Fans get ‘Shrek’ sneak peek at Thomas Jefferson

Anyone who’s seen theatrical productions involving the “Shrek” universe knows to expect quite the array of costumery, from the malevolent Lord Farquaad to the grumpy but lovable titular ogre.

In advance of Thomas Jefferson High School’s March 13-16 production of “Shrek the Musical,” fans of the franchise had the opportunity to see what some members of the 56-member cast will be wearing onstage.

“Shrekfest: Breakfast with the Shrek Cast,” held Feb. 16 in the school cafeteria, featured a procession of students showing off their attire. Among them was leading man Cole Trieste, clad in a familiar green ensemble.

“It really gets the job done,” the Thomas Jefferson senior said. “Oh, I’m going to be really hot by the time this is over. But it’ll be OK.”

He definitely is looking forward to playing a character whose movies and spinoffs, especially the “Shrek the Halls” animated TV special, he’s watched since childhood.

“One thing I really like about playing Shrek is all the singing that I get to do. He has a bunch of great songs, and I love singing them every time,” he said. “I knew of ‘Shrek the Musical’ before it was announced here, but I had never seen it. Then I watched it and really, really enjoyed it. I think it’s a great show.”

Keeping up with everyone’s appearance, so to speak, is costume designer Michele Stoicovy. The high school family and consumer science teacher has been working with Thomas Jefferson productions since 1997, including a previous “Shrek the Musical” in 2017.

Coincidentally, another student named Cole – Majernik, who graduated that year – portrayed the title character in ’17. He and Trieste happen to be about the same on-the-large-side size, so the original Shrek outfit needed only a few modifications for this year.

“That’s really the key with the costumes, trying to use what we can and repurpose to keep expenses down, because everything is so expensive right now,” Stoicovy said. “You try to see what’s your longevity of a costume, how many years or how many shows can you use it in.”

One of the more distinctive “Shrek” getups is for Lord Farquaad, to be portrayed by senior Sammy Esper. He spent much of Shrekfest kneeling on a cart, his legs hidden by cleverly crafter miniature versions in keeping with film depictions of Farquaad’s diminutive size.

Another 12th grader, Olivia Virgin, appeared at the event as the more attractive version of the female lead. The curse on her to experience a not-so-pleasant transformation results in some wardrobe challenges, according to Stoicovy.

“She has to go from Princess Fiona to Ogre Fiona,” she said, “so you have to allow for that within the same costume.”

Many of the cast members play Dulocs, citizens living under Farquaad’s dictatorship, who perform a song-and-dance number called “What’s Up, Duloc?” for the musical.

“A Duloc may have 27 costume pieces just for that one costume, and then there are 21 Dulocs. And now you have all of these pieces that you’re responsible for,” Stoicovy said, and cast members in general are advised to do their best not to misplace anything. “We don’t just have it in a bin somewhere extra.”

She receives plenty of assistance from her students in preparation for each production.

“Even if you are ordering ready-made stuff, you still need to do the alteration process,” she said. “So maybe it’s cheaper to make your own.”

Whatever the case, “Shrek” director Jim Benedek is looking forward to his fourth spring musical at Thomas Jefferson. Last year’s “Beauty and the Beast” won five awards at the Pittsburgh CLO Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater.

This marks the second year for a themed breakfast as a prelude to the music, and proceeds from each event have supported Mon River Arts’ Penguin Project, which providing accessible theater experiences for young people with special needs.

“I commit, as long as I’m the director of Thomas Jefferson theater, whether we’re doing a kids’ show or not, we will do some form of fundraiser with purpose for the Penguin Project,” Benedek said. “When I went there to see the show, I was overtaken with joy to see them onstage.”

Performances of “Shrek the Musical” are scheduled for 7 p.m. March 13-15, and noon and 6 p.m. March 16, in the Thomas Jefferson High School Theater. Reserved-seat tickets are $15 and go on sale starting at 8 a.m. Feb. 19. Tickets at the door are $20, cash only. Visit wjhsd.net for more information.