STEP VA Cast Profile – Myrdin Coleman, Hannah Hayden, and Rachel Crowley
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
by Brigid O'Leary
FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA – Is it really a fairy tale without a princess? For audiences of “Shrek the Musical JR.” there are three. Well, there's one princess but she's played by three people because Princess Fiona grows up in the span of one song. Making that happen for STEP VA Inc., the local 501(c)3 nonprofit that “empowers people with disabilities and their families through creative expression and sensory exploration,” are Myrdin Coleman, Hannah Hayden, and Rachel Crowley. All three are veterans of the STEP VA Spring Musical Experience and all are eager to embrace the role—or in some cases, roles—they have in the show this year.
Myrdin Coleman made her stage debut with STEP VA last year as one of the Fish Friends in Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo Jr.” She returned this year, she said, because she liked the character of young Fiona.
And while she'll get to play that very important part, it doesn't get much stage time, and to give her more time to shine she was also cast as one of Sleeping Beauty's fairy godmothers.
Her favorite character, though, is Donkey and at auditions she indicated she was looking forward to the dancing aspect of the show. With two parts to play, she gets to sing and dance in the big ensemble numbers that feature the fairy tale characters, but she also gets to share the stage—and a song—with Hayden and Crowley.
That song, and the way it is divided up between all three actresses, with each having a solo before coming together and singing as a trio, is particularly exciting for Hannah Hayden, for whom the role as Teen Fiona is only one of three characters she will play in the show.
“[I'm] very excited to be a Princess. I also, am excited about singing in a 3 part solo with the other 2 Fionas plus my own solo,” Hayden said.
Playing multiple roles is not new for Hayden, though last year she only had two parts to play in Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo Jr.” She played Pearl, the flap jack octopus school friend in the first act and Bubbles, a member of the tank gang, in the second act. Prior to that, she was one of the Bird Girls in “Seussical Jr.”
Hayden has gotten so used to costume changes that going from the Wicked Witch when she's with the other fairy tale characters, to a Duloc citizen, and then becoming Teen Fiona all in the first act doesn't have her concerned at all.
“I have three completely different characters this year and I am going to completely nail these parts,” she said, with confidence that comes not only from participating in the Spring Musicals but also from attending STEP VA summer camp sessions for the last two years and joining the all abilities choir.
“For the record I’ve got some experience,” she added.
Now with choir membership as part of her repertoire, Hayden stands firmly behind her favorite song of the show, “What Makes us Special.”
“This song says it all about STEP VA participants. Because what makes us special makes us strong, daily,” she said.
Going into auditions, Hayden had no idea she'd land three parts—or that one of them would be part of a significant role. She returned to the cast this year simply because she believed in the source material.
“I just had a feeling it was going to be funny,” she explained.
That doesn't mean it hasn't been challenging, but it's also been worth it.
“Having three parts is exciting and will be a little stressful but I do not mind the challenge,” she said. “I am grateful that STEPVA directors see that my confidence has grown since I joined them three years ago.”
At the start of the season, Hayden was confidently excited for the end result. When asked what she was looking forward to most about the show, she replied, “To see what this musical is going to bring in the big performance at the end. I think this one is going to be good.”
Playing Princess Fiona is Rachel Crowley who is of the same mind as Hayden when it comes to her outlook on the Spring Musical Experience. She has been looking forward “to [seeing] how it comes together,” she said, adding that “I hope everyone does their best and everyone likes the show.”
In addition to being the oldest of the three actresses playing Fiona, Crowley also has the most experience. First cast as Scar when STEP VA staged Disney's “The Lion King, Kids!”, Crowley has also played Marci in “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” the mayor's wife in “Seussical, Jr.” and doubled as both Nemo's mother, Coral, and Nemo's conscience in last year's STEP VA adaptation of Disney/Pixar's “Finding Nemo, Jr.”
She enjoys being part of the Spring Musical Experience, she says, “because it is always fun to be different characters and to grow.
Crowley has watched her cast mates grow; some over the years and others through the course of one season. It's what one of the things she said early in the season that she was looking forward to as part of the show, “to see how it comes together.”
Now that the cast is putting the finishing touches on the performance, Crowley knows what she likes best about the show.
“‘I Got You Beat’ is my favorite song because it is funny and shows the back-and-forth nature between Shrek and Fiona. They each feel like they have had it harder in life and try to outdo each other in their previous misery,” she said. She particularly likes the scene shortly after Fiona enters the main storyline.
“One of my favorite scenes is when Shrek rescues Fiona. As they were running out of the castle, Shrek tells her that he did not slay the dragon,” Crowley said. “Fiona is flabbergasted. She had waited all these years for her valiant prince to save her, and he did not do the most important thing. Fiona is utterly astonished.”
Being the leading lady in “Shrek the Musical JR.” is not a cake walk, and Crowley has been working hard to make sure she gets it right.
“The most challenging part of the show for me is the song ‘I Know It’s Today.’ It’s very fast-paced and packed with loads of lyrics and fairytale references. The hardest part is getting every word out clearly while keeping the comedy sharp with my facial expressions and body language coordinated,” she explained.
It's been worth the effort for her, though.
“I had tears of joy because it meant a lot to me to be trusted for this role. I can relate to her in many ways,” she said, adding that “I want to bring my passion for theater to this musical. I want the audience to understand Fiona’s journey and rejoice in her realizing that she really was enough, even though it was not a fairytale ending that she always dreamed.”
Before rehearsals began, Crowley said that she hoped “everyone does their best and everyone likes the show.” To see if they do, if the show is as good as Hayden is confident it will be, and if you enjoy it as much as the cast, come see them in “Shrek the Musical JR,” this weekend, Saturday, April 18 (6 p.m.) or Sunday, April 19 (3 p.m.) at Courtland High School.
Tickets on sale at www.stepva.org.
And Hayden would also like you to know that, “If you have disabilities and you want to be part of a community that appreciates you, you should come be a part of STEP VA.”
