The Daily spoke with Alan Mingo Jr., who portrays Donkey in “Shrek the Musical.” He previously portrayed Sebastian in “The Little Mermaid” and Tom Collins in “Rent” on Broadway.

“Shrek the Musical” opens Tuesday night and runs through Sunday at Oklahoma City’s Civic Center Music Hall.

The Daily: How did you get started in the business of acting and singing? Was it in college or before?

Alan Mingo Jr.: It was about 9th grade in high school when I realized I could do this. My junior year of high school, one of my coaches was getting me prepped for college with acting and singing. I didn’t know that Broadway was in my future. It all sort of just happened, by the grace of God.

The Daily: What is your favorite part of being an actor and singer?

Mingo: The whole performance as it is, beyond just loving to do it and a great artistic expression. The types of shows I was doing, I was educating and performing. While doing “Rent,” I was still young and my uncle died. It’s touching peoples’ lives. It’s fine to entertain on one side and educate on the other side.

The Daily: What strange incidents have you experienced while acting?

Mingo: Because it’s live, there’s always something that goes wrong. One time, I missed a cue and had to be on stage in two seconds. I was running through the stage, and everyone was in coats, and I just had a T-shirt [on]. One thing I love about live theater besides TV and movies, there is always something different because you’re dealing with [it] live.

The Daily: Do you get nervous while auditioning? How does the auditioning process go?

Mingo: I’ve been acting for well over a decade. It’s been a long time. My first show was in the early 1990s. I get more nervous for auditions than I do for shows. For me, you never know what they’re quite looking for. You have people behind a table and you don’t know what they want. You do what you do, and then you do a piece for them. I have more comfort in doing a performance I’ve rehearsed with for weeks. You’re so rehearsed, you’re more confident.

The Daily: What inspires you as an actor?

Mingo: Several things. Again, you can actually reach people. It’s like the radio — it can begin to lift your mood, change your mood. For acting, it’s not as simple as it is with music. You’re evoking an emotional response. They can see it through your text, but they all pull something away and it sparks something in their spirit.

The Daily: Were you a fan of the “Shrek” movies before you were involved in the musical?

Mingo: Well I never saw the musical, which I thought would have handicapped me. I love animation but never saw the Broadway show. I went into the audition while giving my take on Donkey. I had no idea what I was getting into. At first, I thought it was a handicap, but it was probably the best thing for me.

The Daily: Do you have a special routine or anything when getting ready to play Donkey?

Mingo: When I deal with animated characters, I have to put them in reality. It still has to be real to the situation. I almost approach it like I would portray a real person except it’s a little heightened. Specifically with Donkey, it’s more physical than I thought. You’re actually being him, compared to Eddie Murphy. I get one chance. I just add physicality to it, on top of the vocal aspect of it — adding the physical touch without going overboard.

The Daily: Having performed on Broadway and been a part of traveling performance, what is the main difference? Do you prefer one over the other?

Mingo: The Broadway show changes because it’s live theater — they tend to be bigger in terms of set pieces because they don’t move. You don’t deal with a new set of dressers and supporting staff. With Broadway, houses are around 1500 to 2000 people. On the road, you could reach a bigger audience and also, your set has to fit in every theater, big or small.

I still like the road, I love it. We reach a broader audience and [are] dealing with a whole new set of excitement. You have to deal with teaching people a brand new show. You have to have a lot of patience and little sleep.

If you go
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., Oklahoma City
PRICE: $20 to $60
INFO: For tickets, call 1-800-869-1451