fbpx
Wikipedia

Shrek the Musical

Shrek the Musical is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film Shrek, along with elements of its sequels: Shrek 2, Shrek Forever After and William Steig's 1990 book Shrek!. After a trial run in Seattle, the original Broadway production opened in December 2008 and closed after a run of over 12 months in January 2010. It was followed by a tour of the United States which opened in 2010, and a re-vamped West End production from June 2011 to February 2013.

Shrek
the Musical
Broadway Playbill cover
MusicJeanine Tesori
LyricsDavid Lindsay-Abaire
BookDavid Lindsay-Abaire
BasisDreamWorks Animation's Shrek
by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman
and Shrek!
by William Steig
Productions2008 Seattle
2008 Broadway
2010 US tour
2011 West End
2014 - 2018 UK tour

A high definition filming of the Broadway production, shot by RadicalMedia, was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download on October 15, 2013 in North America and December 2, 2013 in the United Kingdom.[1][2][3] The digital version of the film was made available on Netflix beginning in December 2013.[4]

History

Development

Lindsay-Abaire and Jason Moore (director) began working on the show in 2002, with Tesori joining the team from 2004.[5] A reading took place on August 10, 2007, with Stephen Kramer Glickman in the role of Shrek, Celia Keenan-Bolger as Princess Fiona, Robert L. Daye Jr. as Donkey and Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad.[6]

Seattle premiere (2008)

The musical premiered in an out-of-town tryout at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. Previews began August 14, 2008, with an opening night of September 10. The tryout ran through September 21, and played to generally favorable reviews, being cited as one of the few movie-to-stage adaptations "with heart".[7] The principal cast included Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek, Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona, Sieber as Lord Farquaad, Chester Gregory II as Donkey,[8] John Tartaglia as Pinocchio and Kecia Lewis-Evans as the Dragon.

During previews, "I Could Get Used to This" was replaced by "Don't Let Me Go," and "Let Her In" became "Make a Move". Also during previews, a brief reprise of "Who I'd Be" was sung after Shrek overhears Fiona's misleading comment about being with a hideous beast, which led into "Build a Wall". This was cut and "Build a Wall" was placed after "Morning Person (Reprise)". "Build a Wall" was later cut during previews, but re-instated towards the end of the run.

Broadway production (2008–10)

After extensive changes were made, the show began previews on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on November 8, 2008, with the official opening on December 14. The cast included d'Arcy James as Shrek, Foster as Fiona, Sieber as Farquaad and Tartaglia as Pinocchio. Daniel Breaker took over the role of Donkey, as the creative team thought Chester Gregory II did not fit the part.[9] The Dragon was voiced by company members Haven Burton, Aymee Garcia and Rachel Stern, instead of a soloist. Kecia Lewis-Evans, who played Dragon in Seattle, was offered a part in the show's ensemble but declined.[7] Ben Crawford was the standby for Shrek, until he replaced d'Arcy James for the final months of performances.

The song "I'm a Believer", which was originally played as the audience left the theatre, was added to the score on October 2, 2009, and sung by the entire company at the end of the performance.[10]

The Broadway production of the show received a total of twelve Drama Desk Award and eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical and acting awards for d'Arcy James, Foster and Sieber. At the Tony Awards, the entire cast performed a section of "Freak Flag" for the opening number medley; later on, d'Arcy James, Foster and Breaker introduced Sieber and company, who performed "What's Up Duloc?".

The Broadway production closed on January 3, 2010, after 441 performances and 37 previews. At the time, it was one of the most expensive musicals to open on Broadway, at an estimated $25 million, and despite generally good reviews, it failed to recoup its initial investment.[11] The show was then extremely modified for the national tour.

US national tours

A national tour of North America began previews at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, on July 13, 2010, with opening night on July 25.[12][13] Rob Ashford is the co-director, as the Broadway creative team revised changes. The production marked the debut of an all-new Dragon, voiced off-stage by a single vocalist, with four puppeteers controlling the movements of the new 25-foot puppet.. On the subject, set designer Tim Hatley stated "The biggest change [will be] the dragon. It will be a different creature from the puppet/soul trio on Broadway [but] I think we've finally gotten it right".[14] The tour also features a new opening, new songs and improved illusions, from those on Broadway.[15]

Many changes made for the tour include a new song sung by the dragon entitled "Forever", replacing "Donkey Pot Pie".

The original touring cast featured Eric Petersen as Shrek, Haven Burton as Princess Fiona, Alan Mingo Jr. as Donkey, and David F.M. Vaughn as Lord Farquaad. Carrie Compere played the Dragon, with Blakely Slaybaugh as Pinocchio. Todd Buonopane was originally cast in the role of Lord Farquaad, but was replaced by Vaughn before opening. [16] The tour played its final performance at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles on July 31, 2011, ahead of a non-equity tour in September.[17]

A second tour of North America, featuring a Non-Equity cast, launched September 9, 2011, at the Capitol Theatre in Yakima, Washington.[18] Merritt David Janes appeared as Lord Farquaad.[19] The tour officially opened in Portland, Oregon on September 13, 2011. The tour ran in the U.S. through April 29, 2012, with the final show in Springfield, Missouri,[18] before playing Asia.

The second non-equity tour began October 5, 2012, in Anchorage, Alaska, ending on April 7, 2013, in Reno, Nevada.[20]

A third non-equity tour is slated to open on February 24, 2024 in Utica, New York, with a planned closing on August 18 of the same year in Toronto, Ontario.[21] For the first time since the show's first national tour, Tesori and Lindsay-Abaire are teaming up to revise some of the material, alongside brand new direction and choreography by Danny Mefford.[22]

West End production (2011–13)

A newly revised scaled-down version began performances in the West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, on May 6, 2011.[23] Nigel Lindsay headlined as Shrek, Richard Blackwood as Donkey, Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad and Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona. Landi Oshinowo played the Dragon, with Jonathan Stewart as Pinocchio.[24][25][26] The official opening night took place on June 14, 2011. Most critics were positive about the production, and in particular praised Harman's performance, branding him "hysterically funny".[27]

The show was nominated for a total of four awards at the 2012 Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, Best Actor for Lindsay and Supporting Actor for Harman, as well as Best Costume Design for Tim Hatley. Harman won the award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for his performance as Lord Farquaad. The ensemble cast performed "Freak Flag" at the awards.

Kimberley Walsh, of UK pop group Girls Aloud, took over the role of Princess Fiona on October 5, 2011, after Holden announced her pregnancy. Dean Chisnall and Neil McDermott took over from Lindsay and Harman as Shrek and Lord Farquaad respectively on February 29, 2012.[28] Carley Stenson later took over as Princess Fiona from May 23, 2012.[29]

The London production of the show came to an end after 715 performances, on February 24, 2013. Producers announced their plans to tour Shrek across the UK in 2014.[30]

Brazilian production (2012-2014)

Its professional Brazilian production premiered at November 2012 at Teatro João Caetano in Rio de Janeiro. After, it took place in São Paulo in 2013, before touring around the country. The principal characters were played by Diego Luri as Shrek, Sara Sarres (Rio) and Giulia Nadruz (São Paulo) as Princess Fiona, Rodrigo Sant´anna as Donkey, Marcel Octavio (Rio de Janeiro) and Felipe Tavolaro (São Paulo) as Lord Farquaad, Camila Braunna as the Dragon, and Lucas Drummond (Rio) and Marcelo Ferrari (São Paulo) as Pinocchio.[31][better source needed]

UK and Ireland tours

The UK and Ireland tour began at the Grand Theatre, Leeds on July 23, 2014, before touring across the UK and Ireland. Dean Chisnall repeated his West End performance as Shrek, under the direction of Nigel Harman, who originated the role of Lord Farquaad in the West End.[32] A full company announcement was made in February 2014, with Chisnall to be joined by Legally Blonde star Faye Brookes as Princess Fiona, Gerard Carey as Lord Farquaad, Idriss Kargbo as Donkey, Candace Furbert as Dragon and Will Haswell as Pinocchio.[33] A cast change for the tour took place July 8, 2015, with ensemble member Bronté Barbé taking over the role of Princess Fiona from Brookes. The tour concluded at The Lowry, Salford on February 20, 2016.

The UK and Ireland tour continued at the Edinburgh Playhouse in December 2017. Nigel Harman once again directed the tour which ran until January 2019. The full cast was announced in November 2017[34] with The X Factor star Amelia Lily and Call the Midwife actress Laura Main sharing the role of Princess Fiona, alongside Samuel Holmes as Lord Farquaad, Stefan Harri as Shrek and Marcus Ayton as Donkey.

