Review of 'Shrek The Musical' at Musicals at Richter

Dedicated to the memories of (SHREK lover) Prof. Ruth M. Sasso and Luke Garrison

Danbury, CT - SHREK is the 100th show to be presented at Musicals at Richter. This is quite a milestone for CT’s longest-running outdoor theater and I was pleased to attend a performance under the stars during the second weekend of the run. The stars on the stage shone just as brightly as those in the sky on the back lawn of Richter House.

“As we look ahead to the next 35 years and beyond, we ask for your continued financial, volunteer and artistic support to ensure many opening nights to come!” - MAR’s Board of Directors, Shannon-Courtney Denihan (Director of SPAMALOT) and Lindsay O’Neil (Director of SHREK)

Dreamworks Theatricals’ SHREK THE MUSICAL is based upon the animated motion picture and the book by William Steig with a book by David Lindsay-Abaire and delightful music by Jeanine Tesori. The MAR production was directed by Lindsay O’Neil, a member of the Board of Directors. Lindsay T. Miller (SWEET CHARITY) choreographed the production numbers and the three blind mice and the tappers did very well.

Music direction was provided by composer/music director Daniel Koch. He conducted the talented musicians in the white tent and covered keyboard 1. The great Andrew Gadwah (who I remembered from Castle Craig gigs) was on keyboard 2, Tom Polizzi played guitar, Charles Casimiro was on bass, and Bob Kogut played drums. Ann Howell and Anthony Pellegrini covered the reeds, Griffin D’Amato was on royal trumpet and Walter Barrett played trombone. I presumed to tell Mr. Koch has well-balanced the orchestra sounded during intermission when he came over to say hello to me. Every musical number sounded truly fabulous; I loved the harmony of “Who I’d Be” that closes the first act.

Ms. O’Neil, an Equity actor, put a fun stamp on the fairy tale in her MAR directorial debut, with Interim Artistic Director Joyce Northrop serving as producer. Kudos to stage manager Olivia Minor, a rising 12th grader at Forman School in Litchfield, for keeping everyone inline backstage. Arden Minor and Ciara Cuneo were the stealth backstage crew members. The set design by the director and RJ Bogues worked well with the trees painted by Lana Peck and Karla Woodworth. The costumes designed by Sarah Daleo were impressive for the most part; I wasn’t a fan of the uniforms for the Duloc dancers, although they needed to clothe a huge range in dancer heights.

The cast was led by Kevin Bielmeier, making the most of his MAR debut in the title role. His daughter Madison (ANNIE at MAR) appeared on the same stage in the role of teen Fiona. Mr. Bielmeier gets back on the boards after a long hiatus and I hope that he will stay there in an upcoming role that he finds interesting. When not singing the role of the teen-aged Fiona, Ms. Bielmeier also covered the roles of a knight, a tap dancing rat, and a Duloc dancer. Abigail Rivas of Newtown (Molly in ANNIE) rounded out the trio of Fionas for “I Know It’s Today” as the youngest Fiona; the young actress also danced as a rat and a Duloc dancer.

Emily Walsh (9 to 5, PETER PAN at the Warner) sang beautifully in the role of the adult Fiona and brought her fine stage presence and dance moves to the role of the princess who is a “Morning Person.” Ms. Walsh is a Hofstra University grad and now works at Carnegie Hall in NYC; it is wonderful to see that she is still “practice, practice, practicing” her craft at MAR.

Teah Renzi (SPAMALOT) made the audience laugh in the donkey that will not stop talking. Kudos to this Newtown actress, who is now a Musical Theatre major at WCSU, on another spectacular performance. The fabulous Roger Grace (IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU in Goshen) made his MAR debut in the vertically challenging role of Lord Farquaad. Not surprisingly, he made the most of his role and made me smile even when he was behaving badly.

Other members of the Koch family in this production included Donovan Koch (ANNIE) as Little Shrek and a grumpy dwarf and his big sister Rachael Koch (ANNIE and SPAMALOT at Two Planks,) who played Little Pig #3 in her second year at MAR.

Fiona Bryson took on the role of (not Fiona) the red dragon that falls for Donkey in her first MAR production. I remembered her from when she sang the role of The Lady of the Lake in Two Plank’s SPAMALOT and here she sang “Forever” in the first act, the number that replaced "Donkey Pot Pie" from the Broadway version, just as well. And what a fantastic red ensemble she got to wear as the besotted dragon. Ms. Bryson is the music director of the Shelton HS drama club, which just won the Stephen Sondheim award for Best Musical for their production of CHICAGO, a production which I unfortunately missed.

Weston Pytel appeared in his first MAR musical in the role of the puppet/boy Pinocchio with the growing nose, as well as a knight. Robert Geils did well in his MAR debut as Papa Bear and King Harold. Seventh grader Rose Giardiello (SEUSSICAL) was the adorable Baby Bear. Sydney Gershon was cute as the Ugly Duckling and the soprano bluebird, and she danced as a Blind Mouse and a rat. Rising high school senior Emma Lubbers played Peter Pan, a knight, a rat, and Duloc dancer in her 11 MAR show. Carolyn McCarthy played the Wicked Witch, Kevin McCarthy was the Big Bad Wolf, and Daniel Satter, a recent WCSU grad with a B.M. in Vocal performance, played Papa Ogre, Captain of the Guard and a Duloc dancer.

Brenda Schoenfeld (LEGALLY BLONDE) was Little Pig #1, Steven Scott was Little Pig #2, “Drama Mama” Missy Slaymaker-Hanlon was great as both Mama Ogre and Mama Bear, and Daisy Stott (ANNIE) was lovely as Gingy, Sugar Plum Fairy, a rat and a mouse. Eleven year old Ella Zamek played Elf in her eighth musical.

Denise Milmerstadt (SPAMALOT, 9 to 5, RAGTIME at the Warner) covered the role of Queen Lillian and Humpty Dumpty, and danced as a blind mouse and a rat. Her daughter Michaela (SEUSSICAL) appeared as a Duloc dancer and a rat. The stage manager’s sister Viola Minor (SEUSSICAL, JOSEPH) appeared as the Pied Piper, as well as a Duloc dancer while serving as the dance captain.

Fifteen-year-old than Berger made his MAR debut as Thelonius and a Duloc dancer. Domenic Burns danced in the Duloc ensemble and appeared as the greeter. MAR veteran Dolly Conner came onstage for a cameo role as the Bishop that tries to marry Fiona and Lord F.

Bring a picnic and come early, but don’t forget the bug protection that I mentioned in my review of SPAMALOT. Patrons who had not been able to see the entire performance of SHREK the night before due to the weather returned to Richter to catch the Sunday night performance at no charge. SHREK is presented with one intermission, during which one can reload on snacks, and runs through August 10, 2019. Next up at MAR will be MARY POPPINS, Jr.

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.

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