The Medford Panther Players, comprised of students from the Haines and Memorial Middle Schools, are preparing for a journey to a kingdom far, far away with their production of “Shrek the Musical, Jr.” Based upon the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film, the show brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on the Lenape High School stage April 15, 16, 22, and 23.
Join Shrek, the unlikely hero, and his loyal steed Donkey as they set off on a quest to rescue the beautiful, yet slightly fiery, princess Fiona and bring peace and quiet back to the swamp he calls home. Add a villain with a “short” temper, a gingerbread cookie with an attitude, and many of our favorite fairy tale characters in a singing and dancing mix of adventure, and you have a must-see musical comedy for all ages.
Through the laughter and fun, the show carries a poignant message that it is important to accept others even though they may be different. There is often more to a person than meets the eye, even if they have green skin, breath fire, or have a nose that grows when they tell a lie.
Veteran director and social studies teacher Michael Del Rossi leads this talented cast of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students as they bring this upside-down fairytale to life.
“This is a really fun show that will appeal to everyone, young and old. It carries a great message, especially for middle school students, about appreciating inner beauty and maintaining high self-esteem. Audiences will be reminded to love people for who they are, not what they are or how they look. Most importantly, I hope that the young people who see the show will realize that it’s okay to be yourself, it’s okay to ‘Let your freak flag fly!’” Del Rossi said.
This year’s production will be performed at the Lenape High School theater located at 235 Hartford Road in Medford. The show will have two matinee performances- April 16 and 23 at 2 p.m., and four evening performances — April 15, 16, 22, and 23 starting at 7 p.m.
Tickets, which are reserved seating, are available for purchase at the Medford Memorial School main office Monday through Friday 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. or online at www.medfordmemorial.org. A limited number of tickets will also be available at the box office on the night of the show.
