Southwestern Michigan College stages the Tony Award-winning “Shrek: The Musical,” later this month. The production goes beyond retelling the familiar fairy tale in the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film.
SMC invites you to experience it on March 20-22 at 7:30 p.m. and on March 23 at 2 p.m. in the theatre of the Dale A. Lyons Building on the Dowagiac campus.
“Shrek” tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon and rescues a feisty princess.
The beloved ogre will be portrayed right down to his Scottish accent by Trenton Smith of Portage. Smith, a psychology major, first came to SMC for choir camp with his Portage Northern director, Dowagiac native and SMC alumna Chelsea Whiteoak.
“I did (Shrek) in eighth grade. I was Papa Bear and a Knight,” said Smith, who played Audrey II in “Little Shop of Horrors” last March.
Feisty Princess Fiona will be played by Hartford’s Jersey Baker.
“Shrek” Director Andrew Fisher has his own backstory with Southwestern Michigan College’s spring musical.
Fisher played Donkey in the spirit of Eddie Murphy’s film rendition, while Matthew Hickok of Niles in his current 28-member cast takes the role in a “different direction” inspired by Looney Tunes.
Hickok, who earned a communications degree in 2024, performed as a student in the “Cabaret” and as Mr. Mushnik, the flower shop owner in “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Fisher’s turn as Donkey came with the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra at Shadowland Pavilion at Silver Beach in 2013.
“We rehearsed here,” Fisher chuckled. “In fact, my old costume’s in the costume room. I helped out with ‘Godspell’ (in 2022) and ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (in 2023).”
Fisher majored in music and leads the Andrew Fisher Quartet in appearances around the region. Fisher became a father a few weeks ago and works in IT for Corewell Health, covering the Niles hospital and clinics in Niles, Dowagiac, New Buffalo, Cassopolis and Berrien Springs. He also teaches voice at Citadel Dance and Music Center in Benton Harbor.
