J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 1 (All Curriculum Provided Meets California Standards for Theatre Arts) SHREK – THE MUSICAL (“Let your freak flag fly!”) October 11th – 27th, 2013 Music by Jeanine Tesori and Lyrics and book by David Lindsey-Abaire Directed by - Joey Landwehr For Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 2 Dear Fellow Educators, At J*Company Youth Theatre, we believe that live theatre and the school curriculum go hand in hand. Every trip to the theatre offers a multitude of teaching moments for your students. This J*Company Youth Theatre Insights Educational Guide has been created to assist in making the play an enriching and enjoyable theatrical experience. The J*Company Youth Theatre Insights Educational Guide includes a wide-ranging list of themes and topics, which are suggested by the style and content of Shrek – The Musical. Avenues for exploring each theme and topic are suggested in the form of: QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION PROMPTS Designed to prompt in-class discussions before and after viewing the J*Company Youth Theatre presentation. ACTIVITIES, RESEARCH, AND WRITING PROMPTS Designed to be researched and written on a broader scale, perhaps outside of class. We are so proud that the San Diego Unified School District has recently been awarded for their fantastic approach to the importance of arts in schools by The John F. Kennedy Center. Congratulations to all of us in San Diego who work so hard to continue to bring visual and performing arts to young people across San Diego County! We are so proud at J*Company to be working hand in hand with the Visual & Performing Arts Department (VAPA) at the San Diego Unified School District to bring the arts to young people everywhere. It is our hope that you find this J*Company Youth Theatre’s Insights Educational Guide a wonderful tool to help enrich and enhance your already exemplary teaching guidelines. Sincerely, Joey Landwehr Artistic Director, J*Company Youth Theatre Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 4 - 8 Introduction Page 9 - 10 THEATRE 101: About The Collaborators Page 11 - 12 THEATRE 101: Theatre Etiquette Page 13 – 16 THEATRE 101: Behind the Scenes of Shrek – The Musical Page 17 THEATRE 101: Why Is Musical Theatre Important? Page 18 – 19 THEATRE 101: Glossary Of Theatrical Terms Page 20 THEATRE 101: Theatrical Trivia Page 21 Themes and Topics to Explore 1 – Movie vs. Play: English/Language Art Appreciation/Critical Thinking Page 22 - 24 Themes and Topics to Explore 2 – What’s Going On?: Critical Thinking/Writing Page 25 - 26 Themes and Topics to Explore 3 - Adaptation and Musical Theatre: Performance & Visual Arts/English/Language Arts/ History Page 27 - 28 Themes and Topics to Explore 4 – Shrek – The Musical as Musical Theatre: English/Language Arts Page 29 Themes and Topics to Explore 5 - The Creators of Musical Theatre: Visual Arts/English/Language Arts Page 30 – 31 Themes and Topics to Explore 6 - Critical Analysis: Visual Arts/English/Language Arts/Critical Thinking Page 32 Learn More About Theatre Page 33 Thank You & About J*Company Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 4 INTRODUCTION ABOUT Shrek – The Musical Shrek - The Musical is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks film Shrek and William Steig's 1990 book Shrek!. After a tryout in Seattle, the original Broadway production opened in December 2008, and closed after a run of over 12 months in January 2010. It was followed by a tour of the United States which opened in 2010, and a re-vamped West End production from June 2011. Since its debut, the musical's rights have been available for independent overseas theatres, who have chosen to stage their own versions of the show, starting with the 2010 Israel production. The Broadway production was filmed with the original cast, and will be released on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on October 15, 2013. Development Lindsay-Abaire and Jason Moore (director) began working on the show in 2002, with Tesori joining the team from 2004. A reading took place on August 10, 2007, with JCompany alumni Stephen Kramer Glickman in the title role, Celia Keenan-Bolger as Princess Fiona, Robert L. Daye, Jr. as Donkey and Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad. Seattle Premiere (2008) The musical premiered in an out-of-town tryout at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. Previews began August 14, 2008, with an opening night of September 10. The tryout ran through September 21, and played to generally favorable reviews, being cited as one of the few movie-to-stage adaptations "with heart". The principal cast included Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek, Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona, Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad, Chester Gregory II as Donkey, John Tartaglia as Pinocchio and Kecia Lewis-Evans as the Dragon. During previews, "I Could Get Used to This" was replaced by "Don't Let Me Go," and "Let Her In" became "Make a Move". Also during previews, a brief reprise of "Who I'd Be" was sung after Shrek overhears Fiona's misleading comment about being with a hideous beast, which led into "Build a Wall". This was cut and "Build a Wall" was placed after "Morning Person (Reprise)". "Build a Wall" was later cut during previews, but re- instated towards the end of the run. Broadway Production (2008-10) After extensive changes were made, the show began previews on Broadway at The Broadway Theatre on November 8, 2008, with the