Shrek only ran on Broadway from 2008 to 2010, but in that small time frame producer Jeffrey Katzenberg apparently saw fit to create a DVD of the show. If not made for any other reason than to cash in on the Shrek film franchise, this is an immensely entertaining and hysterically funny show. I for one am very glad they made it available for home viewing. It's the next best thing to seeing a show live.
THE CAST
SHREK played by Brian d'Arcy James. Mr. James is perfect for the role and makes it his own while still calling to mind the film character. His voice is also terrific, and he gives us the show- stopping number "Who I'd Be", which is definitely the best song in the show.
Fiona played by Sutton Foster. Oh, how I love this woman. Her voice is beautiful! She can go from being ridiculously goofy and then suddenly convey genuine emotion in her songs. I love the song "I Know It's Today" and her antics in "Morning Person" are hilarious.
DONKEY played by Daniel Breaker. Donkey is one of the favorite characters. Breaker brings a sassier edge to Donkey but he's still that ass that simultaneously annoys us and makes us fall in love with him.
LORD FARQUAAD played by Christopher Sieber. To me, Sieber stole much of the show. He is on his knees the entire time with little legs dangling in front of him, which is quite amusing. As painful as that could have been, he makes it look effortless.
PINOCCHIO played by John Tartaglia. You may recognize him from the Playhouse Disney show "Johnny and the Sprites." I suppose playing a puppet is referencing the fact that he does all the puppeteering for the show.
THE MUSIC
The music, unfortunately, never reaches the heights of "The Lion King" or "Wicked." However, there is still something to recommend here. Several standout songs, including the already mentioned "Who I'd Be" and "I Know It's Today" are particularly good. The opening song, "Big Bright Beautiful World" is a good start, and Donkey's first song "Don't Let Me Go" is outrageously funny. The catchiest song is probably "Freak Flag" which is also very humorous. While these songs probably won't be considered classics anytime soon, they are cleverly written and are highly suitable for this show.
The show is probably suitable for ages 10 and up. There is some off-color humor here and there, but most of it would probably go over the kid's heads. (The transvestite wolf.) The gassy humor is obviously aimed at them. I, for one, could have gone without the fart/belch sequence. However, even I admit it was a little amusing. Donkey says 'damn' and 'hell' once each, but I think that was the extent of the language.
I very much wish that this DVD would be the start of a new trend. Having Broadway on demand in our living room would be fantastic. Will someone please film the "Pippin" revival next?
