The Show: 

It’s not easy being a big green ogre. Based on the mega-hit movie and featuring David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori’s book and score, Young Shrek is promptly kicked out alone into the world. A place where, according to his parents, every dream comes true (but not for you), and everyone has a friend or two (but not for you). So Shrek grows up and finds a nice swamp from which to enjoy the Big Bright Beautiful World. Until his swamp gets commandeered by the little Lord Farquaad as a refugee camp for fairy tale characters. To reclaim his home and his solitude, Shrek will have to help Farquaad marry a princess by rescuing a seriously stir crazy Princess Fiona from the dragon’s lair. And so begins Shrek’s big adventure during which way more than one freak flag will fly.  

The Production:  

Director Bobb Cooper and company at Valley Youth Theatre, performing at the Herberger in downtown Phoenix, completely immerse us into the Big, Bright Beautiful World of Shrek's hodgepodge fairy tale kingdom. That includes some magic by lighting wizard Mike Eddy and costume enchantress Karol Cooper who helps their remarkably talented cast members transform into all manner of fairy tale characters from nineteenth-century fantasies like Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and The Nutcracker to far more ancient folklore.  

Brad Cashman is our title character and turns in another stellar performance for VYT, this time as an ornery ogre with a bigger-than-life stage presence and terrific use of voice. Lacey Bookspan is fun and frantic as Fiona with beautiful vocals and impressive range. The two of them work great together as they begin to fall for each other in their Shrekishly romantic I Think I Got You Beat. John Batchan is a huge hit as the lovable, friendly, talk-you-to-death Donkey who leads a lively Make Your Move accompanied by the Three Blind Mice (Carly Copp, Ally Lansdowne, and Alyssa Shea). While Philip Amerine is a riot as the severely Napoleonic-syndromed Lord Farquaad who has a great sense of haughty humor and physical humor as he walks/dances on his knees.  

Elsewhere, Riley Glick and Eliza Parker are Young and Teen Fiona attempting to deal with her long imprisonment – prisoners of a fantastic dragon puppet requiring several puppeteers to fly her around and featuring the soaring vocals of Carly Makani Copp. While the entire cast shines as impossibly happy, master race residents of Farquaad’s Duloc and, of course, as the plethora of fairy tale characters who delight throughout, culminating as they all proudly wave and hoist their freak flags through the roof.

Performed June 14 - 30, 2013

Photos by Barry Smith

Rob Hopper
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Executive Director
National Youth Arts

~ Cast ~ 

Dragon Singers:

Duloc Performers: