As that great poet and philosopher Kermit the Frog once imparted, it's not easy being green. Recent University of the Arts grad Lukas Poost—now featured in the title role of the 2nd National Tour of SHREK THE MUSICAL, which began just about a month ago—can certainly attest to the challenge, but, as expected, is having a fun, grand time doing so.
Before the newly re-launched tour arrived in Orange County for the show's two-week engagement at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (through October 16), Poost had a brief chat with BroadwayWorld's Michael Lawrence Quintos about his past influences and his fresh task of taking over the role of the infamous ogre.
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Hi, Lukas! So how's the tour been going so far?
Lukas: It's been going very well! We're starting to get into the hang of things [since] it's a new tour. We started rehearsals in August and started three weeks ago officially. But, yeah, it's going really well. I think people are having a really good time!
Great! So prior to coming aboard SHREK, were you involved in another show?
I have not. I actually just graduated from school in May.
Oh, awesome! Congratulations!
Well, thank you! This is my first job, actually.
That's cool! Now you play, of course, the title role of SHREK. I assume that it takes quite a bit of work to transform yourself into this big green ogre. How long does the process?
It takes about an hour-and-a-half for make-up and another fifteen minutes for wardrobe. I have to come in two hours early everyday and get in the make-up chair, and then later I would have to stay about another half hour to 45 minutes after to get it all back off again.
Obviously most people know SHREK from the animated movies that inspired this stage musical. How far away from the film is this stage version?
It follows the [first] movie very closely. Some things are taken straight from the movie, in fact. The good thing about this musical, though, is that it's a little longer, so it gives a little more time to spend with characters... like the fairy tale creatures. You don't actually see them a whole lot in the first movie, but you see them much more in the musical. There's Farquaad... you get to find out more about what he's angry about and why he's kicking all these people out of Duloc and what's his problem. And you also see more of where Shrek and Fiona came from as well—and that's really fun!
How much did the version of SHREK that appeared in the films influence your portrayal of the role?
Shrek is a very iconic figure, I think, at least in today's world. So I tried to keep the Scottish [accent] and I tried to take as much as I could from [the movie] without directly losing my own spin on it. I did try to take as much as I could because, you know, children who come to the show—they want to see Shrek. They don't want to see what I think an ogre is. They want to see Shrek [from the movie]. So we try to do our best to give them that.
But were you given much leeway by the directors and producers in how you would interpret the role?
Yeah. We were really given a lot of freedom to play and do our own thing, but they would pull it back when they needed to.
So let's introduce you a bit more and dig a little into your background. Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania—specifically a small town, Wyalusing, but I was born in Sayer because [the town] had a hospital.
Growing up, did you have some idea that maybe a career in musical theater was something that lay ahead?
I didn't until probably the sixth or seventh grade, I think. It's when I started taking a real interest in musicals. And then it wasn't until probably the 10th grade was when I decided that this is actually what I wanted to do forever.
What was the trigger that finally did it?
See, I was home-schooled after eighth grade. It was when I was home-schooled that I did a lot of community theater in the evenings—you know, when, normally I would be doing homework and what-not. So I did a lot of it and it was where I felt the happiest. Well, I thought, if this is where I'm happiest, then this is what I need to do.
Cool. Who influenced a lot growing up?
Well, I had great teachers. The directors of the community theater like Julie Lanard-Newbury—she was probably one of my biggest influences. I also worked with great people in high school. As far as favorite actors... I've admired Colin Firth and Merryl Streep the most. They're pretty awesome.
How about specific stage musicals? Any particular ones influenced your love of theater?
Well this one [SHREK] surely has grown into [an influence]. I think also... [Pauses] Growing up, my favorite one that I did at home was SUESSICAL THE MUSICAL. That one always stays with me in a very dear place in my heart. As far as the things I saw, LES MIS was always something that makes me go "Yeah! That's awesome! I might wanna do that!"
Speaking of wanting to do that show, what are some of your other dream roles in other shows that you hope to take on someday?
Well, anything in LES MISÉRABLES would be fun! Someday I would love to do JECKYL & HYDE and the composer in CURTAINS. I think any role in SPAMALOT would be a blast! And I would love to go back to Horton in SUESSICAL someday. That would be lovely.
