“Shrek the Musical” Flips Fairytales Upside Down
February 26, 2026
• Students set up swamp ahead of their opening night next week. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Audiences at Needham High School’s production of “Shrek the Musical” will certainly see green, but they may also see double.
That’s because four of the main leads are double cast, the first in Director Kristen Mazzochi’s time with the theater department. Two of the four shows will primarily feature one set of leads, while the other two will feature the second set. Students’ talent, as well as the show’s anticipated popularity — and the cast’s propensity to get sick during the winter — factored into the decision.
“It’s nice to be able to give more people a chance at a lead,” Mazzochi said. “It’s kind of fun that you can see a little bit of two different versions. They make some decisions for themselves acting wise, and I love that, yeah, so they get to make it their own.”
Needham’s production will feature two Shreks, two Fionas, two Donkeys and two Dragons. During a rehearsal at Newman Elementary School Wednesday night, one set of leads ran through the first act of the show, seeing some set pieces and costumes for the first time.
The show runs at Newman on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7, both at 7 p.m., with two matinees scheduled for Sunday, March 8 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The musical — which was first a children’s book and then an animated movie — follows village pariah Shrek, a guarded ogre who lives alone in a swamp that soon swarms with fairytale creatures, who are banished there by Lord Farquaad. Shrek undergoes a quest, alongside annoying sidekick Donkey, to rescue princess Fiona to bring her to Farquaad who promises to rid his land of creatures.
However, nothing on the surface is what it may seem.
“A lot of this show is playing on the stereotypical tropes in these fantasy movies and flipping them upside down,” said junior Miles Yountz, who plays Lord Farquaad. Shrek, far from the typical storybook hero, becomes one. His sidekick, Donkey, plays a pivotal role in saving Fiona, who herself is not the archetypical princess in waiting. Dragon, posed as the villain, isn’t the true evil presence either.
Yountz’s Farquaad defies expectations in his own way.
“Instead of being this villain that towers above everyone and has ultimate power… he’s three feet tall,” he said. “And I think it’s really funny to see the way that he believes he should have all the power in the world.”
Yountz, who is 5’9”, plays the character on his knees for the show to achieve his short stature. Before a few weeks ago, Yountz didn’t have knee pads, which made for some painful post-rehearsal time. NHS junior Sam Green, who plays Donkey, stressed that he will be bipedal for his portrayal.
Across the four different shows, both Fionas will be present, though in different forms. As senior Nadia Tess plays human Fiona, junior Katie Memory will perform as ogre Fiona, and vice versa. Memory will don the green paint for opening night, she said.
“It’s really cool to get to see both of our different Fionas, because they are very different,” Memory said. “I think we play them differently, and that’s what makes it so cool.”
Each of the double cast members bring their own approach to the iconic characters, though both Shreks chose to perform with a Scottish accent, which he has in the movie.
The musical’s plot, on its surface, could appear lighthearted and goofy, but cast and crew emphasized that the show has layers — like an onion, if you will.
“It’s a lot of fun to dress up as fairy tale creatures and just sing a dance for three hours a day. That’s always a blast, but then also seeing all the characters [who are] not what you think they are,” said senior James Casale, who plays Shrek. “Shrek isn’t just a gross, nasty ogre. Fiona is not this perfect princess character either.”
The musical’s songs reflect that sentiment. “Freak Flag” and “Story of My Life,” two notable numbers, emphasize acknowledging and embracing difference. Ballads across the musical also note insecurities shared among the characters, particularly Shrek and Fiona, who is secretly an ogre by night.
“I think the one thing about this show is you’re surprised how poignant it is at times,” Mazzochi said.
She previously directed Shrek Jr. in Needham several years ago, which included many of this show’s 68-person crew. NHS also put on “Shrek the Musical” in the spring of 2020, but that production never had a live audience. Mazzochi said she plans to invite local members of the 2020 cast to perform in the show’s finale to “I’m a Believer.”
Needham Community Theatre staged a production of “Shrek the Musical” in 2022.
Coming off of “Les Miserables” in 2024 and last year’s “Mamma Mia!,” Mazzochi said she hoped to stage a family-oriented, silly show with heart.
“It has such a good message. It’s a very upbeat show,” she said. “Given how much snow we’ve had, I feel like people just want to smile and enjoy, and I think this show really does that.”
