PITTSFIELD — I've seen a lot of performances at The Colonial over the years, and I can honestly say that, to date, the performance of 'Shrek: The Musical," currently running through Aug. 17 is one of my favorites. The music is infectious, the voices on these actors will blow you away, and the humor ... well, it spans the ages.
"I loved it and so did my 14-year-old!" — Sarah Auge
For those familiar with "Shrek" the movie, the musical follows the plot pretty closely, and all of your favorite characters are present — Pinnochio, the Big Bad Wolf, the Wicked Witch of the West, Peter Pan, the Mad Hatter, Humpty Dumpty — even Puss in Boots makes a cameo appearance in this version of the story. And each and every one of them brings the comedy and laughter. From Pinnochio's insistence that he is a real boy as his nose continues to grow and Peter Pan's declaration of never growing up, to a forever disgruntled Wicked Witch, a legless Gingerbread man (who happens to know the Muffin Man) and the ever-hard-to-please Three Little Bears ... everyone in this cast gets it "just right." And the Fairy Tale Creatures rendition of "Freak Flag" is nothing but inspiring. You want your kids to leave with a message — this is the song that will do it! ❤️
"My niece has a part in it so my mom and sister saw it this weekend, they both said it was fantastic! " ~ Lisa Polidoro
Polly Racicot who saw the show on opening weekend had nothing but praises for the musical. "The acting was terrific, the music and vocals were phenomenal, the scenery was fantastic, and my favorite part, (besides my daughter, a rat, lol), was how absolutely hysterical it was," she said. Also adding, "This was a great production! A must-see for anyone that has the chance!"
But what about Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Dragon and Lord Farquaad you ask? Just thinking about these performances brings a giant smile to my face while writing this. From the jocular back and forth between the unlikely duo of Shrek and Donkey or Lord Farquaad's "shortsightedness" to the fierceness of Dragon and her powerful vocals or the glimpse into life with Fiona on six cups of coffee, there's not a moment in this musical that won't leave you in awe of these performers. Not only did these actors knock it out of the park with their comedic acting chops (every single one of them will make you laugh out loud), but the vocals were Broadway-worthy, ... and that's not an exaggeration.
"Literally, we have Broadway in Pittsfield. It was an amazing show with great talent," said Diana Lotero. "Everything was perfect. I loved it. I wish one day (my daughter) Isabella can be a part of this great team"
Diana also wanted to make sure we let people know that her daughter used her free ticket to "Shrek" that Berkshire Theatre Group donated to each student at our winning "Show {Your School} Some Love" school this year, and she wanted to remind those with their tickets to "Use Them! The shows are so amazing and they shouldn't miss it."
And either should you!
"Shrek" runs Tuesdays-Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Wednesday,s Saturdays, and Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., in Pittsfield. Tickets are $35 and up and can be purchased HERE. For more information go online to berkshiretheatregroup.org.
"Went Saturday, Great show! My daughter and I loved it!" ~ Tanya Palmer
