stood out in the large cast. From The Three Blind Mice's sparkling dresses to Peter Pan's signature green outfit, every character was easily recognizable from classic stories.

Cast members included Fred Zorgdrager, Aiden Sagner, Sophie Arnett-Simon, Jasper Allison, Merrick Blondeau, Prugh Dunfee, Hazel Rinehart, Rori Ann Barchers, Mimi Archibold, Grace DeRose, Kennah Brackett, Maddox Wilson, Ash Kissinger, River Osgood, Anna Enssle, Natalie Fitches, Gabby Gravelle, Kate Nelson, Jocelyn Lara Serrano, Micah McGhee, Ollie O'Brien, Vi Sparks, Pali Sauer, Valentina Godat, Ali Kraut, Olivia DeRose, James Miller, Camryn Bell, Audrey Owen, Jade West, Miriam Lakein, Sydney Torchalski, Reagan Lachky, Olivia Cesar Cipriani, Cas Clark, Elliot DeBusk, Elyse Prestopnik, Kaz Fowler, Finley Richardson, Tayler Studebaker and Arnie Zorgdrager.

This year's cast was full of seniors, including cast, crew, and pit. In fact, the majority of lead characters were played by seniors. A few seniors shared a glimpse into their favorite memories during their time in the production.

"My favorite moment from 'Shrek' was when we were all backstage waiting to go on during closing night and the excitement and bittersweet feelings brought us all together to put on the best show yet," said Natalie Fitches. Student Director Mimi Archibold said, "I loved the feeling of pride and achievement when looking at the cast and watching how much the crowd loved it on the first night."

Student Dance Director Aiden Sagner said, "My favorite moment from 'Shrek' would have to be opening night. It felt like all the work we put into the show finally came together and you could tell that we were having fun and extremely proud of what we had created."

Fred Zorgdrager, who played the lead role of Shrek, said, "Nothing quite beats the feeling of finally getting that note down after working for weeks." And Student Acting Director Rori Ann Barchers said, "My favorite part of 'Shrek' was watching everyone's characters come to life through all the fun choreo, costumes, and storyline. I always looked forward to going to rehearsal, especially after a hard day."

Almost every cast member played multiple roles in the show. For example, junior Jade West played Captain Hook, a guard, one of the Three Blind Mice, a dancing rat, a dancing skeleton, and also served as a vital piece in multiple difficult lifts throughout the show. West, who is a defending state champion shot-putter, managed to work her performance around her track and field schedule.

"My favorite moment from 'Shrek' would probably have to be during tech week when it was our last rehearsal and we all decided to goof off and have the most fun together and really live in the moment with each other," West said. "There were so many laughs and so many moments in that one rehearsal That will keep me smiling forever."

Alongside the multiple roles each cast member had to play, there were also two understudy shows which featured Merrick Blondeau as Lord Farquaad, Rori Ann Barchers as Pinocchio, Maddox Wilson as Big Bad Wolf, Camryn Bell as Captain of the Guard, and Jasper Allison in multiple ensemble roles.

The orchestra pit added much more depth to the already beautiful musical score. Having a live orchestra playing alongside the actors was a special piece of the production. Sunset Middle School Band Director Madeline Cort conducted the pit in the absence of Choir Director Laura Walters, and she did the important job of not only interacting with the musicians, but also interacting with actors on stage due to the pit being fully open.

Overall, Niwot High School's production of "Shrek The Musical" was a huge success, with sold out performances for almost every play. From all reports, audience members, pit musicians, cast, and crew all had a phenomenal time watching and performing. Instagram (@niwot.theater) will provide future updates on Niwot Theater's upcoming productions and events.