A brand new production directed by Sam Holmes and Nick Winston and designed by Phillip Witcomb began a UK and Ireland tour beginning at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth in July 2023, running until May 2024, then transferring to the Hammersmith Apollo in London in July 2024.[35] It stars Antony Lawrence as Shrek, Joanne Clifton as Princess Fiona, James Gillan as Lord Faquaad, and Brandon Lee Sears as Donkey.[36]

Australian tour (2020)

The musical had its professional Australian premiere at the Sydney Lyric at the start of the year 2020, before touring Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane. The principal characters, consisting of Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey, Lord Farquaad, the Dragon, Pinocchio, and Gingy, are all portrayed by Ben Mingay, Lucy Durack, Nat Jobe, Todd McKenney, Caleb Vines, Marcia Hines, and Manon Gunderson-Briggs respectively at the start of this tour.[37]

International productions

There have been various international productions which are all non-replica's of the Broadway or West End staging. Countries staging the musical are: Israel (2010), Gdynia, Poland (2011–13), Madrid, Spain (2011–12), Paris, France (2012), São Paulo, Brazil (2012), Italy (2012), Netherlands (2012), Mexico, Spain (2014), Berlin, Germany (2014–15) and Argentina (2015-16).

Synopsis of the Broadway production

Act I

Two ogre parents send their seven-year-old son Shrek out of their house and into the world to make his living. They warn him that because of his looks, he will be shunned by the world, and an angry mob will be the last thing he will see before he dies. Some years later, an embittered, grown up Shrek is living contentedly alone in a swamp ("Big, Bright, Beautiful World"). However, his solitude is disrupted when a refugee caravan of fairytale creatures show up on his property. They explain of their banishment from the Kingdom of Duloc, by order of the evil Lord Farquaad, who sentenced them into penal transportation for being freaks, under penalty of death if they ever return ("Story of my Life"). Although hesitant, Shrek decides to travel to see Farquaad and try to regain his swamp, along with getting the Fairytale Creatures their homes back, with much encouragement from Pinocchio and the gang ("The Goodbye Song").

Along the way, Shrek rescues a talkative Donkey from some of Farquaad's guards. In return for rescuing him, and offering his friendship, Donkey insists on tagging along to show Shrek the way to Duloc, to which he reluctantly agrees ("Don't Let Me Go").

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Duloc, Farquaad is torturing The Gingerbread Man into revealing the whereabouts of other Fairytale Creatures that are still hiding in his Kingdom so he can have them arrested as well. Just as Gingy was going to reveal what he knows, the Captain of the guards arrives and announces that they have found the Magic Mirror. Farquaad asked the mirror if Duloc was the most perfect kingdom of them all. The mirror told him that he's not truly a king yet, but he can become one if he marries a princess. For this episode of "This Is Your Wife" (a parody of The Dating Game), the mirror introduces three different princesses for Lord Farquaad to choose from: Cinderella, Snow White, and Princess Fiona; at the suggestion from his henchman, Thelonious, Farquaad chooses Princess Fiona, who is currently trapped in a castle surrounded by lava and guarded by a terrible fire-breathing dragon. Accepting this as a task, Farquaad decides to marry her to become king, and rushes out to plan a raffle to see which knight would be worthy enough to embark on a quest to retrieve Fiona before the Mirror can tell him what happens to her at night. The Mirror then shows the audience the story of Fiona's childhood.

A seven-year-old Fiona dreams of the brave knight who, as her storybooks tell her, will one day rescue her from her tower and end her mysterious curse with "True Love's First Kiss". As she grows into a teenager, and then a headstrong woman, she becomes a little bit stir-crazy, but she never loses her faith in her fairytales ("I Know It's Today").

Shrek and Donkey arrive in Duloc where Farquaad expresses his love for his kingdom, accompanied by his cheerful cookie-cut army of Duloc Dancers ("What's Up Duloc?"). They approach Farquaad, with him being impressed by Shrek's size and appearance. Farquaad demands that Shrek must rescue Fiona, and in return, he will give Shrek the deed to his swamp.

The two unlikely friends set off to find Fiona, with Shrek becoming increasingly annoyed with Donkey as time progresses ("Travel Song"). After crossing the rickety old bridge and arriving at the castle, Shrek sets off alone to rescue Fiona while Donkey encounters Dragon who initially wants to eat him, but then decides to spare him by keeping him for herself after Donkey manages to charm her ("Donkey Pot Pie"/"Forever"). When Shrek finds Fiona, his lack of interest in playing out her desired, romantic rescue scene annoys her, and he drags her off by force ("This is How a Dream Comes True"). The two of them reunite with Donkey, and all three attempt to escape while being chased by the angry Dragon and her skeleton minions. Shrek traps Dragon and they get to a safe point.

Fiona then insists that Shrek reveal his identity and is shocked that her rescuer is an ogre and not the Prince Charming her stories indicated. Shrek explains that he is merely her champion; instead, she is to marry Farquaad. The trio begin their journey back to Duloc, but Fiona becomes apprehensive as the sun begins to set. She insists that they rest for the night and that she spend the night alone in a nearby cave. Donkey and Shrek remain awake, with Donkey asking Shrek who he would be, if he did not have to be an ogre anymore. As Shrek opens up to Donkey on who he would wish to be, it is revealed that Fiona transforms into an ogress after sunset, as part of her curse, and as she stands apart, alone, and listens, she empathizes with Shrek's feelings ("Who I'd Be").

Act II

The next day, Princess Fiona rises early and sings with a bluebird and dances with a deer (before making the bird explode and throwing the deer off a cliff). She assists the Pied Piper in his rat-charming duties ("Morning Person"). Shrek brings down her mood by attempting to give subtle hints about her groom-to-be ("Men of Farquaad's stature are in short supply", "He's very good at small talk", etc.) and mocking her tragic childhood circumstances. The two begin a contest of trying to one-up each other to outdo the others' backstory, but end up revealing their respective pasts ("I Think I Got You Beat"). Both admit to being thrown out by their parents; this connection, as well as bonding over a love of disgusting bodily noises, kindles friendship.

Back in Duloc, Lord Farquaad was in his bathtub planning his wedding, and he reveals his own sordid heritage after The Magic Mirror insists that Farquaad should invite his father, but Farquaad refuses, explaining how he abandoned him in the woods as a child ("The Ballad of Farquaad").

As Shrek and Fiona's newfound camaraderie grows into love, Donkey insists, with the help of the Three Blind Mice from his imagination, that Shrek should gather his courage and romantically engage Fiona ("Make a Move"). Shrek, finally beginning to come out of his caustic, protective shell, tries to find the words to explain his feelings to Fiona ("When Words Fail").

While Shrek is out finding a flower for Fiona, Donkey discovers that Fiona turns into an ogress at night, and she confesses that she was cursed as a child, which is why she was locked away in the tower. Only a kiss from her true love will return her to her proper form, and she asks Donkey to promise never to tell. Shrek arrives near the end of the conversation and misunderstands Fiona's description of herself as an ugly beast, and thinks she is talking about him. Hurt by her presumed opinion, Shrek storms off.

The next day, transformed back to her human form, Fiona decides to tell Shrek about her curse ("Morning Person (Reprise)"). When she tries to explain, Shrek rebuffs her with his "ugly beast" overhearing, causing Fiona in turn to misunderstand. Then Farquaad arrives to claim Fiona and tells Shrek he has cleared the swamp of the Fairytale Creatures, and now belongs to Shrek again. While not very impressed with Farquaad, Fiona agrees to marry him and insists that they have the wedding before sunset. As Farquaad and Fiona ride back to Duloc, Donkey tries to explain the misunderstanding to Shrek (who is too angry and upset to listen), and Shrek rejects him as well, declaring that he will return to his swamp alone and build a wall to shield himself from the world ("Build a Wall").

Meanwhile, the Fairytale Creatures are on their way to a landfill which is to be their new home, since they were forced to relocate from the swamp. After dealing with the fact that Shrek broke his promise to them, however, Gingy rants that Farquaad's treatment of them is intolerable; just because they are freaks does not mean they deserve to be hated, so he rallies most of the other fairytale creatures into staging a coup d'état against Farquaad's rule. Unfortunately, a bitter Pinocchio (remembering they are not allowed back to Duloc) who doesn't want his friends to get killed, suggests that they should just keep going and wait until everything gets better, all the while wishing to be a real boy. Exasperated by Pinocchio's turndown, Gingy convinces him to join the protest, inspiring him to accept who he is, as all of them have accepted who they are. They gather new confidence and strength in themselves, as they declare that they'll raise their "Freak Flag" high against their tormentors ("Freak Flag"). Now realizing that they have become something more than friends, and have become a family, Pinocchio now leads his gang back to Duloc to overthrow Farquaad once and for all.

