‘Shrek, the Musical’ at Atlanta Jewish Academy
The local Jewish day school presented the classic animated fairy tale to rave reviews.
Chana Shapiro is an educator, writer, editor and illustrator whose work has appeared in journals, newspapers and magazines. She is a regular contributor to the AJT.
Not every middle school would choose to present, “Shrek, the Musical.” While it’s a charming, family-friendly play, full of fun and cleverness, the young performers in this show had a lot of lines to learn, and even more singing; clear, strong singing was essential to carry the show. Fortunately, the Atlanta Jewish Academy production featured a plethora of good singers—and they could also act!
The school’s performing arts director, Simonie Levy, can be credited for casting and mentoring a group of boys and girls who impressively portrayed their characters, and some of them played more than one role in the show.
Levy knows that the main character, Shrek, is a role which displays subtle character nuances. Shrek isn’t alone: other nuanced characters include a talking donkey, (Hod Horowitz), an amusingly over-the-top princess (Sophie Zalik), a lovably cheerful Pinocchio (Noam Ben-Yaacov) and a flamboyant, fiery dragon (Bru Freedman).
In this show, as in her other AJA productions, Levy’s practice of dual-casting the lead role gives two students a chance: the two leads performed at alternate shows. Isabella Steinberg and Lucky Freedman, who shared the role of Shrek, were each consistently entertaining, and each brought their own interpretation of the role and surprising on-stage savvy to the show.
Director Levy always opted for shows, like “Shrek, the Musical,” which involve a lot of characters. This inclusive decision is a significant one because every middle schooler who wants to perform is given stage time. Performing onstage before a live, cheering audience is thereby offered to everyone who tries out, an important team-building and confidence-building middle school experience.
Another feature of AJA shows is the team of students who create the sets, work backstage, and learn the ins and outs of lighting and sound. AJA middle school shows provide opportunities for students who are more interested in the technical side of shows to gain experience in theater production.
Technical director, Breit Katz, gave the tech crew hands-on instruction; therefore, the entirety of lights and sound were in capable student hands. Student Jessica Blanc adeptly coordinated the integration of cast and crew members to ensure a smooth performance.
Levy employed professional musicians to accompany the singing actors and to play background show music. Sammy Mishkin, musical director, and his orchestra performed the spirited score for the play, and although many in the audience were familiar with the clever songs, even newcomers were drawn into the joyful—and occasionally poignant—live music.
For a performance by mostly pre-teen, fifth-to-seventh graders, “Shrek, the Musical” was an example of what an experienced director, an upbeat cast, and a knowledgeable tech crew can accomplish.
This was Simonie Levy’s final show at the Atlanta Jewish Academy. After the performance, audience members, some with tears in their eyes, crowded around the beloved theater director to thank her for her many years of directing AJA musicals.
“Shrek, the Musical” was performed on the AJA stage on Wednesday evening, March 22, Thursday evening, March 23, and Sunday afternoon, March 26.
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