Shrek the Musical is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 1990 book Shrek by William Steig as well as the 2001 DreamWorks film of the same name. A retooled version of the musical is scheduled to begin in UK from may 2011. The cast is set to feature Nigel Lindsay as Shrek, Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona, Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad, and Richard Blackwood as Donkey.
Shrek the Musical will be commenced on May 6, 2011 in Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London. Shrek the Musical Tickets are on sale now. Shrek the Musical Tickets are available at Sold Out Ticket Market against nominal rates.
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Shrek The Musical Tickets for Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London Date: From May 6, 2011 To November 30, 2011
A retooled version of Shrek the Musical is scheduled to begin performances at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, in London's West End, on May 6, 2011, with an official opening night set for June 14. Headlining the production are Nigel Lindsay as Shrek, Richard Blackwood as Donkey, Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad, and Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona. Rob Ashford recently stated that he would be bringing back such Broadway fairytale creatures as Humpty Dumpty and the White Rabbit, as they are more recognisable in the UK. Playbill announced the full cast details on Feb. 22, 2011, although the secondary roles of Pinocchio, Dragon and Gingy are yet to be confirmed. Samantha Allison, Chorlène Biron-Monnier, Lauren Dawes, Madeleine Hill, Emilia Jones and Sophie Wythe will share the roles of Young Shrek and Young Fiona.
Following is the list of awards and nominations for Shrek the Musical.
Tony Awards
Wins
* Best Costume Design of a Musical (Tim Hatley)
Nominations
* Best Musical * Best Book of a Musical (David Lindsay-Abaire) * Best Original Score (Jeanine Tesori) * Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Brian d'Arcy James) * Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster) * Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Christopher Sieber) * Best Orchestrations (Danny Troob and John Clancy)
Drama Desk Awards
Wins
* Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Brian d'Arcy James) * Outstanding Set Design (Tim Hatley) * Outstanding Costume Design (Tim Hatley)
Nominations
* Outstanding Musical * Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Daniel Breaker) * Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster) * Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Christopher Seiber) * Outstanding Director of a Musical (Jason Moore) * Outstanding Music (Jeanine Tesori) * Outstanding Lyrics (David Lindsay-Abaire) * Outstanding Book of a Musical (David Lindsay-Abaire) * Outstanding Orchestrations (Danny Troob)
Outer Critics Circle Awards
Wins
* Best Actor in a Musical (Brian d'Arcy James) * Best Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster) * Outstanding Set Design (Tim Hatley) * Outstanding Costume Design (Tim Hatley)
Nominations
* Best Musical * Best Score * Best Director of a Musical (Jason Moore) * Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Christopher Seiber) * Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Daniel Breaker) * Outstanding Choreographer (Josh Prince)
Drama League Award
Nominations
* Distinguished Production of a Musical * Distinguished Performance (Sutton Foster) * Distinguished Performance (Christopher Seiber)
Shrek the Musical received mixed to 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."
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."
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.
USA Today gave the show three and ½ out of four stars, 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."
The original Broadway cast recording of Shrek the Musical was recorded on January 12, 2009 and was released on March 24, 2009 by Decca Broadway Records. "Donkey Pot Pie" (which is included on the recording) was later replaced by "Forever" for the show's national tour. The soundtrack debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Cast Albums chart and #88 on the Billboard 200. "I'm a Believer" is also not featured on the recording as it was only added to the score on October 2, 2009. Instead it was released as part of a Highlighted Cast Recording, released on November 17, 2009, and is also available to download via iTunes, in the same way the song "More to the Story" is, as it was cut from the final Broadway production. On December 4, 2009, when the Grammy Award nominees were announced, the cast recording was nominated for Best Musical Show Album. 'Forever' became avaliable on iTunes from March 8, 2011.
