I thought good community theater was only true in fairy tales, but now I’m a believer!
Local drama has two big draws — all-ages entertainment and the chance to see your neighbors make fools of themselves on stage (in a good way). And the Narrows Community Theater’s new production of “Shrek the Musical” delivers on both counts.
The fairy tale parody follows the titular misanthropic ogre whom a yellow-bellied monarch employs to save a princess from a fire-breathing dragon. Along the way, the ogre makes some friends, has some laughs, falls in love, and save a whole crew of fairy tale stock characters from annihilation.
Like the Dreamworks movie it is based on, “Shrek The Musical” has plenty of surreptitious adult situations, making the production equally palatable for kids and adults.
Producers keep the set design and props simple — something that has worked to their favor. Costumes, on the other hand, are more intricate than one might expect, but they work marvelously. Lord Farquad’s stature-reducing getup is funny no matter how many times actor Alexander Deverson shuffles across stage, and Antonio Oliveri deserves major props for making his big prosthetic Shrek hands work for nearly three hours.
Leave the earplugs at home — these players know how to sing! One standout tune comes from Abigail Summa, Kiera Doherty, and Jessica Sparacio, who pound out some killer harmonies in scene six’s “I Know It’s Today.” But Courtney McEvoy Lee’s Dragon steals the show, and she bellows every line with power and flair fit for her role. Even the mostly elementary school-aged ensemble is good — and listening to groups of singing children is usually not the Butcher’s favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Supporting actress Lucy Sullivan shows immense theatrical precocity as Pinnochio, and Amanda Summa’s Gingy has some of the best pipes in the production. Among the ensemble, 18-year-old George Raiola stands out as the moo moo-clad, mob movie-quoting Big Bad Wolf.
The roughly two-and-a-half-hour production (with a 15-minute intermission) could stand to be a song or two shorter. But there are few moments that the musical isn’t moving along at a good pace, and overall, it is a really fun time.
Narrows Community Theater presents “Shrek The Musical” at the Fort Hamilton Army Base Theater (403 General Lee Ave. between MacArthur Road and Pershing Loop in the Fort Hamilton Army Base, www.narrowscommunitytheater.com) Sept. 5 and 6 at 8 pm. Sept. 7 at 2 pm. $20.
