Actress from Oakdale shining in 'Shrek' on Broadway

It's hard enough to dance well, but try doing it in a huge, unwieldy costume.

That's what Oakdale native Colleen Hawks does in eight shows a week as an ensemble member in the Broadway production of "Shrek The Musical."

Hawks, who plays a variety of characters — including the fairy godmother, part of a dragon, a guard and the voice of the bluebird — said one of her most difficult parts is as a doll.

"We have these big, heavy costumes and we do a heavy aerobic dance in them," she said in a phone interview before a performance Thursday. "At the end of the number, we fall back and lay down. The first couple of times I did it, my heart was beating really fast. I remember thinking, 'Oh, my God, I'm going to pass out.' "

But Hawks is a pro and she got through it. This is her third time on Broadway — she also appeared as an understudy for DeLee Lively in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" in 1999 and was one of Hugh Jackman's three backup singers in "The Boy From Oz" in 2003-04.

Hawks is a former Oakdale and California Junior Miss and Miss Stanislaus County.

Local audiences may remember her for her starring role as Laurey in Modesto Performing Arts' 2002 production of "Oklahoma!" She was supposed to star in the company's current production of "Crazy For You" but had to quit when she got the part in "Shrek."

Raul Garcia, who played Ali Hakim in "Oklahoma," said he's not surprised Hawks' career is going so well. What's nice is that she's not only talented but a good person, he said.

"She's such a sweetheart," said Garcia, who is community outreach coordinator for the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto. "She invited me to 'Boy From Oz.' We went backstage. I have a photo on my desk now of Hugh Jackman and her. It was nice to have someone from your community who can open doors for you backstage."

Since she was last on Broadway, Hawks has been filling her time doing some teaching and choreographing for school productions. She also directed the one-man show "Southern Man," performed by her husband, Jeff Pierce, whom she met in Modesto when he co-starred with her in "Oklahoma!"

Hawks auditioned for "Shrek" in May and joined the cast July 7 as a replacement, about seven months after the show opened in New York City.

Show follows film

Written by David Lindsay-Abaire (book and lyrics) and Jeanine Tesori (music), the musical closely follows the story in the original 2001 film. Shrek, an ogre, rescues the beautiful Princess Fiona. The show features a talkative donkey, a cookie with an attitude and a dozen other fairy tale misfits.

For her role as part of the dragon, Hawks must wear a big backpack with a scale of the dragon's tail. As the fairy godmother, she wears a $30,000 hand-beaded costume. In her role as the voice of the bluebird, she has to do some heavy lifting vocally.

"I sing an E above high C every night," Hawks said. "(Fiona) tries to copy it and it explodes the bird."

The note is even higher than the D above the high C that Hawks used to sing in "Boy from Oz." And in that show, she was singing with a group, not solo as now.

"I have not had any problems," she said. "Fortunately, I have been in tune every night."

She taps, too

Hawks also plays one of the tap-dancing rats in a scene where Fiona shows the Pied Piper how to do his thing. She and other cast members recently performed it on the "Today" show.

Hawks said she has enjoyed working with accomplished stage stars Brian D'Arcy James and Sutton Foster.

"It's just as delightful as can be to work with them," she said. "I have found without fail that the people who are truly talented, they're usually pretty nice. They have no reason to feel insecure and be mean."

Hawks said her valley friends and family are planning to fly to New York to see the show. Her Modesto dance teacher Betty Bilson, now retired, is going in October, and her family will visit around Christmas.

Those who can't make the trip can catch her and other cast members performing excerpts on TV during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

"The show is better than it needs to be to do the job," Hawks said. "It's very clever — there's some really smart stuff in it. The music is amazing."

Hawks is proud to be a part of the cast and enjoys getting a Broadway paycheck again. She hopes to remain with "Shrek" indefinitely.

That's not to say she won't find time for auditions. "I'm going to stick with the show unless I get more of a leading role in something that's big," Hawks said.