A triumph will be launched on the Echuca Paramount stage tonight when the curtain goes up on Shrek the Musical.
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Echuca Moama Theatre Company’s Wednesday night final full-dress rehearsal was spectacular, the cast rock solid from the leads to the back row of the ensemble.
This show is set to not just rival 2018’s Phantom of the Opera, it may well outshine what many have considered the company’s pièce de resistance, with a cast that hits the mark in every song, every scene and right through both acts.
Inspired casting by directors Mark Thomson, Tamara Cadd and Darcy Elliott has brought together a group of amateur performers whose talent is rivalled only by their sheer joy in being part of Shrek.
Their energy and enthusiasm literally fizzes on the stage and if you can’t catch every clever nuance in the script, every little downstage movement or action, you will be wanting tickets for a second sitting to make sure you do.
The stars of the show truly are.
Sean O’Brien is Shrek. Absolutely nails it. Reflects every mood, sometimes with the most subtle of body movements but mostly with his soaring voice. Whenever he is on stage you cannot take your eyes off him and he never falters in being the linchpin of the show.
Megan Scott as the “senior” Princess Fiona is simply brilliant. Her smile lights up the stage, her crystal-clear voice owns every song and her dancing is a delightful foil to her singing.
As for the evil Lord Farquaad, English expat James Studds is so deliciously, so evilly self-centred he is a smash hit. If he did nothing else, he gets the gold medal for spending the whole show walking around on his knees to deliver as the dastardly and diminutive man who would be king.
But he did plenty, his scenes on his horse, his lounge and dances are hilarious as he swings his tiny legs around and forces everyone to get down on their knees to look up to him.
Darcy Elliott, as always, gets a special mention. As well as being a co-director, and company president, he also gets the gig as Donkey and he goes very close to stealing the show. Not just when he is up front and thumping out a few tunes; so make sure you don’t miss him downstage with his little jigs and remarkable ability to project facial expressions through a wall of make-up.
His value to any show was never more obvious than in the one hiccup on Wednesday night (thank heavens for dress rehearsals) when Shrek suffered a wardrobe malfunction. While he tried to remedy it with his green glove clad hands, not overly helped by Fiona, they both looked at Donkey.
To which Darcy immediately responded — in stage character, with arms raised: “Hey, I’ve only got hooves”.
Then there is the double act which is the Dragon. An EMTC veteran, and currently six months pregnant, Alisha Beavis delivers a depth to the lead roles when voicing the fabulous dragon (which made her stage debut as an extra in How To Train Your Dragon), which is artfully used in multiple scenes until replaced in the climax by the big screen filling the back of the stage.
But if the leads are expected to carry the show, no-one could doubt the ensemble will prove the icing on the Shrek cake.
They were switched on from the get go, and oldest to youngest, nearly all had their moment in the spotlight.
In Pinocchio (played by Ruby Oman) and Sugar Plum Fairy/Gingy (Isabelle Barber) the future of EMTC is in very safe and very talented hands.
Ruby’s costume was as close to being a wooden puppet as you could get, her use of a high-pitched voice, her extending nose and her total immersion in the character was a scene stealer every time she stepped forward while Isabelle, in her dual role, was simply captivating, especially when providing the voice for the gingerbread man or delivering her impromptu can can in the second act.
Several songs and routines are also showstoppers. The Pied Piper performance with Princess Fiona fronting a very clever tap dance with rats on the top of all the shoes was as brilliant as it was unexpected. The mostly young “rats” clearly knew their stuff, shoes stomping backwards and forwards across the stage. The only thing missing was a cameo from Michael Flatley.
The Duloc dance is another highlight in foul Farquaad castle where he wants everyone to look and act the same — and they do, belting out a great dance number. And the Muffin Man repartee between Farquaad and Gingy was a clever twist on a classic line delivered with faultless timing.
This is a cast clearly loving what they are doing, and you won’t be able to help loving them either.
And whatever you do, don’t get up and head for the doors after what you might think is the last bow.
There is a final finale to come, which is the cast’s thank you for attending, and at the same time an absolute explosion of celebration — and possibly a fair bit of self-satisfaction for a job done so very, very well.
Bravo and encore. Take a bow EMTC.
Shrek The Musical takes to the stage at Echuca Paramount from tonight to June 3.
Get your tickets at Echuca Paramount or book online at www.echucaparamount.com
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