PRESCOTT – Get ready to put on your ogre ears and find your place in the swamp as Prescott Middle School puts on “Shrek Jr.,” set to debut Friday, Nov. 14.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 14 and 15 and 2 p.m. Nov. 16 in the Prescott Performing Arts Center (1010 Dexter St.) Tickets are available at the door and online on the school district website; adults are $12, while students and seniors are $8.

A VIP experience will be offered Sunday for kids 11 and under immediately after the show. Kids can enjoy a cast meet & greet, behind-the-scenes tour, Q&A, treats with the cast, and a special ogre accessory souvenir. A general admission chaperone is required.

According to Music Theatre International, “Shrek Jr.” is based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film and Broadway musical. 

“It's a ‘big bright beautiful world’ as everyone's favorite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance,” the synopsis reads. “Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, ‘Shrek Jr.’ is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message for the whole family.

“One day, Shrek finds his swamp invaded by banished fairytale misfits who have been cast off by Lord Farquaad, a tiny terror with big ambitions. When Shrek sets off with a wisecracking donkey to confront Farquaad, he's handed a task — if he rescues feisty princess Fiona, his swamp will be righted. Shrek tries to win Fiona’s love and vanquish Lord Farquaad, but a fairytale wouldn't be complete without a few twists and turns along the way.”

Co-directors Abby Mattimiro (a school counselor) and Allison Cornish (band teacher) were not planning to do “Shrek Jr.” at all. It wasn’t even on their radar. In fact, Cornish had some pretty strong feelings about not doing that particular show.

“I was in ‘Shrek’ when I was in high school, in the pit,” she said. “And our whole pit ended up getting mono. I had some trauma.”

“We were kind of thinking about doing other shows, but all the kids kept saying ‘Shrek!’” Mattimiro jumped in.

Cornish said her friends have such fond memories of “Shrek” that she decided to take another look at it.

“I looked at the score, and the music is so good,” she said. “It’s full of jazz chords and the music is phenomenal.”

Mattimiro said she watched the Broadway recording on Amazon Prime and fell in love with it. While they don’t pre-cast their shows, they knew this one would be a good fit for their actors.

“We do have to pick shows where, based on the talent and crew of kids that are coming, that we know are going to come in,” Mattimiro said. “We kind of have to pick a show based on their musical ranges and what they’re able to sing. We have really strong boys this year that we don’t always have. We weren’t finding shows that have male leads. These boys deserve a strong male role.”

The duo held auditions the first week of September following a music and choreography boot camp. This year, the kids are learning the music, choreography and blocking all together, similar to the high school’s approach.

This year the performances are moved up from their usual weekend, in order to accommodate students’ and Cornish’s schedules.

“Allie being the band director, December is holiday concert season,” Mattimiro said. “There’s also a dance competition the weekend that we used to do the show. We were losing dance girls that couldn’t do both. We have awesome dancers in the show and we’re just going to get more and more.”

The students love the show so much, they learned the entire show before the end of October, Cornish added. This is her first year as a co-director, though she’s been at Prescott for three years. She has helped out with costuming shows the past couple years.

“I was a musical theater kiddo is high school and I directed a show at one of my previous jobs,” Cornish said. “I was suddenly the music person, hung around and was a part of ‘Annie’ a little bit more. It’s been a very smooth transition. It’s so fun to get to see them in a different light and teach them in another light.”

“Allie’s the perfect person to join me. We both have different skillsets,” Mattimiro said. “Allie’s a dancer and can teach music, I cannot. I have the administrative side, all the stuff from the previous years, and Allie has worked on other shows. Our good taste combines.”

The pair is excited about the imaginative costumes. Costuming middle schoolers can be tough, considering the range of sizes needed, from child to almost adult.

They’re also looking forward to the audience’s reaction to funny lines, some with adult humor, in the show. This year, the kids’ bios will include their favorite lines.

“DreamWorks has adult humor in there,” Mattimiro said. “I have so many but mine is, ‘Man, sometimes life sucks pine sap.’”

Cornish’s favorite aspect of the show is the music, fitting for an enthusiastic band teacher. The music will get stuck in people’s heads, she promises.

“The score is so cool. It’s jazzy, it’s poppy, it’s musical theatre,” she smiled.

The directors are also fans of the messages conveyed in the musical.

“The message of ‘This Is My Story,’ I was just sobbing,” Cornish said. “It gave me goosebumps; 43 kids singing together who maybe aren’t best friends who have embraced it in such a good way.”

“Other songs that talk about what makes us special, what makes us strong, embracing each other. And also, the message that we get stuck in these stereotypes and if I could choose anybody who would I be, but Shrek realizes that he’s fine being who he is,” Mattimiro said. “Middle schoolers might not grasp that message as much as we do, but…”

“It’s okay to be a little weird,” Cornish jumps in.

The choreography is also something to watch out for, with the addition of choreographer Kylie Fagnan this year. She worked with Cornish over the summer on “101 Dalmatians” and teaches dance at Stella Dance in Prescott.

“The level she has taken our kids to is so phenomenal,” Cornish said.

The women also wanted to recognize the districts activities director, Matt Smith, and sports coaches for working with them on organizing practices and schedules so students can participate in both theater and sports.

“We truly have the best team, They are so supportive of music and fine arts here. And the parents were all on board and understanding,” Cornish said.

People are encouraged to wear green to the show. Ogre ears will be for sale, with proceeds benefiting the theater program.