Review: The Sonora Elementary production of Shrek the Musical Jr, performed at the Gilboe Lindfors Theater at Costa Mesa High School from November 20-22. The students and production staff brought a fun energy to the stage.
The cast brought a lot of personality to their roles, especially the leads, who gave the singing, comedy, and emotional moments their all. Donkey (played by Fallon Costello) and Fiona (played by Lexy Garduno) had great chemistry with Shrek (played by Gavin Munson).
The sets and costumes were colorful and creative, giving the show a fun storybook vibe. Donkey was one of the crowd’s favorite, bringing nonstop energy and even making the simplest of lines feel funny. I also noticed how smooth the scene changes were (courtesy to our Mustang volunteers), which kept the show moving and made it easy to stay immersed watching.
Despite being a junior version of the original musical, the cast delivered it with full commitment, keeping the audience entertained from the moment the show began. Overall the junior production felt lively, well-rehearsed, and full of effort, and it highlighted how much work everyone put in to make the musical entertaining for the audience.
(*Lexy Garduno and Fallon Castello as Fiona and Donkey*)
SHREK Cast Questions:
Hitching Post: What part of playing Shrek has been the most fun?
Gavin Munson: Honestly? Telling people to get out of my swamp. It’s fun because I don’t get to say that in real life.
Hitching Post: What’s the scene you’re most proud of?
Lexy Garduno: The transition scene! Where we see kid, teen, and adult Fiona (me) all sing together.
Hitching Post: What’s your favorite line to say?
Fallon Costello: Probably when I mock Shrek by saying; “Oh now he’s interested,10 minutes ago he was all like – don’t talk to me, I don’t need anybody.”
Hitching Post: What was your favorite scene to perform?
Hampton (Lord Farquad): The wedding scene. I got to yell dramatic things and made the audience laugh a lot.
This year’s show proved how much the arts can bring people together. The students worked hard, the audience enjoyed it, and the volunteers helped make it all possible. From costumes, to makeup backstage. It was a great way to wrap up Sonora’s season, and the school is already looking ahead to future productions. Looking forward to another successful production.