Shrek has returned to his once again private swamp, but he misses Fiona. Donkey shows up attempting to seal off his half of the swamp with stone boulders, which Shrek rebuffs. In turn, Donkey angrily berates Shrek for his reclusive and stubborn habits, even to the point of driving off Fiona. An angered Shrek reveals he heard her talking about a hideous creature the night before, and Donkey retorts that they were not talking about him, but of "someone else". When a confused Shrek inquires who it was, Donkey, wanting to keep his promise, and still cross with Shrek, refuses to talk. When Shrek apologizes and extends his friendship, Donkey forgives him. The two then go back to Duloc, where Shrek objects to this marriage before Farquaad can kiss Fiona, and Fiona convinces him to let Shrek speak with her. Shrek finally finds the words to express his feelings for Fiona, and he declares his love for her ("Big Bright Beautiful World (Reprise)"). However, his declaration of love is mocked by Farquaad. Caught between love and her desire to break the curse, Fiona tries to escape the event. Just then, the Fairytale Creatures storm into the wedding and protest their banishment. They are also accompanied by Grumpy, one of the Seven Dwarfs, who reveals that he is Farquaad's father, and he kicked Farquaad out at the age of 28 when he wouldn't move out of the basement, revealing Farquaad is a freak as well. During the scuffle, the sun sets, causing Fiona to turn into an ogress in front of everyone. Leading to Shrek to realize that Fiona was referring to herself when she was talking to Donkey. Farquaad, furious and disgusted over the change, orders for Shrek to be drawn and quartered along with the Fairytale Creatures and Fiona banished back to her tower. As Farquaad proclaims himself the new King, Shrek whistles for the Dragon, who has now escaped the castle (and is the reason Shrek and Donkey got to the wedding just in time). Dragon then crashes through the window with Donkey and incinerates Farquaad with her fiery breath.

With Farquaad dead, Shrek and Fiona admit their love for each other and share true love's first kiss. Fiona's curse is broken, and she takes her true form: an ogress. At first, she is ashamed of her looks, but Shrek declares that she is still beautiful. The two ogres begin a new life together (along with Donkey, Dragon, and the Fairytale Creatures) as everyone celebrates their liberation against Farquaad's rule ("This Is Our Story"). In the end, Shrek and Fiona (in association with Donkey and Dragon) host their post-wedding party ("I'm A Believer").

Musical numbers

Broadway

≠ Not included on the original Broadway cast recording. "I'm a Believer" and "Forever", however, was recorded later and released as a single as it was not in the show when the cast recording was made.

Changes

  • An Overture and Entr'acte were added following the Seattle run, along with the song "Build a Wall" which was originally "More To The Story." This song was cut prior to the West End production opening.
  • "This Is Our Story" or "Finale" replaced "I Smell a Happy Ending" following the Seattle run, whilst "What Happens to Love?" and "More To The Story" were cut.
  • Beginning with the first North American tour, a new song was written for Dragon, "Forever." This was then performed in all subsequent productions, replacing "Donkey Pot Pie."
  • "Don't Let Me Go" was cut from the West End production, although an alternative version reinstated for the UK Tour.

US tour

≠ Not included on the original Broadway cast recording. "I'm a Believer" and "Forever", however, was recorded later and released as a single as it was not in the show when the cast recording was made.

Casts

Character Original Seattle tryout Original Broadway production Original US tour Original West End production Original UK tour
2008 2010 2011 2014
Shrek Brian d'Arcy James Eric Petersen Nigel Lindsay Dean Chisnall
Princess Fiona Sutton Foster Haven Burton Amanda Holden Faye Brookes
Donkey Chester Gregory Daniel Breaker Alan Mingo Jr. Richard Blackwood Idriss Kargbo
Lord Farquaad Christopher Sieber David F.M. Vaughn Nigel Harman Gerard Carey
Pinocchio John Tartaglia Blakely Slaybaugh Jonathan Stewart Will Haswell
Dragon Kecia Lewis-Evans Haven Burton
Aymee Garcia
Rachel Stern
Carrie Compere Landi Oshinowo Candace Furbert
Gingy Haven Burton Aymee Garcia Alice Fearn Nikki Bentley

Broadway (2008-10) replacements

West End (2011-13) replacements

Instrumentation

The Orchestra includes one bass guitar player, one trumpeter, one trombonist, two guitar players, one drummer, two violinists, two reed players, one horn player, two keyboard players, a cello player, and a percussion player. The guitar players double on ukulele, mandolins, electric guitars, and acoustic guitars. The trumpeter doubles on a flugelhorn and a piccolo trumpet. The trombonist doubles on tenor and bass trombones. The bass player doubles on the upright bass, the electric bass, and the 5-string bass guitar. The first reed doubles on alto sax, clarinet, flute, and piccolo. The second reed doubles on soprano sax, baritone sax, tenor sax, flute, bass clarinet, and clarinet.

The original Broadway orchestration included an additional trumpet, an additional trombone/tuba, two more violinists, one more cellist, and two more reed players, and an additional acoustic bass player. In this orchestration, the first reed doubles on piccolo, flute, and recorder. The second reed doubles on oboe, English horn, clarinet, and alto sax. The third reed doubles on flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, and tenor sax. The fourth reed doubles on clarinet, bassoon, and baritone sax.

Recordings

The original Broadway cast recording was recorded on January 12, 2009, and was released on March 24, 2009, by Decca Broadway Records.[38] The album debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Cast Albums chart and #88 on the Billboard 200.[39][40] "I'm a Believer" was not featured on the initial recording as it was only added to the show on October 2, 2009. It was later included as part of a Highlighted Cast Recording, released on November 17, 2009. On December 4, 2009, when the Grammy Award nominees were announced, the cast recording was nominated for Best Musical Show Album.[41]

"Donkey Pot Pie" (which is included on the original Broadway cast recording) was cut from future productions, replaced by "Forever." The song became available on iTunes in 2011. It was recorded during a live performance of the national tour in Chicago, and features Carrie Compere (Dragon) and Alan Mingo Jr. (Donkey).

The original London cast recorded a single of "I'm a Believer" for promotional purposes.

An original Spanish-language cast recording featuring the Madrid cast was recorded between August and September 2011, and released in September. The Spanish album includes later added songs "Forever" and "I'm a Believer", as well as different orchestrations to the Broadway recording and the arrangements made for the national tour.

Reception

The musical has received generally positive reviews from critics. Ben Brantley wrote in The New York Times: "'Shrek,' for the record, is not bad.... As the title character, a misanthropic green ogre who learns to love, the talented Mr. James is... encumbered with padding and prosthetics.... As the evil, psychologically maimed Lord Farquaad, the very droll Christopher Sieber is required to walk on his knees, with tiny fake legs dangling before him — an initially funny sight gag that soon drags". He praises Sutton Foster as "an inspired, take-charge musical comedian.... Ms. Foster manages both to make fun of and exult in classical musical-comedy moves while creating a real, full character at the same time."[42]

Variety noted that the production had a reported budget of $24 million. Any "theme-park cutesiness is offset by the mischievous humor in David Lindsay-Abaire's book and lyrics. The production's real achievement, however, is that the busy visuals and gargantuan set-pieces never overwhelm the personalities of the actors or their characters. The ensemble is talented and the four leads, in particular, couldn't be better."[43]

The Associated Press said that "the folks at DreamWorks have done their darndest to make sure we are entertained at Shrek the Musical, the company's lavish stage adaptation of its hit animated movie. For much of the time, they succeed, thanks to the talent and ingratiating appeal of the show's four principal performers. The show's massive sets and colorful costumes (both courtesy of Tim Hatley) are so visually eye-catching that they often distract from what's going on with the story and score. Composer Jeanine Tesori has written attractive, eclectic, pop-flavored melodies that range from a jaunty 'Travel Song' to a gutsy duet called 'I Got You Beat' for Shrek and Fiona that revels in rude noises." The review also noted that Lindsay-Abaire's lyrics are often fun and quite witty.[44]

USA Today gave the show three and a half stars out of four, writing: "Shrek, which draws from William Steig's book about a lovable ogre and the DreamWorks animated movie that it inspired, is nonetheless a triumph of comic imagination with a heart as big and warm as Santa's. It is the most ingeniously wacky, transcendently tasteless Broadway musical since The Producers, and more family-friendly than that gag-fest." The review also noted, however, that "Like other musical adaptations of hit films, Shrek... leans heavily on winking satire. There are the usual nods to more fully realized shows, from Gypsy to A Chorus Line, and Jeanine Tesori's blandly ingratiating score doesn't feature any songs you're likely to be humming 20 years from now."[45]

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result Ref
2009 Tony Award Best Musical Nominated [46]
Best Book of a Musical David Lindsay-Abaire Nominated
Best Original Score Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (lyrics) Nominated
Best Actor in a Musical Brian d'Arcy James Nominated
Best Actress in a Musical Sutton Foster Nominated
Best Featured Actor in a Musical Christopher Sieber Nominated
Best Orchestrations Danny Troob and John Clancy Nominated
Best Costume Design Tim Hatley Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominated [47]
Outstanding Book of a Musical David Lindsay-Abaire Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Brian d'Arcy James Won
Daniel Breaker Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Musical Sutton Foster Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Christopher Sieber Nominated
Outstanding Director of a Musical Jason Moore Nominated
Outstanding Music Jeanine Tesori Nominated
Outstanding Lyrics David Lindsay-Abaire Nominated
Outstanding Orchestrations Danny Troob Nominated
Outstanding Set Design Tim Hatley Won
Outstanding Costume Design Won
Grammy Award Best Musical Show Album Nominated [48]

