“Beautiful Ain’t Always Pretty ”

Set in a mythical “once upon a time” sort of land, Tony-Award winning SHREK the Musical is the story of a grumpy, gruff, green ogre who lives in an ugly green swamp in happy isolation. When a group of homeless fairy tale characters burst upon his swamp, seeking refuge from the persecution of the cruel, vertically-challenged Lord Farquaad, Shrek seeks out Farquaad in a desperate attempt to regain his swamp’s hermetic peace and is offered a deal: Lord Farquaad will give the fairy-tale characters their homes back, if Shrek rescues Princess Fiona. And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue.

“The musical takes the original SHREK and builds upon its message of acceptance, not only underscoring that “Beauty isn’t always pretty,” but with one of the biggest musical numbers being  “Let Your Freak Flag Fly” it’s clear the overarching theme is how being different is awesome. What else can we learn from SHREK? Everyone can find love, Better out than in, Everyone has layers, Nothing is handed to you, True love beats everything else, Friends are family and Intercultural relationships work. In addition to being hilarious, uplifting and inclusive – things we all need right now, SHREK The Musical has over 40 named characters, many of whom are gender fluid, making it a perfect Year-End Musical for our students to delve into and all be challenged.

 

While CCPA students have been rehearsing since March, the production team has been tasked to recreate this award-winning musical’s costume design. Adding a poignant dimension, CCPA Year II students will graduate following their closing performance in front of a live audience. The production will take place at the Dave Dunnet Theatre and is also available online for select livestream dates. To ensure a safe in-person experience per current Public Health Orders, audiences will be capped at 75%, and masks are highly encouraged.