"Shrek" Musical Star Visits Pace School

A young star from the touring musical company of “Shrek” visited Friday, equipping students with their very own “ogre ears” while revealing some Broadway secrets.

“When an ogre is seven years old, they are sent out on their journey for life,” said Danielle Soibelman, 11, of Los Angeles. “How would you feel if your parents put a backpack on your back with a sandwich in it and they said, ‘OK, have a nice life, find your own piece of swamp!’”

The young actress is in town as she plays the part of Young Fiona and Young Shrek in the musical version of the hit movie. The show is currently featured at the Benedum Theater. Soibelman also has appeared in the TV shows “Better of Ted,” “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader,” and “Saving Grace.”

A member of the organization Actors for Autism, Soibelman reaches out to children at various schools on each stop of the tour who have special needs.

“I’ve always had a passion for children that have special needs and I feel I need to make a difference and help them out,” she said. “I realize they are a little less fortunate than us and they deserve the same things that we do and deserve to know about the arts and they can learn about musicals.”

Soibelman visited three classrooms at the school, which specializes in teaching children who face mental, emotional and special needs challenges. Each student received a pair of green “ogre ears” in a headband piece and wore them throughout the presentation.

“People should be aware because these kids are just like us, they just have a little more of a challenge getting along in life and people need to know that,” she said. “They are the same as us and shouldn’t be treated any different.”

During her classroom visits, Soibelman showed students a series of photographs revealing the transformation that occurs when she becomes Young Shrek. Green makeup and a fat suit all are applied as she prepares for the show.

“I have to be a boy, so I can’t look like a girl,” she told students. “I also get some lip stuff, which is brownish purple, so it’s not exactly very attractive for a night on the town.”

She then showed the students the final picture of herself just before she goes onstage.

“Here’s me in my full costume doing what ogres do best – roaring!” she said.

Soibelman also brought in a pair of retired Shrek gloves, which are the hands component of the costume for the main character in the musical. Made from foam latex, she passed the hands around as the children tried them on for size.

“That’s what happens to your hands if you don’t wash them after going to the bathroom,” a teacher said, laughing.

Soibelman’s mother, Laura, said it makes them feel good to know they are helping other children as they travel for the tour far from home.

“I am very proud,” Laura said. “She has been around her brother and his friends and the school environment he went to, which is very much like Pace, and she has always had a special way with his friends and the kids.”

Laura also said her daughter continually reaches out to kids in her own school.

“She takes a stance on the playground and supports the kids with special needs so they wouldn’t get bullied or picked on,” Laura said.

Deciding to visit schools at different locations across the country was a personal decision for Soibelman, who is a peer mentor for students with autism when she is home in L.A.

“Once we got on the road, the tour didn’t have community service, so we thought, what better way to put her acting out into the community and that’s the reason we decided to get on the Internet and find the schools,” Laura said.

Kelly Uzzo, community outreach coordinator at Pace School, said Danielle’s visit and the overall theme of “Shrek” fit perfectly with the students.

“It’s such a good show about being different,” Uzzo said. “The students have been talking about the differences between cartoons and theater and our staff is ecstatic. We are just thrilled they found us and came in to share with our kids.”

At the end of each classroom visit, Danielle taught the students a few steps from the closing song of the musical, “I’m a Believer.”

After taking a few questions, she shared her thoughts on her work, which changes with every city and theater along the way of the tour.

“It can be difficult, but it’s always a lot of fun,” she said.