Original London production

Home media

In October 2009, Jeffrey Katzenberg said that a performance of the Broadway production had been recorded for a potential DVD release. However, due to the national tour and West End productions running considerably longer, the idea was put on-hold.[50] On July 19, 2013, following the closure of the national tour and West End productions, Amazon.com confirmed that the filmed performance would be available for instant viewing on September 17, 2013.[1] It also became available "in HD for playback on Kindle Fire HD, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Roku or other HD compatible devices" beginning October 15, 2013.[2] The home video release is also available on Netflix Streaming as of January, 2014.[51] A DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download was also released on that day.[3] The performance is an edit of several live performances as well as a performance shot without an audience. The original principal cast appear, as well as various alumni across the show's Broadway run. Also, it keeps the song "Donkey Pot Pie" instead of the replacement, "Forever." It grossed $543,288 in home sales.[52]

References

  1. ^ a b SHREK: THE MUSICAL Now Available For Pre-Order 2013-12-12 at the Wayback Machine, broadwayworld.com. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Filmed Version of Broadway's Shrek Will Be Available in October 2013-12-11 at the Wayback Machine Playbill.com, Retrieved July 20, 2013
  3. ^ a b SHREK: THE MUSICAL DVD/Blu Now Available For Pre-Order 2013-12-12 at the Wayback Machine, Broadway World, Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  4. ^ "Shrek the Musical - Is Shrek the Musical on Netflix - FlixList". Flixlist.co. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  5. ^ Gurewitsch, Matthew. "Orchestrating an Ogre's Monster Makeover", The New York Times, December 11, 2008.
  6. ^ Gans, Andrew."Keenan-Bolger and Sieber Are Part of Aug. 10 'Shrek' Reading" 2008-12-06 at the Wayback Machine, Playbill.com, August 10, 2007.
  7. ^ a b Jacobson, Lynn. "Shrek the Musical", Variety, September 11, 2008.
  8. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Seattle Goes Green: Shrek the Musical Makes World Premiere Aug. 14" 2008-12-12 at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com, August 14, 2008.
  9. ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Breaker Replaces Gregory and Other Changes Announced for NY Bound Shrek", playbill.com, September 30, 2008.
  10. ^ Gans, Andrew."'Shrek the Musical' Adds "November Rain" to Broadway Score", playbill.com, September 30, 2009.
  11. ^ Healy, Patrick. ‘" 'Shrek' to End Broadway Run on Jan. 3", New York Times, October 21, 2009.
  12. ^ Gans, Andrew."Shrek Tour Will Launch in July 2010 in Chicago" 2009-09-08 at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com, September 4, 2009.
  13. ^ Gans, Andrew."Ogre There! National Tour of Shrek the Musical Kicks Off July 13 in Chicago" 2010-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com, July 13, 2010.
  14. ^ "'Shrek the Musical' National tour Will Debut An All New Dragon", broadwayworld.com, September 12, 2009.
  15. ^ "Ashford to Co-Direct 'Shrek' Tour; Cast Announced", broadwayworld.com, May 11, 2010.
  16. ^ "David F. M. Vaughn Joins SHREK National Tour As 'Lord Farquaad'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  17. ^ , broadwayla.org, accessed May 10, 2011.
  18. ^ a b "Tickets and Tour Schedule, NETworks Presentations", shrekthemusicalontour.com, accessed September 8, 2011.
  19. ^ "Cast" 2011-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, shrekthemusicalontour.com, accessed September 8, 2011.
  20. ^ . Archived from the original on 2011-09-25. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
  21. ^ "Tour – Shrek the Musical". Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  22. ^ Tony Award Winners Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire Discuss All-New Shrek, retrieved 2023-11-29
  23. ^ "'Shrek the Musical' Begins Performances at West End's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane May 6", Playbill, retrieved August 10, 2014.
  24. ^ Bosanquet, Theo."Holden & Blackwood Confirmed for London 'Shrek'" 2012-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, whatsonstage.com, July 30, 2010.
  25. ^ "Nigel Lindsay and Nigel Harman cast in 'Shrek The Musical'", londontheatre.co.uk, 3 September 2010.
  26. ^ SHREK to Undergo Changes for West End; New Characters & Design, broadwayworld.com.
  27. ^ "Press reviews: 'Shrek the Musical'", BBC, 15 June 2011.
  28. ^ New cast for Shrek OfficialLondonTheatre.com
  29. ^ News 2013-03-25 at the Wayback Machine, whatsonstage.com.
  30. ^ "Shrek closes on 24 Feb, Charlie moves Chocolate Factory to Drury Lane" 2013-03-25 at the Wayback Machine, Whatsonstage.com.
  31. ^ "Conheça o elenco da temporada paulistana de "Shrek - O Musical"". Abroadwayeaqui.com.br. 20 August 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  32. ^ Shenton, Mark. " 'Shrek the Musical' to Embark on U.K./Ireland National Tour, Directed by Nigel Harman", playbill.com, 27 September 2013.
  33. ^ Neil Cheesman, "Casting Announced for Shrek The Musical UK and Ireland Tour", londontheatre1.com, 3 February 2014.
  34. ^ "Amelia Lily joins the UK tour cast of Shrek the Musical". Whatsonstage.com. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  35. ^ "SHREK THE MUSICAL will transfer to London for six weeks only". Londonboxoffice.co.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  36. ^ "Antony Lawrence, Joanne Clifton, James Gillan, and Brandon Lee Sears Will Lead UK Tour of SHREK THE MUSICAL". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  37. ^ Tadros, Patrick (17 June 2019). "Shrek the Musical to return to Sydney stage". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  38. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Shrek CD Arrives in Stores March 24" 2009-03-27 at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com, March 24, 2009.
  39. ^ "SHREK THE MUSICAL CD Debuts at #1 on Billboard's 'Top Cast Album' Chart". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  40. ^ "The Billboard 200 'Shrek: The Musical'", billboard.com.
  41. ^ BroadwayWorld.com OBCR News, broadwayworld.com June 10, 2009.
  42. ^ Brantley, Ben. "The Belching Green Ogre Has a Song in His Heart", The New York Times, December 15, 2008.
  43. ^ Rooney, David. "Shrek the Musical", Variety, December 14, 2008.
  44. ^ Kuchwara, Michael, "A mean green ogre named Shrek moves to Broadway", Associated Press, December 14, 2008.
  45. ^ Gardner, Elysa. "On Broadway, 'Shrek the Musical' is a gas, gas, gas", Usatoday.com, December 14, 2008.
  46. ^ Gans, Andrew and Jones, Kenneth. "Nominations for 2009 Tony Awards Announced; Billy Elliot Earns 15 Nominations" 2009-05-08 at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com, 5 May 2009.
  47. ^ Gans, Andrew.Ruined and Billy Elliot Win Top Honors at Drama Desk Awards 2009-05-21 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, 17 May 2009.
  48. ^ "Ain't Misbehavin', Hair, 9 to 5, Shrek, West Side Story, Liza Nominated for GRAMMY Awards", broadwayworld.com.
  49. ^ "Broadway News | Broadway Tickets & Videos | Broadway World". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  50. ^ "'Shrek the Musical' headed for DVD release", Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  51. ^ 'Sutton sparkles in Shrek the Musical on Netflix, Channelserf.com
  52. ^ "Shrek the Musical (2013) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2023-01-29.

External links

  • Production site for West End
  • ​Shrek the Musical​ at the Internet Broadway Database
  • Shrek the Musical at the Music Theatre International website

