In one of the venue’s most ambitious productions to date, The Plaza Arts Center’s Broadway Intensive production of Shrek the Musical proves that community theater can deliver professional-level dancing and singing, elaborate staging, and impressive technical work.
Presented through a partnership between The Plaza Arts Center and The Arts Barn, the musical was assembled in just 13 days of rehearsals, a feat that makes the polished final production even more remarkable.
For the founder of The Arts Barn and Shrek producer Lora Garcia-Carreras, the compressed rehearsal schedule is the production’s biggest challenge.
“It’s just the amount of work in general to get something ready to perform in 13 days, especially a show at this level,” she said.
Garcia-Carreras explained that cast members auditioned in March, but all the physical touches are learned during an intensive two-week period; hence the name.
“They all learn the vocals and harmonies ahead of time, working with our vocal director, Mary Lynn Luke,” she explained. “But all the blocking, all the staging, all the choreography is done within those 13 days.”
The result is a fast-paced, visually impressive production featuring a large ensemble, colorful costumes, intricate choreography, and a Broadway-style spectacle rarely seen in local theater.
Broadway veteran Henry Scott directed the production while also designing the lighting, choreography, and scenic elements. However, Garcia-Carreras explained, in true Broadway tradition, Scott is onsite only for the opening and closing dates, leaving her with the monumental responsibility of bringing a large team of artists and volunteers together, including set builders, painters, costume coordinators, and lighting and sound technicians, as well as the talent on stage.
Many of the show’s specialty costumes and puppets were rented from professional theatrical companies, some from as far away as California, greatly enhancing the big-time show feel for the production.
“It is the Broadway Intensive,” Garcia-Carreras stressed. “Community theater is amazing and fills a wonderful space, but we really give the performers and artists in the Broadway Intensive an experience that is a step toward Broadway.”
That experience extends beyond the adult performers. The cast includes middle and high school students performing alongside college graduates, teachers, and professional actors. After five previous Broadway Intensive shows at The Plaza, interest in the program has continued to grow, Garcia-Carreras said.
“It’s really a unique program that brings all the different ages together,” she said. “It’s very competitive, too. Less than half the people who auditioned were cast this year.”
Leading the cast is veteran actor Seth Wicker as the lovable ogre, Shrek, a role he first played in 2015 as an 11th-grade student.
“I feel very blessed to be able to come and do the character again,” Wicker said. “It’s hard work but a lot of fun, too.”
Revisiting the role more than a decade later also allowed Wicker to bring a new perspective while still drawing on past experience, which includes participation in four of the five previous Broadway Intensive productions at The Plaza.
“It is very challenging,” Wicker said of the show’s schedule. “But we all know the drill; we know we need to come in; we know we need to be ready; and we know we need to be ready to go to work.”
Wicker credited the organization behind the production for making such an ambitious schedule possible.
“It’s so well structured from both The Plaza side and the Arts Barn side,” Wicker said. “Everyone is on the same page, and the communication is really wonderful.”
Despite enduring long, demanding hours in rehearsal, as well as extensive time in the make-up chair to get his Shrek on, Wicker said performing in the musical remains a joy.
“I remember seeing Shrek in the movie theater when it originally came out. I was just a little kid then,” he said. “It’s something that a lot of us grew up with and are still watching. So, it’s really a beautiful thing to be involved in now.”
That sense of fun and love for the material comes across throughout the performance. The entire cast embraces the show’s humor, heart, and larger-than-life personalities with infectious enthusiasm. At the same time, the strong vocals and energetic dance numbers keep the audience engaged from beginning to end.
Visually, the production is among the most elaborate ever presented on The Plaza stage, involving clever scenic transitions, vibrant costumes, polished choreography, and creative puppetry. It all combines to create a show that feels far bigger, far more impressive, and far more professional than most typical community theater productions.
For Eatonton audiences, Shrek the Musical offers plenty of laughs, memorable songs, and good, family-friendly entertainment. For the performers, it provides an opportunity to experience the pace and expectations of professional theater.
For both, it means a fun and satisfying experience that won’t soon be forgotten.
Shrek the Musical remains at The Plaza through this coming weekend with evening shows July 16-18, plus matinee performances July 17 and 19.
Visit plazacenter.org for tickets and times.