Shrek the Musical at Aviano Community & Schools Theater (Shawna Haas)

Join Shrek the ogre and his unlikely friend Donkey as they go on an epic adventure to save Shrek’s swamp. With over 40 cast members of all ages, the Aviano Community & Schools Theater performance of “Shrek the Musical,” directed by Katie Pawlik, is a family favorite and perfect for this holiday season.

Shrek (Andrew Santoro) lives alone in his swamp until it becomes the safe haven for all the fairy tale creatures seeking refuge from Duloc. His peace and quiet is disturbed, especially by the creature’s ringleader, the loud and brash Pinocchio (Annika Haas). As Pinocchio leads the ensemble in the Broadway-style song “Story of my Life” we are introduced to the plethora of fairytale creatures, all with unique costumes that make it fun to recognize our favorites. The Wyvern Spark Lab on Aviano Air Base assisted with making Pinocchio’s telescopic nose, digitally imaging Haas’ face and delivering a perfect growing nose.

Shrek the Musical at Aviano Community & Schools Theater (Shawna Haas)

In Duloc, Shrek and his newfound companion Donkey (Jonathan R. Jaskulsky) meet the city’s leader, Lord Farquaad (Josh Nardone), and demand that the fairytale creatures be removed from the swamp. In exchange for its deed, they agree to rescue Princess Fiona. Farquaad is hysterically acted on his knees so that he is extra small in stature – a running gag throughout the performance.

Shrek the Musical at Aviano Community & Schools Theater (Shawna Haas)

We are introduced to Fiona (Lindsey Nardone) in a creative scene where we see her experience the challenging childhood of growing up trapped in a tower protected by a fire-breathing dragon. Nardone’s strong singing finishes the scene and sets the tone for her spot-on performance. As Fiona and Shrek interact, we see just how perfect this casting is as Santoro seems made to be Shrek. The two feed off each other, even hysterically competing for the best farts and burps in one of the funniest scenes of the show.

As the story continues, the various sets cleverly use local scenes to define story locations. See if you recognize the castle that stands-in for Duloc! The swamp outhouse is cool and the use of revolving set pieces helps the performance flow.

We soon learn that each character has more depth than we originally thought. As Shrek, Fiona and Donkey sing the final song of Act I, “Who I’d Be,” we come to realize that there is much more to this story and Fiona is hiding a big secret.

Shrek the Musical at Aviano Community & Schools Theater (Shawna Haas)

Things get off track when the trio return to Duloc. Back in his swamp, a downtrodden Shrek is still plagued with newcomers. The ensemble cast members playing fairytale creatures show of their talent as they embody each individual character. They rally for Shrek and the story takes a turn as they sing “Freak Flag,” an anthem to the be-yourself-and-be-weird vibe that gives him the confidence to return to Duloc.

Throughout the show, the singing talent is stand-out, and the music was obtained via a special program. Thanks to “The Keith and Jody Renstrom Military Grant for Music and Marketing” from Aztec Showtrax the Aviano Community and Schools Theater received the backing tracks for free.

This happy, feel-good show is family-friendly, and it includes humor for all ages (from farts to innuendos).

In the end, we discover that everyone has a unique story and everyone wants a sense of belonging. We also learn that beautiful comes in many shapes, sizes, colors and forms.

Shrek the Musical at Aviano Community & Schools Theater (Shawna Haas)

Purchase tickets at the door.

The show is held at the Aviano Schools Complex Multipurpose Stage