Rose Theater Presents SHREK THE MUSICAL, Starting Tonight

An ornery ogre, a peculiar princess, a talking donkey, a vertically-challenged villain and a love struck dragon are headed to The Rose Theater with the production of Shrek The Musical. The Broadway sensation, based on Dreamworks Animation's 2001 blockbuster Shrek will run at The Rose, tonight, Sept. 30, through Oct. 15, 2016.

The Rose is proud to announce the cast of Shrek The Musical. The cast consists of several Rose Theater favorites. Robby Stone (Honk, Peter & the Starcatcher, Big Nate, Jackie & Me) will bring the green ogre to life.

Nik Whitcomb (Pete the Cat, Sherlock Holmes & the First Baker Street Irregular, Honk) plays Shrek's sidekick Donkey. Princess Fiona will be played by Lauren Krupski (Cat in the Hat, Pete the Cat, A Christmas Story).

Three Rose teaching artists will also be featured on stage: Brian Guehring (Robin Hood, Honk, Mary Poppins) as Lord Farquaad, Sue Gillespie Booton (Pete the Cat, Cat in the Hat) as Dragon, and Colleen Kilcoyne (Honk) as Gingy.

Rounding out the adult cast are Jennifer Castello and Regina Palmer.

Of special note, the cast includes several alumni and current participants of The Rose's Teens 'N' Theater program. Shrek The Musical also features 12 youth performers who will share various roles throughout the show.

Shrek The Musical is based on the popular Dreamworks Animation movie. It follows the story of an outcast ogre named Shrek who lives alone in a swamp. When a gaggle of fairy tale misfits are cast out of their homes by Lord Farquaad, they invade Shrek's swampy solitude. Shrek then finds himself on a life-changing journey along with a wisecracking Donkey and the feisty Princess Fiona (who resists her rescue when she learns her hero is an ugly ogre rather than the prince of her dreams). Featuring songs from five-time Tony Award nominee Jeanine Tesori and a sidesplitting script by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical combines the bawdy humor of the original film with spectacular musical numbers added for the stage production.

The complete cast of The Rose's production of Shrek The Musical consists of:

Shrek - Robby Stone
Fiona - Lauren Krupski‡
Donkey - Nik Whitcomb‡
Dragon/Mama Bear/Duloc Performer - Sue Gillespie Booton
Lord Farquaad/Guard/Knight - Brian Guehring
Gingy/Wicked Witch/Bluebird Puppeteer - Colleen Kilcoyne‡
Wolf/Thelonius/Duloc Performer/Knight/Bishop/Grumpy Dwarf - Jennifer Castello‡
Pinocchio/Duloc Performer/Knight - Regina Palmer‡
Pig #1/Duloc Performer** - Wayne Hudson*‡ & Jake Williams*
Pig #2/Duloc Perfomer** - Francesca Kerhofs* & Belle Rangel
Pig #3/Duloc Performer** - Payton Johnson* & Grant Mannschreck
Teen Fiona/Peter Pan/Duloc Performer** - Kelly Kroeger* & Claire Booton*‡
Ugly Duckling/Duloc Performer/Knight** - Ananya Amarnath* & Austin Lempke*‡
Young Fiona/Baby Bear/Duloc Performer** - Audrey Saucier* & Justine Hoye

**Double-Cast Role

*BROADWAY and/or DRAMA at The Rose Student

‡Rose Teens 'N' Theater Alum or Current Participant

Shrek The Musical is recommended for families of children ages five and up. The show runs Sept. 30 through Oct. 16, 2016, with performances on Fridays at 7 pm, and Saturdays at 2 pm and 5 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm. Due to popular demand, additional performances have been added on Sunday, October 9 at 5 pm and Sunday, October 16 at 5 pm. The show is approximately 70 minutes long without an intermission. On Saturday, Oct. 8, the 2 pm performance will be interpreted for audience members who are deaf or hard of hearing. On the same day at 5 pm, a sensory-friendly performance will be offered for families who have children with autism spectrum disorder or other sensory processing issues.

Tickets for Shrek The Musical are $20. Discount ticket vouchers are available at all area Hy-Vee stores. Members of The Rose receive four free tickets to the production, but the public is advised that Rose memberships are limited, and are close to selling out; The Rose does not expect memberships to be available for purchase beyond the production ofShrek The Musical.

Shrek The Musical is sponsored by Children's Hospital & Medical Center, Nebraska Furniture Mart, the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Special opening night activities are sponsored by Kiewit Companies.

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