Originally a book by William Steig, Dreamworks picked up Shrek and made an animated movie of it in 2001. It grossed over $484 million worldwide and led to two sequels. Broadway became interested and made it into a musical, which merited a national tour and a showing in the
West End of London. In 2009 it garnered 17 Broadway Tony nominations, and four wins. A possible fourth sequel is in the works.
Prana’s production is sure to do the show’s reputation proud. Its charm lies in the upside down nature of beloved fairy tale characters thought of as freaks and banished, and the main character Shrek, here played ably by Tim Condor, as a grouchy ogre with an edge. His unwanted but hilarious donkey sidekick, voiced in the original movie by Eddie Murphy, here done with justice to the original by Graham Lemieux, is an antic, chatty thorn in Shrek’s side.
The story of Shrek’s abandonment by his parents at the age of seven, (Papa Ogre by Connor Frey, Mama Ogre sung beautifully by Vivian McCarter) reveals his fate. He is warned that all other creatures will fear and despise him. So he sets himself up in a swamp. Soon he is beset by an invasion of familiar fairy tale creatures: Big Bad Wolf (Ruby Smith,) Pinocchio (Winslow Friend, with a truly clever expanding nose as he tells lies,) the Three Pigs (Cora Espinosa, Sydney Ream, Sawyer Smith,) a Wicked Witch (Bonnie Stone,) an Ugly Duckling (Mary Kate Sweeney,) Peter Pan (Charlie Petrin,) Tinkerbell (Brittany Sweeney,) Sugar Plum Fairy (Cadence Oneschuk,) and Ginny, aka The Gingerbread Man (Kennedy Dennison.) They are bossed around by the Captain of the Guards and his henchmen, (Alicia Monteiro, Maverick Smith, Sophia Colo,) all in a bright military red with official hats.
Lord Farquaad is a diminutive tyrant, played with panache by Josh Kemmerer. He torments Gingy into telling him the whereabouts of an available princess to marry. He only cares to marry to become King. The plot becomes interesting when first Young Fiona (Emilia Weisman) then Teen Fiona (Kelsey O’Keefe) and finally Adult Fiona (Lexi Chek) appear. Stranded in a Rapunzel like fate, she must live in a tall tower until her true love’s kiss. Lexi Chek has a lovely voice as the three Fionas sing bravely of their dreams. Farquaad tricks Shrek and Donkey into taking on a quest to bring Fiona to him and slay a fearsome dragon in the process. But nothing is as it seems. Although many tiny knights with long beards are shown to be victims of vain attempts to rescue Fiona, the ferocious dragon, played with fervor by Gwen Rosen, is a surprise. Although she has two fierce looking henchmen, complete with black leather jackets, skin tight black pants and goth make-up, she herself sings longingly of why no one ever comes to rescue her. The hapless Donkey distracts her while Shrek enters Fiona’s prison, and she falls for him.
Here the fairy tale is turned upside down again. Expecting a handsome prince, Fiona urges Shrek to take off his facial armor, and Shrek is revealed as an ugly ogre. Pretty dances are performed back at Dulac (a wink at Lancelot du Lac in Camelot) with tap dancing actresses, three finishing with a split, and great choreography for the Deer (Samantha Reed) and Pied Piper (Madeline Petrin.) Fiona and Shrek duel in a duet as to who had the worst childhood in “I Think I Got You Beat.” Then comes the hilarious fart and burp contest. The Donkey does a hip dance with other storytellers, complete with sunglasses and a disco ball. But Donkey knows Fiona’s secret, that she too turns into an ogre at night, but Fiona makes him promise to keep this from Shrek. But all is resolved with a celebration of imperfections, smelly, bratty, sweet and fatty. Fiona sweetly decides to remain an ogre and kiss Shrek, while the final song, a tribute to the 60s, is sung by the full company: the Monkees hit “I’m A Believer.”
Directed by Roberta Weiner with music by Joanne Hines and Joe Duda, choreographed by Amanda Bigelow and assistance as usual by teens who were former performers, this joyous show highlights the talents of too many young people to count or name.
