Shrek at NSMT Mounts Gut-Busting Merriment

with Monstrously Important Message

By Keith Spencer
BEVERLY Fairy tales have always focused on characters who transform themselves
and their environment to find peace and create contentment. They often focus on the misfits
of the world, and Shrek at North Shore Music Theatre is brimming with characters who offer
boisterous, gut-busting merriment from start to finish.

Lukas Poost as Shrek in SHREK THE MUSICAL playing a North Shore Music Theatre from July 7 July 19, 2015.
Photo Paul Lyden

With a score by Jeanine Tesori and a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
David Lindsay-Abaire, those familiar only with the popular animated film wont be dismayed.
The musical brings few differences and plenty of pleasant surprises, featuring the
defacto Shrek anthem Im a Believer alongside 19 brand new songs.
From signage featuring Glostah and references to Fenway Park and the Red Sox, the
cavalcade of storybook icons provide running commentary. Their pop-culture and colloquial
references connect audiences of all ages to the coherent plot and its identifiable
characters. The scenic design, lighting, costumes, and make-up definitively capture and
bring to life William Steigs original drawings from his childrens book that inspired the
Hollywood blockbuster.
Each of the characters cause you not only to chuckle but also to contemplate the tales
theme which is ostensibly hammered into every scene.

Lauren Wiley as Princess Fiona in SHREK THE MUSICAL playing a North Shore Music Theatre from July 7 July
19, 2015. Photo Paul Lyden

From the moment he galumphs onto the stage, its clear that Lukas Poost understands and
embraces the role of Shrek on a much deeper level. Poost was cast as the ogre from 2011 to

2012 in the Broadway national tour, and he brings a confidence and charisma to the Beverly
stage not seen in casts of previous NSMT productions.
After nearly two hours of prosthetics, make-up, and wardrobe, Poost absolutely embodies
the lumbering Shrek. A silicone cowl is combined with prosthetic cheeks and a forehead
glued to his new face. He also wears a body suit that is undoubtedly drenched in sweat at
the conclusion of the show.
Princess Fiona is marvelously manifested by Lauren Wiley. In her rendition of Morning
Person, she beautifully balances warmth and hilarity in her approach to a new day that
brings joy and a bit of mayhem. Shrek and Fiona finally recognize their commonalities in I
Think I Got You Beat, breaking wind and belching together to transform their tension into
romance. The audience was left laughing, lauding, and looking for more as they clearly had
fallen in love as well.

Dwayne Clark as Donkey in SHREK THE MUSICAL playing a North Shore Music Theatre from July 7 July 19,
2015. Photo Paul Lyden

Dwayne Clarks performance as Donkey was completely asinine and perfect as his
interpretation of the annoying yet lovable jackass seemingly blends the most entertaining

elements of Eddie Murphy, Little Richard, and James Brown as demonstrated in Make A
Move.
The longest running gag of the evening came from Benjamin Howes as Lord Farquaad
whose costume required the actor to move about on his knees for most of the show. The
dichotomy of his smug, manly face and the boyish, tiny legs that left most of the audience
laughing with each and every appearance.
Gloucester resident and UMass Amherst student Katy Geraghty doubled as both Gingy and
Sugar Plum Fairy, bringing a most memorable moments from the film to the stage. Two
young actors from the region were also featured in the production. Harrison Sturgeon,
another Gloucester resident, plays the 7-year-old Shrek in his NSMT debut, and he was
joined by Jake Flynn of Wenham who emerges in the final scene as Grumpy the Dwarf, Lord
Farquaads father. Flynn previously played Tiny Tim during last years A Christmas Carol.
The fractured fairy tale includes a litany of talented actors that give goofy, genuine
performances. Shrek at NSMT is sure to continue charming audiences with its monstrously
important message and loads of absurdity along the way.