Nik Walker, Kara Lindsay, Marcus M. Martin, Troy Iwata, Solomon Rosenthal, Lake Schultz, Amelie Lock, Aymee Garcia, Tyler Joseph Ellis and Salome Smith will lead the cast of the Muny production of Shrek The Musical when the family favorite returns this summer to Forest Park.
Shrek The Musical, based on the Oscar-winning 2001 DreamWorks Animation sensation, storms The Muny for eight nights — June 25-July 2 — and is presented by Ameren.
The creative team is led by John Tartaglia (director), Patrick O’Neill (choreographer) and Ben Whiteley (music director/conductor).
“This fantastic company of fairy-tale creatures will bring tremendous heart and humor to this magical world,” said Muny Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “Get ready for their freak flags to fly high on the Muny stage!”
Additional casting will be announced. The Telsey Office is the official casting partner of The Muny.
The design team for Shrek The Musical includes Bryan Thomas Hunt (associate choreographer); Kelly Sheehan (assistant choreographer); Adam Koch (scenic designer); Robin L. McGee (Costume Designer, based on original costume design by Tim Hatley); Jason Lyons (lighting designer); Joshua Hummel (sound designer); Kylee Loera (video designer); Jeff Knaggs (wig designer); Larry Smiglewski (production stage manager); and The Telsey Office/Lindsay Levine, CSA (casting).
Some puppets for Shrek The Musical will be designed and built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, which has brought to life some of the world’s most beloved characters for film, television, stage and live entertainment. Additional puppet design will be by James Wojtal.
In this hilarious fairy-tale adventure that’s perfect for the whole family, a grumpy ogre named Shrek sets off with a wisecracking donkey to rescue a feisty princess who doesn’t exactly need saving. Add a pint-sized villain, a cookie with an attitude and a kingdom of storybook outcasts, and you’ve got a mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand. Irreverently funny and surprisingly sweet, Shrek The Musical proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre. This production was last seen at The Muny in 2013.
Shrek The Musical has music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. Based on the DreamWorks Animation motion picture and the book by William Steig.
New season tickets start at just $126 and are on sale now online, by phone at (314) 595-5750 or at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday). Single-performance Muny tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. May 18.
Biographies
Nik Walker (Shrek) Broadway and Broadway-adjacent roles include Sir Galahad in the 2023 revival of Spamalot, Aaron Burr in Hamilton and one of the six original Phantoms in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Masquerade . On screen, he’s been seen on Blue Bloods, Law & Order: SVU, in the Apple TV film The Instigators (alongside his hometown hero, Matt Damon), and he’s lent his voice to the new Adult Swim cartoon President Curtis, debuting this year. As a writer, Nik’s first original cartoon, Cleaners , is in development with Warner Bros. Animation and Amazon Studios.
Kara Lindsay (Princess Fiona) most recently appeared off-Broadway as Michele in Romy & Michele: The Musical. Broadway: Wicked (Glinda), Beautiful (Cynthia Weil), Newsies (Katherine, original cast and Fathom Events film), Once Upon a Mattress (standby for Sutton Foster, Winnifred). National tours: Wicked (Glinda), Little House on the Prairie (originated Laura). Paper Mill Playhouse: Newsies, A Jolly Holiday, Little House on the Prairie. Sacramento Music Circus: Singin’ in the Rain (Kathy Selden). NCT: Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins). Kansas City Rep: Cabaret (Sally Bowles). 5th Avenue: Lone Star Love (Miss Ann Page). TV: Murphy Brown (CBS), Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong () and Disney Family Singalong Volume II. Film: Wicked (female vocalist). BFA, Carnegie Mellon University.
Marcus M. Martin (Donkey) makes his Muny debut. He is currently making his Broadway debut as a Genie standby in Disney’s Aladdin after granting wishes as the Genie on the show’s North American tour, which included a 2023 stop at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Regional: Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey II), The Wiz (The Lion), The Music Man (Marcellus Washburn), Carousel (Enoch Snow). TV: Power Book II: Ghost, Law & Order. Baldwin Wallace Music Theatre graduate.
Troy Iwata (Lord Farquaad) was last seen on the Muny stage as Jacob in La Cage aux Folles and as Ogie in Waitress. You can catch him as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show or in his hit independent film Summoning Sylvia — a horror-comedy in which he stars alongside Michael Urie and Frankie Grande. Troy recently recurred on Netflix’s The Perfect Couple, opposite Nicole Kidman, as well as on the Apple TV limited series WeCrashed alongside Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway. He also starred in the Netflix series Dash & Lily, which garnered 12 Emmy nominations. Troy made his Broadway debut in the viral sensation Be More Chill in 2019.
SOLOMON ROSENTHAL (Young Shrek) makes his professional debut. Last seen at The Muny in the Youth Ensemble of Disney’s Frozen and Fiddler on the Roof. Recently seen in The Music Man (LifeLight Youth Theatre). He is a current member of the Muny Kids troupe. Solomon, 12, dances at Rokita Dance Center and takes voice with Dr. Jeffrey Carter.
LAKE SCHULTZ (Young Fiona) is 10 years old and makes her Muny debut. Favorite community credits include 101 Dalmatians (Lucky, Visitation Academy), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Vulgarian Child, Shooting Star Productions), Frozen Jr. (Sven, GCPA), Finding Nemo (Squirt, Young People’s Theatre) and multiple productions under the direction of Marty Strohmeyer. She is a vocal student at Lisa Christine Studios, studies dance at St. Louis Ballet and enjoys figure skating.
Amelie Lock (Teen Fiona) returns for her ninth consecutive Muny season. Amelie was grateful to represent St. Louis at the 2025 Jimmy Awards as the Ken Page Award winner for best leading actress, honoring her performance as Emma in The Prom. Muny: The Sound of Music (Louisa von Trapp), Gypsy (Baby June), Jersey Boys, Little Shop of Horrors, Les Misérables, Waitress, Footloose, Mary Poppins (Jane Banks standby) and Beauty and the Beast. Amelie can be heard as Ribberta in DreamWorks’ Madagascar: A Little Wild and as Rooney Lane in Welcome to Hope Springs. A junior at Ladue Horton Watkins High School, Amelie serves as Missouri’s State Ambassador for Arts Education and is a proud member of the Muny Teens troupe. Most recently, she appeared as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde .
Aymee Garcia (Gingy) makes her Muny debut. She originated Mama Bear in Shrek The Musical on Broadway and on tour. Recent credits include Madame Morrible in Wicked and Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods (Broadway revival and tour). Other theatre: Les Misérables, Cinderella, Avenue Q. TV: Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, Splash and Bubbles, Sesame Street.
Tyler Joseph Ellis (Pinocchio) Muny debut. Tyler recently stopped through St. Louis playing Storyteller 2 in the Shucked first national tour. TV: That ’90s Show (Netflix), The Sex Lives of College Girls (HBO). You may recognize him from his comedy videos on TikTok and Instagram.
Salome Smith (Voice of the Dragon) Theatre credits: 1776 (Broadway, national tour), Jelly’s Last Jam (off-Broadway), Little Shop of Horrors (off-Broadway), A New Brain (Barrington Stage Company), The World Goes Round (Everyman Theatre), The Wiz (Theatre Under the Stars, Lyric Stage Company), Take the Lead (Paper Mill Playhouse). Film/TV: East New York (co-star).
