Review by Joe Siegel

Pawtucket – The Community Players wrap up their 104th season with the delightfully silly “Shrek The Musical.”

The classic book by William Steig was adapted into a blockbuster movie in 2001 featuring Mike Myers as the titular green ogre and Eddie Murphy as his loyal sidekick Donkey.

With a script and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, this stage adaptation faithfully follows the movie’s plot.

Shrek, played with tremendous charm by Cody O’Toole, finds his swamp overrun with a band of colorful refugees who have been banished by the tyrannical (and very short) Lord Farquaad.

Farquaad recruits Shrek and Donkey (an exuberant Chris Margadonna) to rescue Princess Fiona (Katy Lazar), who has been imprisoned in a castle. Farquaad intends to wed Fiona so she can become his queen and he can gain unlimited power.

Director Marianne Lonati and the production team have pulled out all the stops to make an entertaining show.

The costumes, lighting, set design, and choreography are all top notch.

O’Toole brings warmth and poignancy to Shrek, who gradually falls in love with Fiona. He has lived his life feeling unloved because of his appearance. In a prologue, a young Shrek is kicked out of his home by his parents.

Fiona is impressed by Shrek’s tenderness and discovers they have plenty in common. Lazar brings depth and dimension to the character – not acting like a helpless damsel in distress but more like a vibrant woman struggling to break free.

Chris Lovegood gives one of the most offbeat and memorable performances in the show as Lord Farquaad, a truly odious little man. In one scene, Farquaad rips off the arm of the Gingerbread Man (Kylie Chartier). Lovegood makes for a deliciously nasty villain.

Other fairytale characters also show up, including Pinocchio (Patrick Koshewa), Peter Pan (Matthew O’ Brien), Wicked Witch (Laine Johnson), Sugar Plum Fairy (Karlie Fitzgerald), Ugly Duckling (Mia Berube), Mad Hatter (Harrie Salk), and Puss in Boots (Sandra Louis). They all sing “Story of My Life” and “Freak Flag.”

Lizzie Rider gives voice to Dragon, a fearsome creature which faces off against Shrek.

The orchestra, conducted by Renee Nelligan, never overpowered the vocals. That’s been a problem in past productions, but here the music and the performers gelled perfectly.

O’Toole is magnificent as Shrek sings “Big Bright Beautiful World” and “When Words Fail.”

Fiona and Shrek have a burp-off following their duet of “I Think I Got You Beat.”

“Shrek the Musical” isn’t a great musical, but it’s a good one. The tone is irreverent and there’s lots of funny sight gags and references, including some Rhode Island favorites.

The message is one of inclusion and learning to appreciate each other’s differences. In times like these, that’s all that matters.

Shrek the Musical runs through April 26. The Community Players. Performances at Jenks Middle School Auditorium, 350 Division St., Pawtucket, RI. Runtime is 2 hours, 30 minutes including intermission. For tickets, visit thecommunityplayers.org.

Photos by Bob Emerson.

Cody O’Toole and Chris Margadonna.

Fairytale Creatures.