November 14, 2023
By Brandon Hudepohl & Toby Scofield

In a land far, far away, a thrilling tale awaits to be told- and thanks to Pickerington High School North, this enchanting tale will wait no longer. On any of four nights, you can watch the renowned story of Shrek The Musical be performed on stage. 

Based on the 2001 Dreamworks movie of the same name, Shrek the Musical is a family-friendly adventure with enchanting characters such as dragons and living puppets. The story follows the titular ogre, Shrek (Christian Strong), whose solitary life is disturbed when Lord Farquaad (Brandon Hudepohl) banishes all fairytale creatures to Shrek’s swamp. To get his land back, Shrek embarks upon an epic journey to rescue a princess (Ally Carroll). 

Sophia Baker, who plays one of the Three Blind Mice, said, “Shrek The Musical is a funny, comical classic and almost certainly will bring a smile to anyone’s face. While the show can be comedic, it also delivers a beautiful message of one accepting who they are and that it is important to accept people who are different.”

Olivia Painter, who plays the Wicked Witch, believes audiences will be amazed by the talented cast and crew.

“We have a lot of large dance numbers including a tap number, the costumes are absolutely beautiful, and the voices are amazing,” Painter said. “Get out of your swamp and bring your donkey to see Shrek!!”

Brandon Hudepohl who plays Lord Farquaad (and helped with this article by gathering the fabulous quotes from the actors) said that the show is the culmination of hard work from the actors, directors, and many other amazing people who never appear on stage.

“The musical itself is hilarious and Pickerington North is doing their best at making the show their own and making it worth it for not only a general audience who will love the silly production but also for the CAPA Marquee Awards we hope to qualify for. The musical is a great exemplification of how looks can be deceiving and what matters is the beauty inside, even if it means you get called a freak,” Hudepohl said.

North’s theater department is one of the best in the state. It is a perennial winner at the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) Marquee Awards and several of its graduates have gone on to careers on stage and screen.

This past spring, North won five of the competition’s top categories including Best Musical Production (Kinky Boots), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Christian Strong), Best Direction (Allen DeCarlo-Boyd) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Bennett Ladowitz).

Strong went on to the prestigious Jimmy Awards, also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. He was one of six finalists for “Best Performance by an Actor” – a feat never before accomplished by a central Ohio performer.

Do not miss the opportunity to see Strong and his brilliant castmates! Tickets are only $15.00 and can be purchased at Pickerington North Box Office. Grab your tickets fast, before they run out!

The performances are November 16th, 17th, and 18th all start at 7:00 pm, and the November 19th showing is at 2:00 pm. All showings are in Pickerington High School North’s PAC, on 7800 Refugee Road.

Take your ticket or playbill to Sorso Coffee after the performance for 10% off your purchase.

This weekend only Sorso will be offering a “Shrek Special” – an iced matcha latte with chocolate cold foam.

The next performance for Pickerington North will be Goldilocks and the Three Bears – Fairytale Mystery Theatre December 7th and 8th in the school’s Black Box Theatre.

This classic fairy tale that tells the story of a young girl named Goldilocks who ventures into the forest and stumbles upon the home of three bears – Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear.

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