GULF SHORES — Musicals are like onions. There are layers.
And at Gulf Shores High School, theater teacher Paiton Lami-Doyle is peeling back a production so large, she collaborated with all three of the city's schools.
Nearly 40 students from elementary, middle and high school will come together this week to celebrate the most stinky, greenest, swamp-dwelling hero of all time in "Shrek the Musical."
Doyle said she expanded the production to include more students because the district had been without regular stage shows for so many years.
"We wanted to make sure we just let the kids perform and experience theater as much as they want," she said. "We wanted to let anyone who wanted to be in theater, be in theater."

The result is a magical fairy tale forest full of all sorts of creatures.
Before their over-the-top costumes arrived, Doyle said the hardest work was becoming those over-the-top characters, sans makeup and green tights.
"We really worked hard on using our imaginations," she said.
In the lead role, audiences will recognize Cade Wittman, who won best actor in Gulf Coast Media's Best of Baldwin 2023 readers choice contest also played the lead in the school's fall production of "Lost Boy." Wittman has appeared in numerous shows on South Baldwin Community Theater's stage. He shares the role with fellow student actor William Ferguson.
The cast also includes Maura Hawkins, Tessa Klatt, Peyton Morris, Izzy Salcedo, Lily Jones, Daniel Dumas, Delaney Bonds, Sydney Burgess, Cole Bowman, Makayla Collins, Hattie Conway, Will Cook, Lilly Dillard, Fiona Douglas, Dayla Flowers, Hannah Garner, Kate Garner, Aidan Holdsworth, Corbin Holdsworth, Kambell Koon, Norah Lamar, Mirabella Matson, Jacob McCrary, Serenith Stainbrook and Tobi Traudt.
The show is student directed by Robyn Stopp. Gil Traudt and Tobi Traudt serve as assistant stage managers. Other crew members are Izzy Salcedo, Alisha Daily, Hunter Hands, Makayla Collins, Angella Collins, Helen Mayo, Daniel Dumas, Lily Dillard, Makayla Collins, Fiona Douglas, Robyn Stopp, Lily Dillard, Avery Stricklin, Max Waters, Skye Welch and Dasha West.
The show includes performances by a pit band rather than a recorded soundtrack. Those students are Laura Mixon, William Mixon, Gay James, Tristen Bodiford, Aidan Holdsworth, Alisa Kozyuk, Fernanda Lorenas, Lexi Stockstill, Isaac Cardwell, Gavin Burttram, Lindsay Hernandes, Tim Simmons and Nick Martin.