BWW Interviews: Lukas Poost Goes Green as SHREK Tour's New Ogre

As that great poet and philosopher Kermit the Frog once imparted, it's not easy being green. Recent University of the Arts grad Lukas Poost—now featured in the title role of the 2nd National Tour of SHREK THE MUSICAL, which began just about a month ago—can certainly attest to the challenge, but, as expected, is having a fun, grand time doing so.

Before the newly re-launched tour arrived in Orange County for the show's two-week engagement at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (through October 16), Poost had a brief chat with BroadwayWorld's Michael Lawrence Quintos about his past influences and his fresh task of taking over the role of the infamous ogre.

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Hi, Lukas! So how's the tour been going so far?

Lukas: It's been going very well! We're starting to get into the hang of things [since] it's a new tour. We started rehearsals in August and started three weeks ago officially. But, yeah, it's going really well. I think people are having a really good time!

Great! So prior to coming aboard SHREK, were you involved in another show?

I have not. I actually just graduated from school in May.

Oh, awesome! Congratulations!

Well, thank you! This is my first job, actually.

That's cool! Now you play, of course, the title role of SHREK. I assume that it takes quite a bit of work to transform yourself into this big green ogre. How long does the process?

It takes about an hour-and-a-half for make-up and another fifteen minutes for wardrobe. I have to come in two hours early everyday and get in the make-up chair, and then later I would have to stay about another half hour to 45 minutes after to get it all back off again.

Obviously most people know SHREK from the animated movies that inspired this stage musical. How far away from the film is this stage version?

It follows the [first] movie very closely. Some things are taken straight from the movie, in fact. The good thing about this musical, though, is that it's a little longer, so it gives a little more time to spend with characters... like the fairy tale creatures. You don't actually see them a whole lot in the first movie, but you see them much more in the musical. There's Farquaad... you get to find out more about what he's angry about and why he's kicking all these people out of Duloc and what's his problem. And you also see more of where Shrek and Fiona came from as well—and that's really fun!

How much did the version of SHREK that appeared in the films influence your portrayal of the role?

Shrek is a very iconic figure, I think, at least in today's world. So I tried to keep the Scottish [accent] and I tried to take as much as I could from [the movie] without directly losing my own spin on it. I did try to take as much as I could  because, you know, children who come to the show—they want to see Shrek. They don't want to see what I think an ogre is. They want to see Shrek [from the movie]. So we try to do our best to give them that.

But were you given much leeway by the directors and producers in how you would interpret the role?

Yeah. We were really given a lot of freedom to play and do our own thing, but they would pull it back when they needed to.

So let's introduce you a bit more and dig a little into your background. Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania—specifically a small town, Wyalusing, but I was born in Sayer because [the town] had a hospital.

Growing up, did you have some idea that maybe a career in musical theater was something that lay ahead?

I didn't until probably the sixth or seventh grade, I think. It's when I started taking a real interest in musicals. And then it wasn't until probably the 10th grade was when I decided that this is actually what I wanted to do forever.

What was the trigger that finally did it?

See, I was home-schooled after eighth grade. It was when I was home-schooled that I did a lot of community theater in the evenings—you know, when, normally I would be doing homework and what-not. So I did a lot of it and it was where I felt the happiest. Well, I thought, if this is where I'm happiest, then this is what I need to do.

Cool. Who influenced a lot growing up?

Well, I had great teachers. The directors of the community theater like Julie Lanard-Newbury—she was probably one of my biggest influences. I also worked with great people in high school. As far as favorite actors... I've admired Colin Firth and Merryl Streep the most. They're pretty awesome.

How about specific stage musicals? Any particular ones influenced your love of theater?

Well this one [SHREK] surely has grown into [an influence]. I think also... [Pauses] Growing up, my favorite one that I did at home was SUESSICAL THE MUSICAL. That one always stays with me in a very dear place in my heart. As far as the things I saw, LES MIS was always something that makes me go "Yeah! That's awesome! I might wanna do that!"

