(above) The cast of Green Brook Middle School’s Shrek Jr.
Green Brook Middle School Performs Shrek Jr.
On March 29, 2019, the cast, crew, and staff of Green Brook Middle School’s Shrek Jr. closed the curtains on their incredible production with a show-stopping final performance. This musical included a cast and crew of nearly 75 members. Both performances were very well attended with a record breaking audience size on Friday with a wall-to-wall sell out!
The production was nothing short of spectacular with amazing performances by leads and ensemble alike. Shrek was played by 8th grader Ben Cupit, who you may also remember as the lead from our fall production of “A Christmas Carol”. Ben’s voice was strong and vibrant and his acting reminded us that even ogres can be lovable and kind creatures. Fiona, the princess Shrek is tasked with saving, was played by 7th grader Aria Anthony. She really impressed the audiences as she belted out notes in each song with ease and took you through the self-proclaimed “bi-polar” nature of Fiona. Comedy was in no short supply and no one got more laughs than 7th grader Lea Anthony as Donkey. From her impeccable delivery to her hilarious facial expressions and gestures, she had the audience rolling every time she stepped on stage. Kaylee Vargas (8th grade) impressed everyone with her big voice in “Forever” as Dragon, while Lucas Flint (8th grade) played the perfect mix of evil and funny as Farquaad. Both 8th graders Nadine Greybek (Pinocchio) and Michael Banker (Gingy) nailed their “freaky” fairytale characters with laughs throughout the show. The ensemble really brought it home with some incredible singing, dancing and acting from the first scene through to the end. The show concluded with a big song and dance number that had the audience on their feet dancing with the cast to “I’m a Believer,” originally by the Monkees.
The final show concluded with a wonderful cast party enjoyed by all 75 cast and crew members which was hosted by a group of fantastic parent volunteers. The show was the eighth one directed by the school’s chorus and orchestra teacher Mr. William Alzaher. The backstage crew was expertly managed by theater teacher Mrs. Erin Ferrara and the choreography was done by former GBMS graduate, Jaclyn Priore. We are so incredibly proud of all the students involved and would like to thank the parents who volunteered with supervision, the cast party, set building and painting, photography, t-shirts, publicity and more. Another big thank you to the teachers, staff, administration, and Board of Education for coming out to enjoy the show and supporting the hard work of the directors, cast, and crew have put in over the last 4 months. Bravo to the cast and crew!
Submitted by James Bigsby
Photo by Green Brook Township Schools
