Any SHREK news from last night? — Page 3

If anyone else is going in the next few nights, could someone take curtain call pictures? I'm pretty sure those are OK without flash, then we can see the costumes... Thanks!

Okay, just got back. So here goes: Shrek the Musical.

It was the first public performance so I'll refrain from any real critical analysis.

The tourists will love this show. Discerning theatre snobs won't but heck it's Shrek the Musical. What did you expect?

It's too long. There were a lot of kids in the audience and three hours is way too long for a kid's show. (Although tonight's audience was pretty well behaved despite the very long running time) The second act is stronger than the first. The songs are better and the parts taken directly from the movie fit better than in the first where it isn't so seamless. The first half of the first act is kind boring but things pick up with the song "Things Are Looking Up in Duloc." I'll type up the song list later. The rest of the act is much better but they definitely could work on the first half.

The Sets:
Pretty cool. Not spectacular but boy there are a lots of set changes! I'm not sure they made any scene look the same. I kept thinking there's more? Where do they fit all that?

The Costumes:
I was sitting pretty far away but most of the costumes looked great. I didn't love the costumes for the fairy tale creatures and Donkey looked like a crappy bunny halloween costume that they spray-painted grey and pinned a donkey tail on.

Farquad was a played by a man on his knees with little stuffed legs which at first was awkward but it got better when they played with it a little bit.

The Dragon.....really annoyed me. It looked great when they revealed her but then you see that the dragon is really just a big parade float and the real dragon is a lady wearing a hideous dress followed around by a several more girls in hideous dresses. It could have worked but they made the women too separate from the parade float dragon. The dragon is on one side of the stage while the dragon lady is on the other. huh? Aren't they supposed to be one creature? And the dragon float doesn't show up in the show again after that first scene. It's just the lady in the awful dress. It really didn't work for me.

The performances were good with the exception of the fairy tale creatures whose joke often fall flat and frankly they could be annoying.


I think the show will be pretty successful even if it get mixed reviews from the New York critics (I can see a few critics disliking a show with no fewer than three fart jokes and even a little farting burping song thing.)
Well that's a lot more than I thought I was going to write. If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to answer 'em.

Updated On: 8/15/08 at 02:51 AM

No spectacular change. She walks off-stage for at least a minute and comes back transformed.

They also have a bit earlier in the show (the morning after the second night for those who are familiar with the plot) where they show ogre-Fiona walking in the woods just before the sun rises and she goes behind a tree and out from the other side comes Sutton Foster as human Fiona. (The ogre-Fiona was a different actress in that part)

Updated On: 8/15/08 at 03:01 AM

So Sutton was never the ogor? Was the make up as nice a Shrek's? Could you see Brian's expressions from the prosthetics? Was Pinocchio a puppet? What about Donkey's costume?

Updated On: 8/15/08 at 03:08 AM

Playbill?


Haha. We ask so much of you


PS: Your "signature" thing. i less than 3 it.

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Uh, I guess I'm not sure what you're asking but they had a standard 5th ave theatre program (for those unfamiliar...and I'm sure that will be most of you it's bigger than a playbill)

It's got the logo with the big "s" that says Shrek the musical world premiere.

I thought Donkey's costume was lame. It looked like a cheap halloween costume. (see my description above of the bunny costume painted gray)

He walked upright and had hooves on his hand and what looked like black workboots on his feet and a little gray vest. Maybe they're still working on the costume. I hope so because it looks pretty lame next to Shrek's costume.

Updated On: 8/15/08 at 03:24 AM

Nope. Sorry. But seriously I hope they work on his costume.

Not very exciting but here ya go:

No problem. It's bedtime for me too.

And yes, the flair application is awesome

Updated On: 8/15/08 at 03:40 AM