shrek, musical, this, article, about, stage, musical, series, shrek, franchise, musical, with, music, jeanine, tesori, book, lyrics, david, lindsay, abaire, based, 2001, dreamworks, animation, film, shrek, along, with, elements, sequels, shrek, shrek, forever,. This article is about the stage musical For the series see Shrek franchise Shrek the Musical is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay Abaire It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film Shrek along with elements of its sequels Shrek 2 Shrek Forever After and William Steig s 1990 book Shrek After a trial run in Seattle the original Broadway production opened in December 2008 and closed after a run of over 12 months in January 2010 It was followed by a tour of the United States which opened in 2010 and a re vamped West End production from June 2011 to February 2013 Shrekthe MusicalBroadway Playbill coverMusicJeanine TesoriLyricsDavid Lindsay AbaireBookDavid Lindsay AbaireBasisDreamWorks Animation s Shrekby Ted Elliott Terry Rossio Joe Stillman and Roger S H Schulmanand Shrek by William SteigProductions2008 Seattle2008 Broadway2010 US tour2011 West End2014 2018 UK tourA high definition filming of the Broadway production shot by RadicalMedia was released on DVD Blu ray and digital download on October 15 2013 in North America and December 2 2013 in the United Kingdom 1 2 3 The digital version of the film was made available on Netflix beginning in December 2013 4 Contents 1 History 1 1 Development 1 2 Seattle premiere 2008 1 3 Broadway production 2008 10 1 4 US national tours 1 5 West End production 2011 13 1 6 Brazilian production 2012 2014 1 7 UK and Ireland tours 1 8 Australian tour 2020 1 9 International productions 2 Synopsis of the Broadway production 2 1 Act I 2 2 Act II 3 Musical numbers 3 1 Broadway 3 2 US tour 4 Casts 4 1 Broadway 2008 10 replacements 4 2 West End 2011 13 replacements 5 Instrumentation 6 Recordings 7 Reception 8 Awards and nominations 8 1 Original Broadway production 8 2 Original London production 9 Home media 10 References 11 External linksHistoryDevelopment Lindsay Abaire and Jason Moore director began working on the show in 2002 with Tesori joining the team from 2004 5 A reading took place on August 10 2007 with Stephen Kramer Glickman in the role of Shrek Celia Keenan Bolger as Princess Fiona Robert L Daye Jr as Donkey and Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad 6 Seattle premiere 2008 The musical premiered in an out of town tryout at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle Previews began August 14 2008 with an opening night of September 10 The tryout ran through September 21 and played to generally favorable reviews being cited as one of the few movie to stage adaptations with heart 7 The principal cast included Brian d Arcy James as Shrek Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona Sieber as Lord Farquaad Chester Gregory II as Donkey 8 John Tartaglia as Pinocchio and Kecia Lewis Evans as the Dragon During previews I Could Get Used to This was replaced by Don t Let Me Go and Let Her In became Make a Move Also during previews a brief reprise of Who I d Be was sung after Shrek overhears Fiona s misleading comment about being with a hideous beast which led into Build a Wall This was cut and Build a Wall was placed after Morning Person Reprise Build a Wall was later cut during previews but re instated towards the end of the run Broadway production 2008 10 After extensive changes were made the show began previews on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on November 8 2008 with the official opening on December 14 The cast included d Arcy James as Shrek Foster as Fiona Sieber as Farquaad and Tartaglia as Pinocchio Daniel Breaker took over the role of Donkey as the creative team thought Chester Gregory II did not fit the part 9 The Dragon was voiced by company members Haven Burton Aymee Garcia and Rachel Stern instead of a soloist Kecia Lewis Evans who played Dragon in Seattle was offered a part in the show s ensemble but declined 7 Ben Crawford was the standby for Shrek until he replaced d Arcy James for the final months of performances The song I m a Believer which was originally played as the audience left the theatre was added to the score on October 2 2009 and sung by the entire company at the end of the performance 10 The Broadway production of the show received a total of twelve Drama Desk Award and eight Tony Award nominations including Best Musical and acting awards for d Arcy James Foster and Sieber At the Tony Awards the entire cast performed a section of Freak Flag for the opening number medley later on d Arcy James Foster and Breaker introduced Sieber and company who performed What s Up Duloc The Broadway production closed on January 3 2010 after 441 performances and 37 previews At the time it was one of the most expensive musicals to open on Broadway at an estimated 25 million and despite generally good reviews it failed to recoup its initial investment 11 The show was then extremely modified for the national tour US national tours A national tour of North America began previews at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago on July 13 2010 with opening night on July 25 12 13 Rob Ashford is the co director as the Broadway creative team revised changes The production marked the debut of an all new Dragon voiced off stage by a single vocalist with four puppeteers controlling the movements of the new 25 foot puppet On the subject set designer Tim Hatley stated The biggest change will be the dragon It will be a different creature from the puppet soul trio on Broadway but I think we ve finally gotten it right 14 The tour also features a new opening new songs and improved illusions from those on Broadway 15 Many changes made for the tour include a new song sung by the dragon entitled Forever replacing Donkey Pot Pie The original touring cast featured Eric Petersen as Shrek Haven Burton as Princess Fiona Alan Mingo Jr as Donkey and David F M Vaughn as Lord Farquaad Carrie Compere played the Dragon with Blakely Slaybaugh as Pinocchio Todd Buonopane was originally cast in the role of Lord Farquaad but was replaced by Vaughn before opening 16 The tour played its final performance at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles on July 31 2011 ahead of a non equity tour in September 17 A second tour of North America featuring a Non Equity cast launched September 9 2011 at the Capitol Theatre in Yakima Washington 18 Merritt David Janes appeared as Lord Farquaad 19 The tour officially opened in Portland Oregon on September 13 2011 The tour ran in the U S through April 29 2012 with the final show in Springfield Missouri 18 before playing Asia The second non equity tour began October 5 2012 in Anchorage Alaska ending on April 7 2013 in Reno Nevada 20 A third non equity tour is slated to open on February 24 2024 in Utica New York with a planned closing on August 18 of the same year in Toronto Ontario 21 For the first time since the show s first national tour Tesori and Lindsay Abaire are teaming up to revise some of the material alongside brand new direction and choreography by Danny Mefford 22 West End production 2011 13 A newly revised scaled down version began performances in the West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on May 6 2011 23 Nigel Lindsay headlined as Shrek Richard Blackwood as Donkey Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad and Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona Landi Oshinowo played the Dragon with Jonathan Stewart as Pinocchio 24 25 26 The official opening night took place on June 14 2011 Most critics were positive about the production and in particular praised Harman s performance branding him hysterically funny 27 The show was nominated for a total of four awards at the 2012 Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Musical Best Actor for Lindsay and Supporting Actor for Harman as well as Best Costume Design for Tim Hatley Harman won the award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for his performance as Lord Farquaad The ensemble cast performed Freak Flag at the awards Kimberley Walsh of UK pop group Girls Aloud took over the role of Princess Fiona on October 5 2011 after Holden announced her pregnancy Dean Chisnall and Neil McDermott took over from Lindsay and Harman as Shrek and Lord Farquaad respectively on February 29 2012 28 Carley Stenson later took over as Princess Fiona from May 23 2012 29 The London production of the show came to an end after 715 performances on February 24 2013 Producers announced their plans to tour Shrek across the UK in 2014 30 Brazilian production 2012 2014 Its professional Brazilian production premiered at November 2012 at Teatro Joao Caetano in Rio de Janeiro After it took place in Sao Paulo in 2013 before touring around the country The principal characters were played by Diego Luri as Shrek Sara Sarres Rio and Giulia Nadruz Sao Paulo as Princess Fiona Rodrigo Sant anna as Donkey Marcel Octavio Rio de Janeiro and Felipe Tavolaro Sao Paulo as Lord Farquaad Camila Braunna as the Dragon and Lucas Drummond Rio and Marcelo Ferrari Sao Paulo as Pinocchio 31 better source needed UK and Ireland tours The UK and Ireland tour began at the Grand Theatre Leeds on July 23 2014 before touring across the UK and Ireland Dean Chisnall repeated his West End performance as Shrek under the direction of Nigel Harman who originated the role of Lord Farquaad in the West End 32 A full company announcement was made in February 2014 with Chisnall to be joined by Legally Blonde star Faye Brookes as Princess Fiona Gerard Carey as Lord Farquaad Idriss Kargbo as Donkey Candace Furbert as Dragon and Will Haswell as Pinocchio 33 A cast change for the tour took place July 8 2015 with ensemble member Bronte Barbe taking over the role of Princess Fiona from Brookes The tour concluded at The Lowry Salford on February 20 2016 The UK and Ireland tour continued at the Edinburgh Playhouse in December 2017 Nigel Harman once again directed the tour which ran until January 2019 The full cast was announced in November 2017 34 with The X Factor star Amelia Lily and