The 11-year-old actress will play several performance a week in the new musical, which is scheduled to play Aug. 14–Sept. 21 at the Seattle venue before arriving on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre Nov. 8.
Whittaker played the role of Susan in 5th Avenue's production of White Christmas and appeared in the ensemble of Whistle Down the Wind. She played Scout in the Intiman's staging of To Kill a Mockingbird and was the Narrator in Village Theatre's Kidstage production of Aladdin.
As previously announced, Brian d'Arcy James, the singing actor who was recently seen in the Off-Broadway musical Next to Normal, will play the title role of the green ogre in the new musical with Cry-Baby's Chester Gregory II as Donkey, Avenue Q Tony nominee John Tartaglia as Pinocchio, Tony winner Sutton Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Young Frankenstein) as Princess Fiona, Christopher Sieber (Monty Python's Spamalot) as Lord Farquaad and Kecia Lewis-Evans (The Drowsy Chaperone) as the dragon.
They will also be joined onstage by Haven Burton (Legally Blonde, Rent), Jennifer Cody (Urinetown, The Pajama Game), Bobby Daye (The Color Purple, The Lion King), Ryan Duncan (Altar Boyz), Sarah Jane Everman (The Apple Tree, Wicked), Aymee Garcia (Avenue Q), Justin Greer (The Producers), Lisa Ho (A Chorus Line), Chris Hoch (Spamalot, Die Mommie Die!), Danette Holden (Jackie Mason's Laughing Room Only), Jacob Ming-Trent (Epic Theatre Center's Widowers' Houses), Carolyn Ockert-Haythe (The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town), Marissa O'Donnell (Annie in 30th Anniversary tour of Annie), Denny Paschall (Chicago, Beauty and the Beast), Greg Reuter (Spamalot), Noah Rivera (Wicked), Heather Jane Rolff (Wanda's World), Jennifer Simard (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Rachel Stern (High Fidelity, Tarzan), Dennis Stowe (The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and David F.M. Vaughn (Doctor Doolittle National Tour).
Full casting will be announced shortly. Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) penned the lyrics and libretto (based on the kid-lit character created by William Steig) for Shrek, and Tony Award nominee Jeanine Tesori (Millie, Caroline, or Change) wrote the music.
DreamWorks Theatricals is co-producing with Sam Mendes' Neal Street Productions Ltd. Jason Moore (Avenue Q and the Carnegie Hall Jerry Springer — The Opera) is directing.
Josh Prince will choreograph the production, which will feature musical direction by Tim Weil, set and costume design by Tim Hatley, lighting design by Hugh Vanstone and sound design by Peter Hylenski.
Shrek the Musical is based on William Steg's book "Shrek!" as well as the first "Shrek" film.
Tickets for the Seattle run, which will go on sale June 13, are priced $25-$90 and are available by calling (888) 584-4849 or by visiting www.5thavenue.org.
Visit www.shrekthemusical.com for more information.
