Online only: Only an average ending for Shrek the Musical

By Kensey King     10/21/10 7:00pm

A not-so-long time ago in the land of New York City, the story of Shrek originated. The ogre's adventures became well-known in 2001, when the animated DreamWorks film Shrek was released. Now there is an entire stage production, Shrek the Musical, dedicated to the green, emotionally layered ogre. Generally, musicals that are adapted from blockbuster movies are neither well-remembered nor extraordinary; unfortunately, despite some incredible technical elements, Shrek the Musical aligns with this trend.Unlike the movie, the musical begins with the childhood of both Shrek (Eric Peterson) and Princess Fiona (Haven Burton). Then, it dives into the familiar story as Shrek and Donkey (Alan Mingo, Jr.) travel to Duloc in order to prevent Lord Farquaad from dumping unwanted fairytale creatures in Shrek's swamp. To retrieve his swamp, Shrek must go on "a noble quest" and rescue the fair Princess Fiona for Farquaad to marry and become a real king.

Most musicals have at least one song, well-written and memorable, that allow them to rise above the status quo, such as Wicked's "Defying Gravity" or Rent's "Seasons of Love." Shrek the Musical's songs fail to deliver, with average lyrics and too much repetition. The musical score does, however, have jazzy and dramatic numbers here and there. Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of Shrek stems from its clever mockery of other famous musicals. The show references famous musical works like Les Misérables, Chicago and Dream Girls, which gives musical enthusiasts a real treat.

The cast of Shrek the Musical definitely nail their parts despite the mediocre script. Many of the cast members actually served as different roles in the original 2008 Broadway production. Eric Peterson, Haven Burton and Alan Mingo Jr. all play their roles splendidly with solid voices that are easy to understand, even in the vast Hobby Center. David Vaughn plays Lord Farquaad hilariously and must be commended for walking and dancing on his knees for the entirety of the show. Carrie Compere, who played the role of the dragon, stood out as a particularly talented vocalist.

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Shrek the Musical is not the type of musical that will set the theatre world on fire. It will, however, entertain a wide variety of audiences and take you away from the real world to a land far, far away.

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