Call the Midwife actress Laura Main sharing the role of Princess Fiona alongside Samuel Holmes as Lord Farquaad Stefan Harri as Shrek and Marcus Ayton as Donkey A brand new production directed by Sam Holmes and Nick Winston and designed by Phillip Witcomb began a UK and Ireland tour beginning at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in July 2023 running until May 2024 then transferring to the Hammersmith Apollo in London in July 2024 35 It stars Antony Lawrence as Shrek Joanne Clifton as Princess Fiona James Gillan as Lord Faquaad and Brandon Lee Sears as Donkey 36 Australian tour 2020 The musical had its professional Australian premiere at the Sydney Lyric at the start of the year 2020 before touring Her Majesty s Theatre in Melbourne and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane The principal characters consisting of Shrek Princess Fiona Donkey Lord Farquaad the Dragon Pinocchio and Gingy are all portrayed by Ben Mingay Lucy Durack Nat Jobe Todd McKenney Caleb Vines Marcia Hines and Manon Gunderson Briggs respectively at the start of this tour 37 International productions There have been various international productions which are all non replica s of the Broadway or West End staging Countries staging the musical are Israel 2010 Gdynia Poland 2011 13 Madrid Spain 2011 12 Paris France 2012 Sao Paulo Brazil 2012 Italy 2012 Netherlands 2012 Mexico Spain 2014 Berlin Germany 2014 15 and Argentina 2015 16 Synopsis of the Broadway productionAct I Two ogre parents send their seven year old son Shrek out of their house and into the world to make his living They warn him that because of his looks he will be shunned by the world and an angry mob will be the last thing he will see before he dies Some years later an embittered grown up Shrek is living contentedly alone in a swamp Big Bright Beautiful World However his solitude is disrupted when a refugee caravan of fairytale creatures show up on his property They explain of their banishment from the Kingdom of Duloc by order of the evil Lord Farquaad who sentenced them into penal transportation for being freaks under penalty of death if they ever return Story of my Life Although hesitant Shrek decides to travel to see Farquaad and try to regain his swamp along with getting the Fairytale Creatures their homes back with much encouragement from Pinocchio and the gang The Goodbye Song Along the way Shrek rescues a talkative Donkey from some of Farquaad s guards In return for rescuing him and offering his friendship Donkey insists on tagging along to show Shrek the way to Duloc to which he reluctantly agrees Don t Let Me Go Meanwhile in the Kingdom of Duloc Farquaad is torturing The Gingerbread Man into revealing the whereabouts of other Fairytale Creatures that are still hiding in his Kingdom so he can have them arrested as well Just as Gingy was going to reveal what he knows the Captain of the guards arrives and announces that they have found the Magic Mirror Farquaad asked the mirror if Duloc was the most perfect kingdom of them all The mirror told him that he s not truly a king yet but he can become one if he marries a princess For this episode of This Is Your Wife a parody of The Dating Game the mirror introduces three different princesses for Lord Farquaad to choose from Cinderella Snow White and Princess Fiona at the suggestion from his henchman Thelonious Farquaad chooses Princess Fiona who is currently trapped in a castle surrounded by lava and guarded by a terrible fire breathing dragon Accepting this as a task Farquaad decides to marry her to become king and rushes out to plan a raffle to see which knight would be worthy enough to embark on a quest to retrieve Fiona before the Mirror can tell him what happens to her at night The Mirror then shows the audience the story of Fiona s childhood A seven year old Fiona dreams of the brave knight who as her storybooks tell her will one day rescue her from her tower and end her mysterious curse with True Love s First Kiss As she grows into a teenager and then a headstrong woman she becomes a little bit stir crazy but she never loses her faith in her fairytales I Know It s Today Shrek and Donkey arrive in Duloc where Farquaad expresses his love for his kingdom accompanied by his cheerful cookie cut army of Duloc Dancers What s Up Duloc They approach Farquaad with him being impressed by Shrek s size and appearance Farquaad demands that Shrek must rescue Fiona and in return he will give Shrek the deed to his swamp The two unlikely friends set off to find Fiona with Shrek becoming increasingly annoyed with Donkey as time progresses Travel Song After crossing the rickety old bridge and arriving at the castle Shrek sets off alone to rescue Fiona while Donkey encounters Dragon who initially wants to eat him but then decides to spare him by keeping him for herself after Donkey manages to charm her Donkey Pot Pie Forever When Shrek finds Fiona his lack of interest in playing out her desired romantic rescue scene annoys her and he drags her off by force This is How a Dream Comes True The two of them reunite with Donkey and all three attempt to escape while being chased by the angry Dragon and her skeleton minions Shrek traps Dragon and they get to a safe point Fiona then insists that Shrek reveal his identity and is shocked that her rescuer is an ogre and not the Prince Charming her stories indicated Shrek explains that he is merely her champion instead she is to marry Farquaad The trio begin their journey back to Duloc but Fiona becomes apprehensive as the sun begins to set She insists that they rest for the night and that she spend the night alone in a nearby cave Donkey and Shrek remain awake with Donkey asking Shrek who he would be if he did not have to be an ogre anymore As Shrek opens up to Donkey on who he would wish to be it is revealed that Fiona transforms into an ogress after sunset as part of her curse and as she stands apart alone and listens she empathizes with Shrek s feelings Who I d Be Act II The next day Princess Fiona rises early and sings with a bluebird and dances with a deer before making the bird explode and throwing the deer off a cliff She assists the Pied Piper in his rat charming duties Morning Person Shrek brings down her mood by attempting to give subtle hints about her groom to be Men of Farquaad s stature are in short supply He s very good at small talk etc and mocking her tragic childhood circumstances The two begin a contest of trying to one up each other to outdo the others backstory but end up revealing their respective pasts I Think I Got You Beat Both admit to being thrown out by their parents this connection as well as bonding over a love of disgusting bodily noises kindles friendship Back in Duloc Lord Farquaad was in his bathtub planning his wedding and he reveals his own sordid heritage after The Magic Mirror insists that Farquaad should invite his father but Farquaad refuses explaining how he abandoned him in the woods as a child The Ballad of Farquaad As Shrek and Fiona s newfound camaraderie grows into love Donkey insists with the help of the Three Blind Mice from his imagination that Shrek should gather his courage and romantically engage Fiona Make a Move Shrek finally beginning to come out of his caustic protective shell tries to find the words to explain his feelings to Fiona When Words Fail While Shrek is out finding a flower for Fiona Donkey discovers that Fiona turns into an ogress at night and she confesses that she was cursed as a child which is why she was locked away in the tower Only a kiss from her true love will return her to her proper form and she asks Donkey to promise never to tell Shrek arrives near the end of the conversation and misunderstands Fiona s description of herself as an ugly beast and thinks she is talking about him Hurt by her presumed opinion Shrek storms off The next day transformed back to her human form Fiona decides to tell Shrek about her curse Morning Person Reprise When she tries to explain Shrek rebuffs her with his ugly beast overhearing causing Fiona in turn to misunderstand Then Farquaad arrives to claim Fiona and tells Shrek he has cleared the swamp of the Fairytale Creatures and now belongs to Shrek again While not very impressed with Farquaad Fiona agrees to marry him and insists that they have the wedding before sunset As Farquaad and Fiona ride back to Duloc Donkey tries to explain the misunderstanding to Shrek who is too angry and upset to listen and Shrek rejects him as well declaring that he will return to his swamp alone and build a wall to shield himself from the world Build a Wall Meanwhile the Fairytale Creatures are on their way to a landfill which is to be their new home since they were forced to relocate from the swamp After dealing with the fact that Shrek broke his promise to them however Gingy rants that Farquaad s treatment of them is intolerable just because they are freaks does not mean they deserve to be hated so he rallies most of the other fairytale creatures into staging a coup d etat against Farquaad s rule Unfortunately a bitter Pinocchio remembering they are not allowed back to Duloc who doesn t want his friends to get killed suggests that they should just keep going and wait until everything gets better all the while wishing to be a real boy Exasperated by Pinocchio s turndown Gingy convinces him to join the protest inspiring him to accept who he is as all of them have accepted who they are They gather new confidence and strength in themselves as they declare that they ll raise their Freak Flag high against their tormentors Freak Flag Now realizing that they have become something more than friends and have become a family Pinocchio now leads his gang back to Duloc to overthrow Farquaad once and for all Shrek has returned to his once again private swamp but he misses Fiona Donkey shows up attempting to seal off his half of the swamp with stone boulders which Shrek rebuffs In turn Donkey angrily berates Shrek for his reclusive and stubborn habits even to the point of driving off Fiona An angered Shrek reveals he heard her talking about a hideous creature the night before and Donkey retorts that they were not