Speaking of wanting to do that show, what are some of your other dream roles in other shows that you hope to take on someday?

Well, anything in LES MISÉRABLES would be fun! Someday I would love to do JECKYL & HYDE and the composer in CURTAINS. I think any role in SPAMALOT would be a blast! And I would love to go back to Horton in SUESSICAL someday. That would be lovely.

You mentioned that you recently graduated from college and have now landed a pretty neat role right off the bat. Now, a lot of our readers on BroadwayWorld are, of course, young students—much like you were just a few months ago—who are trying to pursue this same career. What's your one piece of advice for them?

I would say... do anything that they can to will stimulate their imagination. To keep their imagination alive is what, I think, is most important. For me... I lost my imagination for a while, I don't really know why. But I discovered the computer and started playing online instead of playing outside and what-not. Imagination is very, very, very important as an actor, and the bigger your imagination, the better you're going to be.

Can you share with us how your particular audition process went for you, as someone fairly new to the world of touring Broadway productions?

The auditions were actually fairly quick and close together, though there was, well, one long span of time of waiting. But it was exciting and really cool. I was actually in the midst of graduating when all of this happened. I originally went in to audition for BEAUTY & THE BEAST which NETworks was also doing and was currently on tour. Bob Cline who was casting SHREK was also casting B&TB at the time. He saw me singing the SHREK song ["Who I'd Be"] and asked me, "Why don't you come in for SHREK in a couple of weeks?" So two weeks later, I came in to the Open Call—because I couldn't go in during my Graduation Day. I sang some songs and I even went in [to read] for Farquaad as well. Another week or two went by and I came in for a Wednesday and a Thursday... and that was it!

Awesome! Okay, so before I finish the interview, it's time for... THE LIGHTNING ROUND! I'll ask you some quick, short questions and all you have to do is give me the first thing that pops into your head. Is that okay?

Okay!

In one word, describe what goes through your head right before you step out on stage as Shrek...

Here we go! Oh, wait, that's three words. [Laughs]

What musical show cast album do you find yourself listening to a lot?

Uh... SHREK, actually.

Makes sense. What song do you like belting in the shower or when you're all alone in the car?

Forever. [Snickers]

What scares you the most?

Drowning.

What is your one guilty pleasure?

Oh, Mythbusters! All the way! Or edamame... oooh!

What do you like doing on your day off?

I like to explore.

Cool. Say, have you ever been to Orange County before?

Nope. Up 'til now I've never been further west of Chicago!

Oh, really? Wow! So this tour will have lots of firsts for you! How exciting! I hope you make it out to Disneyland, then, while you're here for two weeks.

Yeah! I can't wait!

Okay, getting back to the lightning round... What or Who irritates you the most?

Oh... what is it? I always forget what my pet peeve is right when someone asks me! Um... [Long Pause]... darn it! People who... well, you know, my brother always irritates me when he chews directly into my ear, so, I guess, that's it.

What instantly puts a smile on your face?

Um... a smile!

If you could trade lives with someone for one day, who would that person be?

Um... who would that be? I think it would be Armstrong the day he walked on the moon!

If you weren't an actor, what other job do you see yourself doing?

Well, I've always wanted to be a UPS truck driver when I was little.

[Laughs] Alright, one last question... what has been your absolute favorite moment of the tour so far?

That would be Opening Night [of the tour] for sure... in Portland, Oregon.

Follow Michael Lawrence Quintos on Twitter: @cre8ivemlq

Photo of Lukas Poost as "Shrek" from the NETWorks Presentations, LLC National Tour of SHREK THE MUSICAL by Joan Marcus.

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Performances of SHREK THE MUSICAL at The Segerstrom Center of the Arts continue through October 16, 2011 and are scheduled Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 1pm and 6:30pm. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, October 15 will be sign-language interpreted.

Ticket prices start at $20 and can be purchased online at www.SCFTA.org, by phone at 714-556-2787 or in person at the SCFTA box office (open daily at 10 am).

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.

For more information, please visit SCFTA.org.

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