Penn Hills High School gears up for 'Shrek the Musical'

Once upon a time, in a perfectly rancid swamp, lived a giant green ogre named Shrek.

After living in peaceful seclusion for most of his life, he is tasked with saving the land from a cruel half-pint villain. With the help of his sidekick, Donkey, and a beautiful princess with an unlikely secret, Shrek embarks on a journey filled with magic and music where he discovers the power of love, friendship and a dragon.

Penn Hills High School plans to share that journey with its spring production of “Shrek the Musical” — complete with a double leading cast made up of seven upperclassmen.

The musical is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film “Shrek,” along with elements of its sequels — “Shrek 2,” “Shrek Forever After” — as well as William Steig’s 1990 book “Shrek!” that started it all.

Shrek will be portrayed by junior Zachary Burkovich and senior Brandon Laus.

“I was excited when they announced the show,” Burkovich said. “This is my dream role. It really fits me. Not as a person, but it fits my voice and it’s a really nice part to play.”

Burkovich said he enjoys helping underclassmen adjust to the chaos that musical season brings and can translate what directors are saying when younger performers are having trouble.

“I know I’m better with a certain director, but other people might not be,” Burkovich said. “When I’m up here, I can understand what a director is saying. If someone else doesn’t, I can then translate. This is my third year, fifth production, with (these directors).”

Senior Rory McConnell will be playing Princess Fiona on opening night and switching off with junior Mariyah Bey throughout the show’s run. The iconic part of Donkey will be shared by seniors Kelsey Hundley and Isaiah Owens.

“I feel like me and Donkey go hand in hand because we both do bizarre kinds of things, and that’s kind of fun,” Hundley said.

In his second year of theater, Hundley said his favorite part of being in a cast is “Take Around” days — when cast members go to local nursing homes, the elementary school, middle school and other community places to perform some numbers from the show.

Burkovich and Hundley will join McConnell on stage for the musical’s opening night.

“It’s been really fun getting to play this role because it’s such a fun, exciting character,” said McConnell, a seven-year veteran of theater in the district.

McConnell has played a lead role for the past six years in school productions. This is the first year she hasn’t felt stage fright in the weeks leading up to the show, she said.

McConnell, like Hundley, said she connected with her character on a personal level. Seeing herself in Fiona made it easy to put a personal spin on her performance, she said.

Two mainstays in both casts are seniors Rynn Everett, who will be playing Donkey’s love interest, Dragon, and Samuel Tucci, who will be portraying Lord Farquaad, the villain known for his height — or lack thereof — and identifying hairstyle.

“I’ve had to do a bit of research on Lord Farquaad,” Tucci said. “He’s not a very complex villain, but there’s a lot of work you could put into (the character). He’s kind of a blank slate in a lot of ways.”

While some castmates are splitting time on the stage, others are working double.

Junior Taliah Smith is portraying Mama Bear and serving as co-chief of the stage crew. Her co-chief, junior Vivian Jefferson, will be doing the same.

The stage crew is building a set to transport the audience into a fantasy world — complete with paper-mache trees, a weight-bearing tower and other props that have to be easily transportable on and off the stage. Smith said the last month leading up to the show is her crew’s “crunch time.”

Smith and Jefferson also are in charge of lighting during the show and rehearsal. The key to success will end up being the effort from the whole team, Smith said.

“It’s all about making sure that I have a team behind me,” Smith said. “We have people on stage and off stage so it’s good to make sure that we have a good mix. When I’m on stage, I need to make sure that everything can run smoothly back here so the team has a lot of people I trust.”

One person who is spending their last year in the heart of the chaos is co-director Claire Davidson. After 22 years and directing 32 shows for Penn Hills, Davidson has declared “Shrek the Musical” will be her last.

“It’s time to turn it over to the next generation,” Davidson said. “I don’t think somebody should sit in something until they’re 85. It’s their turn to direct and their turn to create.”

She has been accepting contracts as a co-director with Ben Blinn for the past few years. Blinn was one of her students and performers during her time as teacher and solo director at the district.

Davidson said “Shrek the Musical” is a large show with a lot of characters and set pieces that come with the script. The cast members, directors and army of volunteers have been heavily relying on organization and constant communication with each other to make things run smoothly.

Davidson will be returning to assist the cast and crews for the next couple of years but, for the most part, will be enjoying her retirement to the fullest.

“I’ll miss being in charge,” Davidson said. “I’ve been doing it for a long time. I’m going to have to step back, and that’s always hard.”

Another person who has found comfort in the chaos is volunteer Diane Tirio, who has led a team of volunteer seamstresses and student helpers to make the show’s costumes from scratch. From the Duloc Dancers’ dresses made with pieces of Penn Hills graduation garb to the Humpty Dumpty costume with hand-painted bricks on its pants, every costume on stage is made by hand with a lot of creativity behind the creation.

With this Penn Hills musical season bringing a heartfelt goodbye, a special brand of chaos and a unique mix of personalities, “Shrek the Musical” will be a night to remember for all ages.

“I feel like our musical is pretty funny,” Hundley said. “It has people that really fit the roles. We could be (our characters) in real life, and it makes it easier to translate to the audience.”

“Shrek the Musical” will take the stage at 7 p.m. April 25-27 and 2 p.m. April 28. Opening night will include a meet-and-greet with the characters.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. They can be purchased online at phhsmusical.com or at the door.