talking about him but of someone else When a confused Shrek inquires who it was Donkey wanting to keep his promise and still cross with Shrek refuses to talk When Shrek apologizes and extends his friendship Donkey forgives him The two then go back to Duloc where Shrek objects to this marriage before Farquaad can kiss Fiona and Fiona convinces him to let Shrek speak with her Shrek finally finds the words to express his feelings for Fiona and he declares his love for her Big Bright Beautiful World Reprise However his declaration of love is mocked by Farquaad Caught between love and her desire to break the curse Fiona tries to escape the event Just then the Fairytale Creatures storm into the wedding and protest their banishment They are also accompanied by Grumpy one of the Seven Dwarfs who reveals that he is Farquaad s father and he kicked Farquaad out at the age of 28 when he wouldn t move out of the basement revealing Farquaad is a freak as well During the scuffle the sun sets causing Fiona to turn into an ogress in front of everyone Leading to Shrek to realize that Fiona was referring to herself when she was talking to Donkey Farquaad furious and disgusted over the change orders for Shrek to be drawn and quartered along with the Fairytale Creatures and Fiona banished back to her tower As Farquaad proclaims himself the new King Shrek whistles for the Dragon who has now escaped the castle and is the reason Shrek and Donkey got to the wedding just in time Dragon then crashes through the window with Donkey and incinerates Farquaad with her fiery breath With Farquaad dead Shrek and Fiona admit their love for each other and share true love s first kiss Fiona s curse is broken and she takes her true form an ogress At first she is ashamed of her looks but Shrek declares that she is still beautiful The two ogres begin a new life together along with Donkey Dragon and the Fairytale Creatures as everyone celebrates their liberation against Farquaad s rule This Is Our Story In the end Shrek and Fiona in association with Donkey and Dragon host their post wedding party I m A Believer Musical numbersBroadway Act I Overture Orchestra Big Bright Beautiful World Mama Ogre Papa Ogre Shrek Story Of My Life Pinocchio Elf Peter Pan Ugly Duckling Fairy Godmother Sugar Plum Fairy Three Pigs Wicked Witch Mama Bear Mad Hatter Big Bad Wolf Humpty Dumpty White Rabbit Three Bears Fairytale Creatures Story Of My Life Tag Elf Fairy Godmother Pinocchio Big Bad Wolf Fairytale Creatures The Goodbye Song Elf Fairytale Creatures Don t Let Me Go Donkey Regiment Guards I Know It s Today Young Fiona Teen Fiona Fiona What s Up Duloc Lord Farquaad Duloc Performers What s Up Duloc Reprise Lord Farquaad Duloc Performers Travel Song Donkey Shrek Donkey Pot Pie Dragon Donkey Knights This Is How A Dream Comes True Fiona Dragon Who I d Be Shrek Fiona Donkey Act II Entr acte Orchestra Morning Person Fiona Bluebird I Think I Got You Beat Fiona Shrek The Ballad Of Farquaad Lord Farquaad Guards Air Guitar Crossover Fiona Shrek Make A Move Donkey Three Blind Mice When Words Fail Shrek Morning Person Reprise Fiona The Arrival Of Farquaad Lord Farquaad Build A Wall Shrek Freak Flag Gingy Mama Bear Pinocchio Three Pigs Humpty Dumpty Papa Bear Elf Wicked Witch Mad Hatter Big Bad Wolf Fairytale Creatures Wedding Procession Choir Big Bright Beautiful World Reprise Shrek Cathedral Sunset Transformation Crowd Beautiful Ain t Always Pretty Shrek Finale Fiona Shrek Donkey Mama Bear Pinocchio Gingy Fairytale Creatures I m a Believer Shrek Three Pigs Fiona Young Fiona Donkey Full Company as of October 2 2009 Not included on the original Broadway cast recording I m a Believer and Forever however was recorded later and released as a single as it was not in the show when the cast recording was made Changes An Overture and Entr acte were added following the Seattle run along with the song Build a Wall which was originally More To The Story This song was cut prior to the West End production opening This Is Our Story or Finale replaced I Smell a Happy Ending following the Seattle run whilst What Happens to Love and More To The Story were cut Beginning with the first North American tour a new song was written for Dragon Forever This was then performed in all subsequent productions replacing Donkey Pot Pie Don t Let Me Go was cut from the West End production although an alternative version reinstated for the UK Tour US tour Act I Overture Orchestra Big Bright Beautiful World Mama Ogre Papa Ogre Queen Lillian King Harold Shrek Happy People Angry Mob Story Of My Life Pinocchio Elf Peter Pan Ugly Duckling Sugar Plum Fairy Three Pigs Wicked Witch Mama Bear Elf Big Bad Wolf Humpty Dumpty Fairytale Creatures Story Of My Life Tag Elf Ugly Duckling Pinocchio Big Bad Wolf Fairytale Creatures The Goodbye Song Baby Bear Fairytale Creatures Don t Let Me Go Donkey Regiment 1 Guards Regiment Reprise Guards What s Up Duloc Lord Farquaad Duloc Performers What s Up Duloc Reprise Lord Farquaad Duloc Performers I Know It s Today Young Fiona Teen Fiona Fiona Travel Song Donkey Shrek Forever Dragon Donkey Knights This Is How A Dream Comes True Fiona Dragon Who I d Be Shrek Fiona Donkey Act II Entr acte Orchestra Morning Person Fiona Bluebird I Think I Got You Beat Fiona Shrek The Ballad Of Farquaad Lord Farquaad Guards Air Guitar Crossover Fiona Shrek Make A Move Donkey Three Blind Mice Make A Move Tag Donkey Three Blind Mice When Words Fail Shrek Morning Person Reprise Fiona The Arrival Of Farquaad Lord Farquaad Build A Wall Shrek Freak Flag Gingy Sugar Plum Fairy Pinocchio Three Pigs Ugly Duckling Papa Bear Fairy Godmother Wicked Witch Big Bad Wolf Humpty Dumpty Mama Bear Fairytale Creatures Wedding Procession Choir Big Bright Beautiful World Reprise Shrek Cathedral Sunset Transformation Crowd Beautiful Ain t Always Pretty Shrek Finale This Is Our Story Fiona Shrek Donkey Mama Bear Pinocchio Gingy Fairytale Creatures I m a Believer Encore Shrek Three Pigs Fiona Young Fiona Donkey Dragon Full Company as of October 2 2009 Not included on the original Broadway cast recording I m a Believer and Forever however was recorded later and released as a single as it was not in the show when the cast recording was made CastsCharacter Original Seattle tryout Original Broadway production Original US tour Original West End production Original UK tour2008 2010 2011 2014Shrek Brian d Arcy James Eric Petersen Nigel Lindsay Dean ChisnallPrincess Fiona Sutton Foster Haven Burton Amanda Holden Faye BrookesDonkey Chester Gregory Daniel Breaker Alan Mingo Jr Richard Blackwood Idriss KargboLord Farquaad Christopher Sieber David F M Vaughn Nigel Harman Gerard CareyPinocchio John Tartaglia Blakely Slaybaugh Jonathan Stewart Will HaswellDragon Kecia Lewis Evans Haven BurtonAymee GarciaRachel Stern Carrie Compere Landi Oshinowo Candace FurbertGingy Haven Burton Aymee Garcia Alice Fearn Nikki BentleyBroadway 2008 10 replacements Shrek Ben Crawford Eric Petersen u s Farquaad Ben Crawford u s Pinocchio Robb SappWest End 2011 13 replacements Shrek Dean Chisnall Bradley Jaden u s Fiona Kimberley Walsh Carley Stenson Farquaad Neil McDermottInstrumentationThe Orchestra includes one bass guitar player one trumpeter one trombonist two guitar players one drummer two violinists two reed players one horn player two keyboard players a cello player and a percussion player The guitar players double on ukulele mandolins electric guitars and acoustic guitars The trumpeter doubles on a flugelhorn and a piccolo trumpet The trombonist doubles on tenor and bass trombones The bass player doubles on the upright bass the electric bass and the 5 string bass guitar The first reed doubles on alto sax clarinet flute and piccolo The second reed doubles on soprano sax baritone sax tenor sax flute bass clarinet and clarinet The original Broadway orchestration included an additional trumpet an additional trombone tuba two more violinists one more cellist and two more reed players and an additional acoustic bass player In this orchestration the first reed doubles on piccolo flute and recorder The second reed doubles on oboe English horn clarinet and alto sax The third reed doubles on flute clarinet bass clarinet soprano sax and tenor sax The fourth reed doubles on clarinet bassoon and baritone sax RecordingsThe original Broadway cast recording was recorded on January 12 2009 and was released on March 24 2009 by Decca Broadway Records 38 The album debuted at 1 on Billboard s Top Cast Albums chart and 88 on the Billboard 200 39 40 I m a Believer was not featured on the initial recording as it was only added to the show on October 2 2009 It was later included as part of a Highlighted Cast Recording released on November 17 2009 On December 4 2009 when the Grammy Award nominees were announced the cast recording was nominated for Best Musical Show Album 41 Donkey Pot Pie which is included on the original Broadway cast recording was cut from future productions replaced by Forever The song became available on iTunes in 2011 It was recorded during a live performance of the national tour in Chicago and features Carrie Compere Dragon and Alan Mingo Jr Donkey The original London cast recorded a single of I m a Believer for promotional purposes An original Spanish language cast recording featuring the Madrid cast was recorded between August and September 2011 and released in September The Spanish album includes later added songs Forever and I m a Believer as well as different orchestrations to the Broadway recording and the arrangements made for the national tour ReceptionThe musical has received generally positive reviews from critics Ben Brantley wrote in The New York Times Shrek for the record is not bad As the title character a misanthropic green ogre who learns to love the talented Mr James is encumbered with padding and prosthetics As the evil psychologically maimed Lord Farquaad the very droll Christopher Sieber is required to walk on his knees with tiny fake legs dangling before him an initially funny sight gag that soon drags He praises Sutton Foster as an inspired take charge musical comedian Ms Foster manages both to make fun of and exult in classical musical comedy moves while