Baker High stages Shrek the Musical for families May 29-31

Baker High School’s theater club will bring Shrek: The Musical to the Baker High School Auditorium at 2500 E St. in Baker City for three nights, May 29-31, giving Baker County families a familiar stage show with student performers at the center. Abby Dennis, who is directing the production, said, “It’s a lot of fun,” and described the show as having “11-year-old humor,” adding that it is “perfect for families” and that “everyone can enjoy this show.”

The Baker High run puts a full school production in front of the public at a time when local families are looking for low-key, shared entertainment close to home. The show is built around the DreamWorks story of an ogre, a swamp, a fairy-tale kingdom and a reluctant hero, but for Baker City the bigger point is that the high school is using its auditorium to turn student work into a public event with three scheduled performances.

The production photo released with the announcement identifies Paige Anderson as Dragon and Marquesa Peterson as Donkey, two roles that hint at the size and energy of the cast. Even those two names say something about the scale of the show: Shrek is not a stripped-down school skit, but a broad musical comedy that depends on strong character work, music, costumes and ensemble timing.

That matters in Baker County because school theater here has become one of the most visible ways students show what they can do outside the classroom. Baker High has already staged The Play That Goes Wrong in early 2025 and Mean Girls The Musical: High School Version in May and June 2025, building a pattern of public-facing productions that draw families into the school’s arts program. The auditorium at 2500 E St. has also hosted Missoula Children’s Theatre productions, including a 2025 summer program that could involve up to 50 young actors, reinforcing the building’s role as a regular performance space for local youth.

Shrek itself brings built-in recognition that should help the show draw a wide audience. Music Theatre International describes it as a Tony Award-winning fairy-tale adventure based on the DreamWorks film, with songs by Jeanine Tesori and a book by David Lindsay-Abaire. DreamWorks dates the original film to 2001, and Playbill says the Broadway version opened Dec. 14, 2008, after a Seattle tryout and 37 Broadway previews. For Baker High, that means a well-known title, a big student showcase and another weekend when the school stage doubles as a community venue.