official opening on December 14. The cast included d'Arcy James as Shrek, Foster as Fiona, Sieber as Farquaad and Tartaglia as Pinocchio. Daniel Breaker took over the role of Donkey, as the creative team thought Chester Gregory II did not fit the part. The Dragon was voiced by company members Haven Burton, Aymee Garcia and Rachel Stern, instead of a soloist. Kecia Lewis-Evans, who played Dragon in Seattle, was offered a part in the show's ensemble but declined. Ben Crawford was the standby for Shrek, until he replaced d'Arcy James for the final months of performances. Other changes the creative team made included the deletion of three songs: "The Line- Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 5 Up", "More to the Story" and "I Smell a Happy Ending". "Story of My Life", "Build a Wall" and "This is Our Story" were added in their respective places. "Who I'd Be" changed from being a solo for Shrek, to a trio with Fiona and Donkey joining him towards the end. The song "I'm a Believer", which was originally played as the audience left the theatre, was added to the score on October 2, 2009, and sung by the entire company at the end of the performance. The Broadway production of the show received a total of twelve Drama Desk Award and eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical and acting awards for d'Arcy James, Foster and Sieber. The show won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for d'Arcy James, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design and Costume Design for Tim Hatley, as well as the Tony Award for Best Costume Design for Hatley again. At the Tony Awards, the entire cast performed a section of "Freak Flag" for the opening number medley; later on, James, Sutton and Breaker introduced Sieber and company, who performed "What's Up Duloc?". The cast recording of the show was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. The cast performed "I'm a Believer" at the Thanksgiving Day Parade 2009. The Broadway production closed on January 3, 2010, after 441 performances and 37 previews. At the time, it was one of the most expensive musicals to open on Broadway, at an estimated $25 million, and despite generally good reviews, it failed to recoup its initial investment. The show was then extremely modified for the national tour. Recorded Performance In October 2009, Jeffrey Katzenberg said that a performance of the Broadway production had been recorded for a potential DVD release, however, due to the national tour and West End productions running considerably longer, the idea was put on-hold. On July 19, 2013, following the closure of the national tour and West End productions, Amazon.com confirmed that the filmed performance would available for instant viewing on September 17, 2013. It will also be available "in HD for playback on Kindle Fire HD, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Roku or other HD compatible devices" beginning October 15, 2013. A DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download will also be released on that day. The performance's cast includes the entire original company. Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 6 Shrek – The Musical Original Cast Synopsis Act I The story begins with an ogre named Shrek telling the audience of his childhood, and how, on his seventh birthday, his parents send him out of their house and into the world to make his living. They warn him that because of his looks, everyone will hate him, and he will not have a happy ending. As Princess Fiona interrupts the story, we are given a glimpse into her childhood in which King Harold and Queen Lillian are sending Fiona off to her tower, before Shrek slams the book shut claiming a "technical hitch." Forced to fend for himself, Shrek returns to the only life he has ever known, living contentedly alone in a swamp "Big Bright Beautiful World". His solitude is disrupted when all the fairy-tale beings of the land begin showing up on his property, including an array of elves, fairies, and other enchanted creatures. Pinocchio reveals their exile from the Kingdom of Duloc, by order of the diminutive Lord Farquaad "Story of My Life". Shrek decides to travel to see Farquaad to try to regain his privacy, with much encouragement from Pinocchio and the gang "The Goodbye Song". Along the way, Shrek reluctantly rescues a talkative Donkey from some of Farquaad's goons. Donkey insists on tagging along, making Shrek see that they are more alike than he thinks. Meanwhile, Lord Farquaad and henchman Thelonius are torturing Gingy into revealing the whereabouts of the princess that Farquaad intends to marry to become king. The cookie reveals that Princess Fiona is currently trapped in a castle surrounded by lava and guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. Farquaad rushes out to prepare for the wedding, unaware of what happens to Fiona at night. Shrek and Donkey arrive in Duloc and make their way to Farquaad's palace. Elsewhere, Farquaad expresses his love for his Kingdom "Welcome to Duloc" / "What's Up, Duloc?". Shrek and Donkey approach Farquaad. Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 7 Impressed with the size and appearance of the ogre, Farquaad demands that Shrek perform the rescue, and in return, he will give Shrek the deed to his swamp. Shrek and Donkey set off to find the princess. As they discuss the tale of the damsel-in- distress, the story reverts to a seven-year-old Fiona, dreaming of the brave knight who, her storybooks tell her, will one day rescue her from her tower, and end her mysterious curse with "True Love's First Kiss." As she grows into a teenager, and then a headstrong woman, she becomes a little bit stir-crazy and bi-polar, but she never loses her faith in her fairy tales "I Know It's Today". The two unlikely friends set off to find Fiona, with Shrek becoming increasingly annoyed with the chatterbox Donkey as time progresses "Travel Song". After crossing the rickety old bridge and arriving at the castle, Shrek sets off alone to rescue Fiona, while Donkey encounters a ferocious female Dragon who initially wants to eat him, but then wants to keep him for her own after Donkey manages to charm her "Forever". When Shrek finds Fiona, his lack of interest in playing out her desired, romantic rescue scene annoys her, and Shrek must drag her off by force. The two of them reunite with Donkey, and all three attempt to escape while being chased by an angry Dragon. Shrek traps Dragon and they get to safe land "This Is How A Dream Comes True". Fiona then insists that Shrek reveal his identity and is appalled that her rescuer is an ogre and not the Prince Charming her stories indicate. Shrek explains that he is merely her champion; instead, she is to wed Lord Farquaad. The trio begins their journey back to Farquaad's palace, but Fiona becomes apprehensive as the sun begins to set. She insists that they rest for the night and that she spend the night, alone, in a nearby cave. Donkey and Shrek remain awake, and Donkey, delighted at being referred to by Fiona as a "noble steed," asks Shrek who he would be, if he did not have to be an ogre anymore. As Shrek opens up to his new friend, Fiona, transformed into an ogress, stands apart and alone in the moonlight and listens "Who I'd Be". Act II The next day, Princess Fiona rises early and sings with a bluebird and dances with a deer (before making the bird explode and throwing the deer off a cliff) and assists the Pied Piper in his rat-charming duties "Morning Person". Shrek brings down her mood by attempting to give subtle hints about her groom-to-be ("Men of Farquaad's stature are in short supply", "He's very good at small talk", etc.) and mocking her tragic childhood circumstances. The two begin a contest of one-upmanship, each trying to outdo the other by revealing their respective pasts "I Think I Got You Beat". Both admit to being thrown out by their parents; this connection, as well as bonding over a love of disgusting bodily noises, kindles friendship. Meanwhile, back in Duloc, Lord Farquaad plans his wedding, and he reveals his own sordid heritage after Thelonious insists that Farquaad should invite his father "The Ballad of Farquaad". As Shrek and Fiona's newfound camaraderie grows into love, Donkey insists, with the help of the Three Blind Mice, that Shrek should gather his courage and romantically engage Fiona "Make a Move". Shrek, finally beginning to come out of his caustic, protective shell, tries to find the words to explain his feelings to Fiona "When Words Fail". While Shrek is out finding a flower for Fiona, Donkey discovers that Fiona turns into an ogress at night, and she confesses that she was cursed as a child, which is why she was locked away in the tower. Only a kiss from her true love will return her to her proper form. Shrek arrives near the end of the conversation and misunderstands Fiona's Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 8 description of herself as an ugly beast to be referencing him. Hurt by her presumed opinion, Shrek storms off. The next day, transformed back to her human form, Fiona decides to tell Shrek about her curse "Morning Person - Reprise". When Fiona tries to explain, Shrek rebuffs her. During the night, Shrek was contacted by Lord Farquaad, who arrives now to claim Princess Fiona. While not very impressed with Farquaad, Fiona agrees to marry him and insists that they have the wedding before sunset. As they ride back to Duloc, Donkey tries to explain the misunderstanding to Shrek (who is too angry to listen), and Shrek rejects him as well, declaring that he will return to his swamp alone. The fairy tale creatures, including Gingy (who was taken to the swamp after his torture), now head for a landfill which is to be their new home. They decide Farquaad's treatment of them is intolerable. Just because they are freaks does not mean they deserve to be hated. Mama Bear and the gang convince a bitter Pinocchio, and gather new confidence and strength in themselves, as they declare they will raise their "Freak Flag" high against their tormentors "Freak Flag". Shrek returns to his again-private swamp, but he misses Fiona. Donkey follows him back, and convinces Shrek of his friendship by forgiving the ogre for his harsh words. Shrek apologizes, and Donkey convinces him that Fiona really cares for the ogre. Both of them hurry back to Duloc. Shrek interrupts the wedding before Farquaad can kiss Fiona, and Fiona convinces him to let Shrek speak with her. Shrek finally finds the words to express his feelings for Fiona, and he declares his love for her "Big Bright Beautiful World - Reprise". However, his declaration of love is mocked by Lord Farquaad. Caught between love and her desire to break the curse, Fiona tries to escape the event, but the exiled fairy tale beings storm the wedding and protest their banishment. They are accompanied by a grumpy little dwarf, who is, in fact, Farquaad's father. Farquaad claimed earlier that Grumpy abandoned him in the woods as a child, but the dwarf reveals the true reason he kicked Farquaad out: He was, in fact, 28 and wouldn't move out of his basement. During the argument, the sun sets, causing Fiona to turn into an ogress in front of everyone. Farquaad, furious and disgusted over the change, orders that Shrek be killed and Fiona banished back to her tower. As Farquaad proclaims himself the new king, Shrek whistles for the Dragon, who has now escaped the castle. Dragon crashes through the window with Donkey and destroys Lord Farquaad with her fire breath. Admitting their love for each other, Shrek and Fiona share a kiss. Fiona's curse is broken and she takes her true form: an ogress. At first, she is ashamed of her looks, but Shrek declares that she is still beautiful. Shrek and Fiona begin a new life together, as everyone celebrates what makes them special "This Is Our Story". They all live happily ever after "I'm a Believer". Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 9 THEATRE 101 ABOUT THE COLLABORATORS Jeanine Tesori: Composer Jeanine Tesori (born 1961, originally Jeanine Levenson) is an American musical arranger and composer who won the 1999 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play for Nicholas Hytner's production of Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center and the 2004 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music for Caroline, or Change. Tesori made her Broadway debut when she arranged the dance music for the 1995 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. In 1997 she composed the score for the off-Broadway musical Violet, which won her an Obie Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, and arranged the music for the Johnny Mercer revue Dream, a task she repeated with the 1998 revival of The Sound of Music and the 1999 revue Swing! She also served as associate conductor for the Broadway productions of The Secret Garden and The Who's Tommy. In 2000, Tesori joined forces with lyricist Dick Scanlan to write eleven new songs for a stage adaptation of Thoroughly Modern Millie. A successful run at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego prompted a transfer to Broadway in 2002, and Tesori was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Score and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music. Tesori has collaborated with Tony Kushner twice, supplying music for Caroline, or Change in 2004 and a new translation of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children, which was produced as part of the 2006 Shakespeare in the Park season staged at the Delacorte Theater by The Public Theater. Caroline garnered her a second Tony nomination for Best Original Score. Tesori has composed music for the films Nights in Rodanthe, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, Shrek the Third, Mulan II, and The Emperor's New Groove 2: Kronk's New Groove. Tesori's most recent Broadway stage project is Shrek the Musical, which earned her both Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for her music. In July 2013, it was announced that Tesori will be the artistic director of a new concert- production series celebrating Off-Broadway musicals, "Encores! Off-Center". The first season will include Cradle Will Rock, I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road, and Violet". David Lindsay-Abaire: Librettist & Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (born November 30, 1969) is an American playwright, lyricist and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007 for his play Rabbit Hole, which also earned several Tony Award nominations. Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director J*Company Youth Theatre: SHREK – THE MUSICAL – Insights Educational Guide 10 Lindsay-Abaire has received commissions from South Coast Repertory, Dance Theater Workshop, and the Jerome Foundation, as well as awards from the Berilla Kerr Foundation, the Lincoln Center LeComte du Nuoy Fund, Mixed Blood Theater, Primary Stages, the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, the Tennessee Williams/ New Orleans Literary Festival, and the South Carolina Playwrights Festival. Lindsay-Abaire had his first theatrical success with Fuddy Meers, which was workshopped as part of the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center under Artistic Director Lloyd Richards and ultimately premiered at the Manhattan Theatre Club. He returned to the Manhattan Theatre Club with Wonder of the World, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, about a wife who suddenly leaves her husband and hops a bus to Niagara Falls in search of freedom, enlightenment, and the meaning of life. His Rabbit Hole, produced in 2006 in New York with Cynthia Nixon, Tyne Daly, and John Slattery, won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play, as well as other Tony awards, and Cynthia Nixon won a Tony as Best Actress. Lindsay-Abaire also wrote Kimberly Akimbo (2000), Wonder of the World (2000), Dotting and Dashing (1999), Snow Angel (1999), The L'il Plays (1997), and A Devil Inside (1997). Lindsay-Abaire also has writing credit on three screenplays, Robots (2005), Inkheart (2007), and the film adaptation of Rabbit Hole, in which Nicole Kidman starred. She produced the film, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was well received. He has recently written a movie for DreamWorks Animation, entitled Rise of the Guardians, based on a story by co-director William Joyce. He wrote the book and lyrics for the new musical Shrek the Musical which opened on Broadway in 2009 and in London in 2011. The musical ran for 441 performances on Broadway, closing in January 2010. Created by Joey Landwehr - J*Company Artistic Director