The little details are what made Shrek the Musical so special, and it was clear that so much hard work and effort went into the show. When the initial singers, Alex Glaspie and Jordan Harris kicked off the show, I thought to myself, “Oh, this is going to be incredible.” And, to put it concisely, it was.

From the raise of Lord Farquaad’s eyebrow to undeniably accurate accents, Shrek the Musical delivered. The songs were fantastic, the actors were on the ball with the delivery of their jokes, and the sets were intricate. 

The show was one of the greatest in RATS theatre history; it inspired empathy, earnest, and joy from the audience. There did not seem to be a soul in the theater that was not urging Shrek to “make a move” on Fiona or hoping that Fiona would quickly get her happily ever after. From the initial storyline of paralleled childhood trauma to the celebration of differences in the song “Freak Flag,” the musical invoked a variety of emotions. 

Moreover, Aiden Phillips, Zoe Olson, Kennedy Ferguson, Skylar Janizewski, Monica Hill, Adam Rivera, and Tarek Murray (just to name a few) wowed the audience with their musical abilities. However, everyone on stage was superbly talented and made the show incredible. Additionally, the pit played amazing music that set the scene for the entire show. 

Moreover, talent off of the stage in the form of stage managers, crew, crew heads, production assistant, and executive board members deserve to be praised for creating the wonderful sets, props, costumes, hair/makeup looks, technical aspects, and overall atmosphere of the show. 

The sets and props defied the scale of a typical high school production with flawless scene changes, intricate painting, and the ability to bring inanimate objects to life. 

All in all, the immense amount of dedication and effort shone through in this hilarious, well-timed musical. An extra congratulations to all of the seniors who were able to participate in this show. They will leave behind a fantastic legacy and set a high bar for future musicals!