'Shrek: The Musical' Set to Debut this Weekend

Photo: Lemont resident and business owner Jeremie Bacon and his 11-year-old daughter Annemarie spend quality time working together doing the things they love in Shrek: The Musical.

At 71 years young, Mary Beth Pingatore of Westchester auditioned for her first musical production since high school. The driving force behind her decision was to share the stage with her granddaughters.

But this weekend’s production of Shrek: The Musical isn’t just a family affair for Pingatore. In fact, among the nearly 100 people working on the musical are mothers and fathers with sons and daughters, spouses, siblings, and cousins. Actually, there are even two sets of twins!

Performances of the family-favorite will be Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 12, at 2 p.m. at Lemont High School’s Performing Arts Center, 800 Porter Street, Lemont.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Patrons are encouraged to visit www.littlemountaintheatre.org to select and purchase tickets online. Questions about ticketing should be directed to the box office at (630) 484-7326.

Due to the popularity of this family-friendly show and its large cast size, it is expected that the show to sell out. Advance ticket purchase is advised.

The back story of Pingatore’s involvement with Little Mountain Community Theatre began last summer when she attended its production of The Wizard of Oz to watch her 11-year-old granddaughter Kelli Crispo perform. When she saw a woman about her age on stage a seed was planted and thoughts of performing with her granddaughters began to grow. Initially she volunteered on LMCT’s public relations committee and then worked up the nerve to attend an audition workshop the group held in the spring.

“We all love musical theatre!” said Pingatore, a retired kindergarten teacher. “I’ve been taking the girls to plays and they showed an interest in auditioning for Shrek. I thought, ‘Why not me too?’ You’re never too old to try something new!”

Kelli, who was the only member of her family to be involved with The Wizard of Oz last summer, said she couldn’t wait to share the experience of being on stage with her 13-year-old sister Erin and her grandma. She said being involved together has been better than she expected.

“I’ve been in other productions where my sister and grandma would help me practice,” the Lemont resident said. “I love being in Shrek together because it brings us closer. We get to share some of the same feelings and experiences and the most amazing process you will ever go through!”

Lemont resident and business owner Jeremie Bacon and his 11-year-old daughter AnneMarie auditioned for the show for similar reasons.

“We’re a family of six and we all have a handful of overlapping interests. Two of the things AnneMarie and I love are singing and theatre. We felt that performing together would be a great way for us to get in a little extra quality time while sharing in an activity we both enjoy,” he said.

AnneMarie agreed: “It’s a great opportunity to get some one-on-one time with my dad. If your parent has experience on the stage like my dad does they can teach you a whole bunch of things and share cool experiences from behind the scenes!”

Years ago Maura Carr of Darien and her cousin Margaret Rogers of Lemont took acting classes together. Over the years they’ve supported each other by attending productions each has been cast in. During the school year, Carr is a student at the University of Illinois while Rogers attends the University of Minnesota. This weekend they will perform together on stage for the first time.

“I’ve watched Margaret perform on the LHS stage since she was five! To finally be up there with her is more fun than I even imagined,” said Carr. “To take on a show together has been a big, but wonderful change! It has connected us in a whole new way!”

For other members of the cast performing with family members is not a new experience.

Juliana Bobak has been part of three LHS spring musicals with her cousin, Stephanie Liptak. Both girls will be seniors at LHS next fall. The cousins also appeared in The Wizard of Oz last summer with their younger sisters – Angelina Bobak and Alexis Liptak who are both 11. Ten- year-old twin cousins, Caitlin and Hannah Tomala, join them in this production.

“We all enjoy performing, but it’s so exciting to be able to do it together. It makes it that much more special,” she said. “We get to create memories together in such an amazing setting! I’m so proud of how much we have accomplished together!”

But, whether this production is a first family theatre experience or another to add to the list, all involved think this is something other families should consider.

“Absolutely!” said Jeremie Bacon. “Our kids grow up so fast. Doing things like this is such a wonderful way to create lifelong memories.”

Erin Crispo agreed: “The best thing about working together in a big production like this is that we create a bond that we’ve never had before and connect differently by expressing ourselves through acting. It’s a special experience to make memories that will be treasured forever with people that are always by your side.”

For more information about LMCT, visit www.littlemountaintheatre.org