"...in the morning, I'm making waffles!"
The Word with Heather René Dunaway
Hello Friends. It’s me, puffy sleeve fan and local artist, Heather René Dunaway. Working with the GAAC has given me a unique position to learn about all the super-cool-arts-happenings in the Augusta River Region. Here’s the word.
SHREK THE MUSICAL! Yes, like the Y2K, DreamWorks animated, Oscar-winning, cult-classic starring Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphey and Cameron Diaz. Well, it has been made into a musical. So, slap on those Ogre ears because it’s on its way to a stage near you.
When I say I’m a fan, I mean it. I loved it when it first came out and it quickly became a comfort movie for me. A little bit of silliness is what gets me up in the morning (that and my multiple alarms) and this movie has a lot of silliness. Shrek is a totally cool movie to bond over, change my mind.
I was recently in a wedding where all of us bridesmaids decided to surprise the bride with a Shrek themed bachelorette weekend. A Shrek-lorette party, if you will. It was very fitting for our group of goofy gal pals. I love seeing a new resurgence of popularity for this movie, this legacy, especially with the Gen Z kiddos.
I learned about this musical from one of the students at the Georgia School for Innovation and the Classics. I was hosting a workshop there for this talented bunch of young artists. They are actually featured in the Augusta & Co. Gallery in their group exhibition “Landmarks.” During this workshop, this one quiet student instantly lit up when she learned I was a fan of Shrek. We gushed over photos of the Shrek-lorette weekend and the upcoming musical (she’s actually in it).
Where can you see Shrek the Musical? Well, the Musical Theatre Workshops Teen Ensemble will be performing Thursday, May 5th at 7:00 PM, Friday May 6th at 7:00 PM and Saturday, May 7th at 2:00PM at Augusta University’s Maxwell Theatre located at 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30904.
Music for this performance was created by Jeanine Tesori. The book and lyrics are by David Lindsay-Abaire. This musical is based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig. Shrek the Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure that was originally produced on Broadway by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions.
Tickets for this event are $20 for adults, $12 for students and senior citizens and free for children under 5. Seating is general, so get there early to grab a good one! Tickets can be found here.
I hope you go see it and support these young talents. A little bit of silliness is something I think we all need these days. Let’s all get goofy together.
