Mount Nittany Middle School to Present ‘Shrek: The Musical’

The Mount Nittany Middle School Drama Club is ready and raring to perform “Shrek the Musical” Friday, Feb. 26, through Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Mount Nittany Middle School auditorium.

Kat Shondeck, the club’s adviser, said she thinks the story will resonate with audiences for a number of reasons.

“The story is great. It is about accepting yourself for who you are,” said Shondeck, who is the show’s co-director and choreographer. “It’s an anti-bullying message, which goes along with Mount Nittany’s ROAR (Respect, Organization, Attitude, Responsibility) theme that is taught to all students at the school. Plus, the show is funny. It’s got unbelievable costuming, and the sets are amazing.”

Matt Shaffer, co-director and music director, called the musical “a classic fairytale story with a twist.”

“And the music is tremendous,” he said. “Shrek the Musical” is based on the 2001 DreamWorks film “Shrek” and the 1990 book by William Steig. It features music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire.

Shondeck said that she and Shaffer knew they had the right students to be able to pull this show off.

“’Shrek’ is not an easy show, neither for the actors, nor for the stage crew,” Shondeck said. “We had so many really talented students want to be a part of the show.”

Shondeck is proud of the Drama Club’s legacy of performing high-quality shows, and she believes “Shrek the Musical” will continue that tradition.

This year, there are nearly 100 students involved in the production — 82 cast members and 17 stage crewmembers, all of whom help prepare for the show with several rehearsals and set-building workshops.

The show provided students opportunities to learn a variety of skills, as well as take on leadership roles, Shaffer said.

“For us, the kids are involved in all aspects of the show, from building the sets to working backstage,” he said. “When we run the show, it is all students running backstage. They actually take over the show. They are in the light booth, in the orchestra pit. They truly run the whole thing.”

Nick Cole, an eighth grader, plays Shrek. He has only been acting since sixth grade, but already has a number of shows under his belt.

“It is exciting to have the opportunity to perform as the lead of a show,” Cole said. “The transformation that Shrek undergoes is a really cool thing for me as the actor and for the audience to see and experience.”

Ashwin Godura, also an eighth grader, plays Lord Farquaad. He said the cast is extraordinarily talented, including everyone in the ensemble.

“It is a really funny show, and it has something for everyone,” Godura said.

Shondeck said in addition to learning skills through the show — including building sets and props, reading music and acting — students became like a family.

“A lot of students tell me that no matter what kind of day that they’ve had, if it’s a Drama Club day, it’s going to be a great day,” Shondeck said. “And that truly makes all of this worth it.”

For show times and tickets, visit the Drama Club’s website at www.scasd.org/domain/732.