creating a real full character at the same time 42 Variety noted that the production had a reported budget of 24 million Any theme park cutesiness is offset by the mischievous humor in David Lindsay Abaire s book and lyrics The production s real achievement however is that the busy visuals and gargantuan set pieces never overwhelm the personalities of the actors or their characters The ensemble is talented and the four leads in particular couldn t be better 43 The Associated Press said that the folks at DreamWorks have done their darndest to make sure we are entertained at Shrek the Musical the company s lavish stage adaptation of its hit animated movie For much of the time they succeed thanks to the talent and ingratiating appeal of the show s four principal performers The show s massive sets and colorful costumes both courtesy of Tim Hatley are so visually eye catching that they often distract from what s going on with the story and score Composer Jeanine Tesori has written attractive eclectic pop flavored melodies that range from a jaunty Travel Song to a gutsy duet called I Got You Beat for Shrek and Fiona that revels in rude noises The review also noted that Lindsay Abaire s lyrics are often fun and quite witty 44 USA Today gave the show three and a half stars out of four writing Shrek which draws from William Steig s book about a lovable ogre and the DreamWorks animated movie that it inspired is nonetheless a triumph of comic imagination with a heart as big and warm as Santa s It is the most ingeniously wacky transcendently tasteless Broadway musical since The Producers and more family friendly than that gag fest The review also noted however that Like other musical adaptations of hit films Shrek leans heavily on winking satire There are the usual nods to more fully realized shows from Gypsy to A Chorus Line and Jeanine Tesori s blandly ingratiating score doesn t feature any songs you re likely to be humming 20 years from now 45 Awards and nominationsOriginal Broadway production Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result Ref2009 Tony Award Best Musical Nominated 46 Best Book of a Musical David Lindsay Abaire NominatedBest Original Score Jeanine Tesori music and David Lindsay Abaire lyrics NominatedBest Actor in a Musical Brian d Arcy James NominatedBest Actress in a Musical Sutton Foster NominatedBest Featured Actor in a Musical Christopher Sieber NominatedBest Orchestrations Danny Troob and John Clancy NominatedBest Costume Design Tim Hatley WonDrama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominated 47 Outstanding Book of a Musical David Lindsay Abaire NominatedOutstanding Actor in a Musical Brian d Arcy James WonDaniel Breaker NominatedOutstanding Actress in a Musical Sutton Foster NominatedOutstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Christopher Sieber NominatedOutstanding Director of a Musical Jason Moore NominatedOutstanding Music Jeanine Tesori NominatedOutstanding Lyrics David Lindsay Abaire NominatedOutstanding Orchestrations Danny Troob NominatedOutstanding Set Design Tim Hatley WonOutstanding Costume Design WonGrammy Award Best Musical Show Album Nominated 48 Original London production Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result Ref2012 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical Nominated 49 Best Actor in a Musical Nigel Lindsay NominatedBest Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical Nigel Harman WonBest Costume Design Tim Hatley NominatedHome mediaIn October 2009 Jeffrey Katzenberg said that a performance of the Broadway production had been recorded for a potential DVD release However due to the national tour and West End productions running considerably longer the idea was put on hold 50 On July 19 2013 following the closure of the national tour and West End productions Amazon com confirmed that the filmed performance would be available for instant viewing on September 17 2013 1 It also became available in HD for playback on Kindle Fire HD Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 Roku or other HD compatible devices beginning October 15 2013 2 The home video release is also available on Netflix Streaming as of January 2014 51 A DVD Blu ray and digital download was also released on that day 3 The performance is an edit of several live performances as well as a performance shot without an audience The original principal cast appear as well as various alumni across the show s Broadway run Also it keeps the song Donkey Pot Pie instead of the replacement Forever It grossed 543 288 in home sales 52 References a b SHREK THE MUSICAL Now Available For Pre Order Archived 2013 12 12 at the Wayback Machine broadwayworld com Retrieved July 19 2013 a b Filmed Version of Broadway s Shrek Will Be Available in October Archived 2013 12 11 at the Wayback Machine Playbill com Retrieved July 20 2013 a b SHREK THE MUSICAL DVD Blu Now Available For Pre Order Archived 2013 12 12 at the Wayback Machine Broadway World Retrieved July 26 2013 Shrek the Musical Is Shrek the Musical on Netflix FlixList Flixlist co Retrieved 20 November 2021 Gurewitsch Matthew Orchestrating an Ogre s Monster Makeover The New York Times December 11 2008 Gans Andrew Keenan Bolger and Sieber Are Part of Aug 10 Shrek Reading Archived 2008 12 06 at the Wayback Machine Playbill com August 10 2007 a b Jacobson Lynn Shrek the Musical Variety September 11 2008 Gans Andrew Seattle Goes Green Shrek the Musical Makes World Premiere Aug 14 Archived 2008 12 12 at the Wayback Machine playbill com August 14 2008 Jones Kenneth Breaker Replaces Gregory and Other Changes Announced for NY Bound Shrek playbill com September 30 2008 Gans Andrew Shrek the Musical Adds November Rain to Broadway Score playbill com September 30 2009 Healy Patrick Shrek to End Broadway Run on Jan 3 New York Times October 21 2009 Gans Andrew Shrek Tour Will Launch in July 2010 in Chicago Archived 2009 09 08 at the Wayback Machine playbill com September 4 2009 Gans Andrew Ogre There National Tour of Shrek the Musical Kicks Off July 13 in Chicago Archived 2010 07 16 at the Wayback Machine playbill com July 13 2010 Shrek the Musical National tour Will Debut An All New Dragon broadwayworld com September 12 2009 Ashford to Co Direct Shrek Tour Cast Announced broadwayworld com May 11 2010 David F M Vaughn Joins SHREK National Tour As Lord Farquaad BroadwayWorld com Retrieved 22 May 2019 Shrek at the Pantages broadwayla org accessed May 10 2011 a b Tickets and Tour Schedule NETworks Presentations shrekthemusicalontour com accessed September 8 2011 Cast Archived 2011 09 25 at the Wayback Machine shrekthemusicalontour com accessed September 8 2011 National tour cast Archived from the original on 2011 09 25 Retrieved 2011 08 13 Tour Shrek the Musical Retrieved 2023 11 29 Tony Award Winners Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay Abaire Discuss All New Shrek retrieved 2023 11 29 Shrek the Musical Begins Performances at West End s Theatre Royal Drury Lane May 6 Playbill retrieved August 10 2014 Bosanquet Theo Holden amp Blackwood Confirmed for London Shrek Archived 2012 10 18 at the Wayback Machine whatsonstage com July 30 2010 Nigel Lindsay and Nigel Harman cast in Shrek The Musical londontheatre co uk 3 September 2010 SHREK to Undergo Changes for West End New Characters amp Design broadwayworld com Press reviews Shrek the Musical BBC 15 June 2011 New cast for Shrek OfficialLondonTheatre com News Archived 2013 03 25 at the Wayback Machine whatsonstage com Shrek closes on 24 Feb Charlie moves Chocolate Factory to Drury Lane Archived 2013 03 25 at the Wayback Machine Whatsonstage com Conheca o elenco da temporada paulistana de Shrek O Musical Abroadwayeaqui com br 20 August 2013 Retrieved 20 November 2021 Shenton Mark Shrek the Musical to Embark on U K Ireland National Tour Directed by Nigel Harman playbill com 27 September 2013 Neil Cheesman Casting Announced for Shrek The Musical UK and Ireland Tour londontheatre1 com 3 February 2014 Amelia Lily joins the UK tour cast of Shrek the Musical Whatsonstage com 3 November 2017 Retrieved 22 May 2019 SHREK THE MUSICAL will transfer to London for six weeks only Londonboxoffice co uk Retrieved 16 November 2023 Antony Lawrence Joanne Clifton James Gillan and Brandon Lee Sears Will Lead UK Tour of SHREK THE MUSICAL Broadwayworld com Retrieved 24 February 2023 Tadros Patrick 17 June 2019 Shrek the Musical to return to Sydney stage Dailytelegraph com au Retrieved 20 November 2021 Gans Andrew Shrek CD Arrives in Stores March 24 Archived 2009 03 27 at the Wayback Machine playbill com March 24 2009 SHREK THE MUSICAL CD Debuts at 1 on Billboard s Top Cast Album Chart BroadwayWorld com Retrieved 22 May 2019 The Billboard 200 Shrek The Musical billboard com BroadwayWorld com OBCR News broadwayworld com June 10 2009 Brantley Ben The Belching Green Ogre Has a Song in His Heart The New York Times December 15 2008 Rooney David Shrek the Musical Variety December 14 2008 Kuchwara Michael A mean green ogre named Shrek moves to Broadway Associated Press December 14 2008 Gardner Elysa On Broadway Shrek the Musical is a gas gas gas Usatoday com December 14 2008 Gans Andrew and Jones Kenneth Nominations for 2009 Tony Awards Announced Billy Elliot Earns 15 Nominations Archived 2009 05 08 at the Wayback Machine playbill com 5 May 2009 Gans Andrew Ruined and Billy Elliot Win Top Honors at Drama Desk Awards Archived 2009 05 21 at the Wayback Machine playbill com 17 May 2009 Ain t Misbehavin Hair 9 to 5 Shrek West Side Story Liza Nominated for GRAMMY Awards broadwayworld com Broadway News Broadway Tickets amp Videos Broadway World Broadwayworld com Retrieved 20 November 2021 Shrek the Musical headed for DVD release Entertainment Weekly Retrieved July 19 2013 Sutton sparkles in Shrek the Musical on Netflix Channelserf com Shrek the Musical 2013 Financial Information The Numbers Retrieved 2023 01 29 External linksProduction site for West End Shrek the Musical at the Internet Broadway Database Shrek the Musical at the Music Theatre International website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shrek the Musical amp oldid 1187538495, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.