Typically when someone considers seeing a musical, the first ones that come to mind are the classics: “Annie,” “Anything Goes,” “42nd Street,” and “The Sound of Music.” That’s why when director Mr. Matt Wehr announced that the students would be putting on “Shrek: The Musical,” many people were surprised by this bold choice.

“I didn’t think it sounded like something Mr. Wehr would chose to do, but it sounded exciting,” senior Hannah Cassel said.

The musical is most definitely a different choice from the usual cast of characters that typically feature humans, as opposed to the fairytale world of “Shrek.”

“I wasn’t sure at first what it would be like to do this show since it’s so new and different,” senior Abby Muth said.

Many people who are familiar with the movie “Shrek” may also be confused how the transition from movie to musical would work. In “Shrek: The Musical,” all the same basic characters exist, but some of them are a little different than many would remember them in the movie. The musical also features over 20 musical numbers performed by various members of the cast.

“I think it will be cool and interesting to see our school do such a different type of musical than other years,” sophomore Amanda Andreucci said.

What makes this musical different is part of what drew Mr. Wehr to picking it.

“Anytime you pick a show there’s not just one reason. Every show is not created equal, even if they are all musicals,” Mr. Wehr said. “I pick shows I know audiences will come to. I also factor in student talent, if you have dancers for example. All the musicals have a unique set of demands, and there is always a balancing act.”

For many of the cast members these are very different roles to what they typically are used to playing. Alex Knapp will go through the biggest transformation for his role in Shrek. Putting on his make up alone will take over, and hour and he will be on stilts to embody Shrek even more.

“Being Shrek is a lot of fun, has very cool songs and it is so much fun playing a character unlike any others that I have played,” Knapp said. “Shrek is a lot more of a crude character, and I typically play something more refined.”