‘Shrek the Musical @ The Firehouse Theatre
Photos by Pendleton Photography
—Carol M. Rice
As much as I love the movie Shrek (and all its sequels – can’t wait for Shrek 5 to be released next summer!), I love the musical more. I’ve watched the filmed Broadway version starring Brian d’Arcy James and Sutton Foster more times than I can count; my now adult son played Peter Pan in Shrek Jr. when he was in sixth grade; and I try to catch any local productions I can. It’s just such a fun, feel-good musical, complete with a happy every after!
Shrek the Musical has a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, and is based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the children’s book by William Steig, which he wrote while in his 80s. (Am I the only one who didn’t realize the whole Shrek phenomenon was based on a book?) The popular musical is currently running at The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch.
Shrek is an ogre. As per tradition, his parents make him leave home at age seven to find his way in the world, and as a grumpy, bitter adult, he lives alone in a swamp that has recently become the dumping ground for fairy tale creatures. Local Lord Farquaad has decided these “freaks” ruin his perfect kingdom of Duloc, and when his minions remind him that to become King, he needs to be married to a Princess, he hires Shrek to remove the intruders and clean up the royal swamp. And as a side hustle, Farquaad makes a deal with Shrek that if he rescues Princess Fiona from a dragon-guarded tower, he’ll give him the deed to the swamp.
Needless to say, things aren’t that simple.
With the help of a talking donkey named...Donkey, Shrek rescues Fiona and on their journey back to Duloc, we learn that she has been cursed – becoming an ogre at night when the sun goes down. The only way to break the spell is a kiss from her “one true love,” who she assumes to be Farquaad. Trouble is, Fiona and Shrek have developed feelings for each other, yet Fiona’s wedding to Farquaad is still on the schedule! But of course, Shrek, Donkey, and some surprise wedding crashers find ways to let Fiona end up with the right (green) guy.
Blake Rice brings a larger-than-life personality, spot-on accent, and gorgeous voice to the role of Shrek. Shrek’s angry hostility melts into shy sweetness as he discovers love and friendship. It’s a roller coaster, though: when Shrek feels he’s been betrayed, his rage returns, but turns back to remorse when he admits he’s been wrong. Rice is able to handle all of Shrek’s various emotions with ease, both through his acting and his singing. The sharp contrast between the heartfelt “When Words Fail” and heartbreaking “Build a Wall” is stunning.
As the feisty Princess Fiona, Hailey Hatfield is simply magical. Like Rice, she has incredible vocal and emotional range, and her facial expressions are beyond brilliant. Plus, she’s a talented dancer. Hatfield and Rice make a believable pair, and watching them fall in love during “I Think I Got You Beat” is oddly adorable.
It’s Dominick Jenkins’ facial expressions and physicality as Donkey, however, that totally make that song. He is hilarious! And unlike most Donkeys I’ve seen in Shrek, Jenkins doesn’t attempt to recreate a version of Eddie Murphy from the films but instead makes the role completely his own, downplaying the annoying little brother vibe of the character and instead making him a true friend to Shrek from the start.
As Lord Farquaad, Austin Bender-Davis is obviously having a blast with this silly, childish, larger than life (yet short) character. His wide eyes and goofy, self-satisfied facial expressions are fabulous. A very tall person in real life, he does seem to have some trouble maneuvering his costume at times, but we forgive him because he’s so much fun to watch.
Preston Isham does a fine job as Pinocchio, the de facto leader of the fairy tale creatures. His puppet-esque falsetto comes across nicely in “Story of My Life.” Isham is also the Pied Piper in the big tap number “Morning Person,” and gives the role a completely different feel.
Caitlin Martelle plays Gingy (aka the Gingerbread Man) with a screechy, high voice that could cut through glass. She also gives us another accented voice as a fairy and plays multiple dancers throughout; Martelle is extremely versatile, and I understand she made the Gingy puppet herself. She’s also the dance captain! Nice job!
As the Dragon, Lily Michelle plays up the fact that she towers over most of the cast (she’s tall, but the 10-inch heels helped). I’ve only seen the Dragon played by multiple singers/actors and really liked the role being played by one person who gets to shine.
In “I Know It’s Today,” Noa Sophia Burch and Megan Lagemann play Young Fiona and Teen Fiona respectively, adding their strong voices to Hatfield’s, allowing us to see just how long Fiona’s been waiting. Both of these talented young ladies also play multiple roles.
Shrek the Musical wouldn’t be possible without the incredible ensemble, who come across as an army of people, playing everything from Farquaad’s guards to citizens of Duloc to the remaining fairy tale creatures and more.
Director Laura Jennings has done a great job bringing Shrek the Musical to life on The Firehouse Theatre stage. She has cast it well and collaborated with music director Molly Robinson and choreographer April Rose Bourg to create seamless performances from the entire cast.
As often happens at TFT, however, the sound is uneven (in this case the mics are too loud) and there is frequent feedback. Otherwise, designer Leo Thomas’ sound is fine. In addition, Logan Uhtenwoldt’s set is uninspiring, giving us a single drab castle background for everything except Princess Fiona’s tower bedroom. A musical of this size and magnitude needs a set to match. Fortunately, Caitlin Rodda’s costume design is fabulous, but we need an amazing set to match it, plus the wonderful direction and performances.
Overall The Firehouse Theatre’s production of Shrek the Musical is delightful, whether you’re a die-hard fan like I am, or not. I invite you to check it out for yourself.
WHEN: June 25-July 12, 2026
WHERE: 2535 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch TX
WEB: thefirehousetheatre.com
