A beloved character from a series of animated films is making its way to the Hilo Palace Theater for the first time with the production of “Shrek the Musical,” which opens today.

Director Jennie Kaneshiro was not sold on the idea when deciding what show to pick for the Palace’s fall musical, but after her husband watched every option she had on her list, he encouraged her to watch “Shrek the Musical.”

“I watched it, and I immediately just saw how special the show is. It’s an anti-fairy tale that delivers a message of nonconformity by embracing who you are and celebrating that,” Kaneshiro said. “It flips the very idea of a fairy tale on its head, and I love that about this show.”

“Shrek the Musical” is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film “Shrek” and was adapted in 2008 for the stage, with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire.

A diverse cast and crew of all ages will bring the story and characters to life at the Palace Theater thanks to colorful costumes, elaborate dance pieces, and many humorous moments.

“In true DreamWorks style, there are plenty of laughs for adults and keiki. It’s truly a fun show for the whole family,” Kaneshiro said. “During rehearsal, we’ve just been laughing and laughing. It feels like we’re always in celebration mode, which makes the environment so fun.”

As he channels his inner ogre every night, Kyden De Sa has been working on all of the aspects that make the character of Shrek iconic, including his Scottish accent.

“I grew up with the film, and it is great source material to pull from. I think the role is intimidating in the sense that it’s a cult classic and well-known,” De Sa said. “It’s a challenge, especially with the specificity of this character, but one that I’m eager to take on.”

The musical follows a similar plot line as the movie, but the addition of songs and dance provides a different outlook on each character.

Theon Weber will be playing the lovable and hilarious Donkey, who sticks by Shrek’s side — much to his dismay. Danny Randerson will shrink by a few feet to play the dictatorial antagonist, Lord Farquaad, as he pursues a princess.

Angie Roiniotis is playing Princess Fiona, who experiences a tumultuous journey of learning self-love and acceptance with the help of an unlikely ally.

“These are iconic characters, but we have to make them bigger and bolder for the musical version,” Roiniotis said. “The musical really brings out the magic of the movie that people know and has a great message for keiki in the show and watching in the audience. Although, I think there’s a little something for everybody.”

To help alleviate the workload for Kaneshiro, Robin Ziroli joined the production side of the show as an assistant director after falling in love with the humor and the theme.

“At first glance, the show is outrageous with its farting, burping and nonstop jokes, which is truly so fun,” Ziroli said. “I’m personally excited for my princess-obsessed daughter to watch such a different version of fairy tales and to see a fierce, strong princess like Fiona.”

During the audition process, Kaneshiro was pleasantly surprised by the amount of new faces she saw and all the talent they possessed. She decided to jump into the unknown with several fresh actors and crew members and help them through their first musical theater experience.

“I was truly blown away by the new talent and open hearts of so many of these performers. It’s been a cool experience to grow this show, and it feels like a real community theater moment,” Kaneshiro said. “Musical theater takes a lot of courage — similarly to ‘Shrek,’ which is about embracing who you are no matter what and celebrating that.”

According to cast members, Kaneshiro and Ziroli have worked together to create an uplifting atmosphere for the all-ages cast and crew.

“I love working with Jennie and Robin and especially in this setting. They’ve created a close-knit community and have instilled just encouraging, good vibes,” De Sa said. “It’s setting a great example for the keiki in the show on how stage productions should be while also nurturing their passions.”

Each year, the Palace Theater’s fall musical productions serve as its flagship fundraiser, which helps further its mission to restore, revitalize and sustain the historic building as a venue for educating and entertaining the Hilo community.

According to Palace’s Executive Director Phillips Payson, ticket sales from “Shrek the Musical” will go directly toward supporting the mission and ensuring the theater will continue to produce quality entertainment for generations to come.

“Shrek the Musical” will be showing for three weekends, beginning tonight, and closing on Sunday, Oct. 20. Performances will start at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets are available online at hilopalace.com.

Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – One of the world’s top Irish dance shows, featuring international dance champions, A Taste of Ireland—The Irish Music & Dance Sensation comes to Idaho this weekend.

They performed in Pocatello Thursday night, and have 3 other performances across Idaho: 7:30pm Friday, Oct. 4 at the Nampa Civic Center, Nampa; 7:30pm Saturday, Oct. 5 at the King Fine Arts Center, Burley; 3:00pm Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Frontier Center for the Performing Arts, Idaho Falls.

Featuring an acclaimed cast of World Champion Irish dancers, dazzling musicians, and a contemporary vocalist, A Taste of Ireland—The Irish Music & Dance Sensation combines Irish charm with sensational talents for an unforgettable evening of entertainment. Set to reimagined classics such as ‘Danny Boy,’ ‘Wild Rover,’ ‘Tell Me Ma,’ and others that have been given modern spins, the high-octane performance offers thrilling dance performances that convey heartfelt emotion, transporting audiences through Ireland’s tumultuous history with electrifying dances, dramatic scenery, and spectacular lighting effects. 

You can find tickets and more information here.

Well, sort of.

If you have plans of buying and owning a home here in Montana, you’re more than aware that it’s going to cost you. Tens of thousands of Montanans are finding that even with a decent job and a little bit of savings, they can’t afford a home in certain areas of the state.

Over the last few years home prices have skyrocketed across the country, and it seems that Montana has led the charge. Plus, with high interest rates, the dream of being a homeowner feels a little more like a nightmare.

In towns like Bozeman, Kalispell, and Missoula the prices have increased significantly since 2021 with the overall “value” going up hundreds of thousands of dollars. Perfect example, I was checking out a townhouse recently in Bozeman and the asking price was well over 500 thousand dollars. The same property sold 3 years ago for a little over 300 thousand.

I can’t speak for you, but I have an issue paying half a million dollars for a place to live with no backyard. However, new information points to the fact that Montana housing might not be that expensive after all.

Looking to buy a home in Montana?

The folks at Lending Tree released data that showed the most expensive towns in America to buy a home and Montana was nowhere to be found.

As you look at the map of towns that are the most expensive you will see our neighbors in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming all make the list, but not Montana.

It should probably be noted that a few of those towns are “tourist” towns but so are Big Sky, Bozeman, and Whitefish. Does that mean we are making a much bigger deal about the housing prices in Montana than we should be?

No. I have a few doubts about the math with all of this.

It’s still crazy expensive to live here, but if you spend any time on websites like Realtor or Zillow, you will notice that home prices have started to drop around The Treasure State, and while they may still be out of the average Montanans price range, at least it’s a start.