Shrek
from page 19
Cameron Utz as Donkey
Cameron Utz, 16 years old, has big
hooves to fill as the wise-cracking Donkey.
“The voice is the most challenging part
for me,” Utz said. “It's tough to make it not
sound like the movie.”
Even though the role is tough, Utz
enjoyed stepping into the wilder side of the
stage.
“People think Donkey fits me. I get a lot
of laughs,” Utz said.
Utz has been in six shows. His favorite
role was The Professor in Siuslaw
Thespians’ “The 39 Steps” last fall.
When he grows up, he wants to create a
cartoon for television.
Tristin Reber as
Lord Farquaad
Tristin Reber, 16 years old, returns to the
stage as Lord Farquaad, the main foil to the
heroes of “Shrek the Musical.” Reber con-
tinues her tradition of playing snooty roy-
alty — she was Queen Aggravain in
CROW's “Once Upon a Mattress” last year
— with a long cape, big aspirations and
small size.
“My character is very overly dramatic
and doesn’t like the answer ‘no,’ making it
fun to perform and boss people around,”
Reber said.
Reber hopes to grow up to be a hair
stylist or actress. If her upcoming perform-
ance is any indication, she is bound for
success.
Nyah Vollmar as
the Dragon
Twelve-year-old Nyah Vollmar is a fire-
cracker around town, performing in front
of local and national audiences. Her most
recent character reflects that as she plays
the voice of the Dragon, guardian of
Princess Fiona.
“She’s a dragon, she sings my favorite
song in the show and she’s a diva,”
Vollmar said when asked why she liked her
role.
Vollmar has appeared in eight shows.
Her favorite performance was as Gavroche
in Les Misérables. Someday, she hopes to
be either a marine biologist or a singer —
or both.
Alora Kallas as Peter Pan
Ten-year-old Alora Kallas definitely has
what it takes to be a CROW kid.
According to her mom, Erin Knowlton,
“Alora has been working hard to develop
her character by watching other versions of
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C ENTRAL • A r ts & En t er ta in m e nt • A PR IL 20 16
the show and then using them to create her
own ideas.”
Knowlton is admittedly proud of her
daughter. Kallas’s favorite part of being in
the musical is singing, and her least
favorite part is “not being on stage.” When
she grows up, she aspires to be a nurse or a
teacher.
Lilly Cox as Alice,
Teen Fiona
Thirteen-year-old Lilly Cox is excited
about her dual roles as “Teen Fiona” and
“Alice in Wonderland.”
In Shrek The Musical Jr, the audience is
introduced to the show’s quirky princess
first as a young girl, then a teenager, and
finally as the adult character who has been
locked in a dragon-guarded tower for more
than 20 years.
Cox says she loves being onstage and
thinks that her characters are fun because
“they have the same voice as me,” she said.
When Cox grows up, she hopes to be a
veterinarian or a hip-hop dancer.
Taylor Winona as Sugar Plum Fairy,
Gingy
Taylor Winona, 13 years old, could “run
run run as fast as she can,” but she doesn't
have to. She is playing both the
Gingerbread Man ( or “Gingy”) and the
Sugar Plum Fairy. These roles are her
favorite out of the three shows she has
been a part of.
“Gingy is a fun character. I get to really
show my acting abilities,” Winona said.
She is considering being a veterinarian
or a music teacher when she gets older.
Haylee Cole as Pinocchio
Ten-year-old Haylee Cole has per-
formed in eight shows already. Her
favorite role was Cosette in Les
Misérables.
“I got to meet new people, and now they
are my friends,” Cole said.
She is performing with many of them as
Pinocchio, the unofficial leader of the
fairytale creatures.
When she grows up, she plans to be a
singer and dancer, and wants to run her
own business.
These characters will fill the stage at the
FEC as they let their “Freak Flags Fly.”
Remember that even the best fairytales
can be rewritten, and Shrek onstage is like
nothing seen before.
For tickets and information about
“Shrek the Musical, Jr,” go online to
www.eventcenter.org or call the FEC box
office at 541-997-1994.
For more information about CROW
visit www.crowkids.com.
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