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Shrek the Musical Casting
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Hello,My community theater group is considering Shrek for our summer 2014 musical. I am putting together a proposal, and was wondering if anyone who has already done it could share how they did casting with the ensemble. I am trying to make heads or tails about what roles can be double cast and what works well with costume changes etc. Thanks!
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My prodction of Shrek opened this weekend. The hardest part about doubling up characters is coordinating the costume changes...Here is who I have doubled up...
Mama Ogre/Tweedle Dee/Bluerbird/ Blind Mouse
Papa Ogre/Bricks (Pig)/Thelonious
Mama Bear/ Happy Villager/ Duloc/ Guard (only in regiments & Ballad Of Farquaad)/ Blind Mouse
Captain Of The Guard/ Duloc/ Pied Piper/ Knight/ Rat / Bishop
Papa Bear/ Knight/ Duloc/ Rat /Guard (only in regiments & Ballad Of Farquaad)
Baby Bear/ Happy Villager/ Fiona Double/ Rat
Gingy/Sugarplum Fairy / Happy Villager/ Duloc/ Rat
Dragon/ Happy Villager/ Duloc/ Rat/ Blind Mouse
Big Bad Wolf / King / Knight
Pinocchio / Dragon Puppeteer / Old Woman From The Shoe (Bit I added in Traveling Song)
Wicked Witch / Queen Lillian / Duloc/ Rat
Elf / Duloc/ Rat
Fairy Godmother/ Duloc/ Rat/ Guard (only in regiments & Ballad Of Farquaad)
Teen Fiona / Happy Villager / Little Red Riding Hood (In Freak Flag Only)
Young Fiona / Gretel (For bit I added in traveling song and Freak Flag)
Young Shrek / Grumpy / Hansel (For Bit I added in traveling song and Freak Flag)
Ugly Duckling / Knight/ Duloc/ Rat / Guard (only in Regment and Ballad)
Mad Hatter/ Duloc/ Rat / Guard (Only in Regiment and Ballad)
Walter/Happy Villager/ Guard
Peter Pan/ Dragon Operator/ Guard (Only in regiment and Ballad)
Sticks (Pig)/ Dragon Operator
Straw (pig)
Off the top of my head I think that is everyone!
Katie,
I would be glad to share our casting breakdown.
Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Did not double at all (nor did they sing with the offstage choir)
Mama Ogre could be doubled Dragon...but we did not double her
Papa Ogre doubled as Pig #1 and a guard
baby Shrek doubled as a mouse
Queen Lilian Doubled as Fairy Godmother (or in our production, Blue fairy)
King Herold doubled as a guard
Little Fiona doubled as a mouse (we had 4 fionas)
Many fairy tale characters doubled as guards
Papa Bear doubled as the captain of the guards
Mama Bear was a Dragon operator
Little Red Riding Hood doubled as Dragon's voice (was onstage as Dragon under the puppet)
Baby bear was a mouse (all our mice were 5-7 year olds)
young Fiona was a dulac dancer (all our dulac dancers were 7-12 year olds)
Teen fiona was ugly duckling and a blind mouse
Sugar Plum fairy was a blind mouse
Farquaad was a guard in the "story of my life" scene
Our guard costumes were designed to cover costumes and only the costumes that could hide under the guards robes were doubled from the fairy tale characters.
Our costumes are available for rental if desired. :) http://www.daretodreamtheatre.com/DreamDesign.html and photos can be seen in our photo album on here http://www.mtishowspace.com/photo-albums/486843/dare-to-dream-theatre-pr...
Hope this helps!
Rachel Thuermer