Why the Shrek hate?

I have always wondered what the aversion was to Shrek the Musical. Let me give you my thoughts.

The costumes are absolutely stunning. The set and the set changes are some of the most beautiful stage work I have ever scene- especially the magic mirror into the castle scene. The music is SO GOOD! Every single song is just...awesome. It is super funny and gives a great message: love yourself for who you are.

Lastly, we have Sutton Foster and Brian D'arcy James....what more could you want?

So, why do so many people not like this musical?

I liked Shrek when I saw it on tour back in 2011 (god, 10 years ago already!), but I was less thrilled by it when I saw the pro-shot some years later.

I think Tesori and Lindsay-Abaire do a great job musicalizing the characters of Shrek and Fiona. They find their way into the characters through the music in a way that feels authentic, and emotionally honest, without betraying their tough, irreverent exteriors. That was a huge hurdle to clear, in terms of making this show work, and they pulled it off IMO. I really like all of Shrek and Fiona's songs - I can see the argument that his ballads get repetitive, but it doesn't really bother me.

The problem, for me, is that the rest of the show mostly falls flat. Freak Flag is a fun number, but aside from that one, most of the songs written for the side characters (Donkey, Farquaad, Dragon, Pinocchio, etc.) just feel like cheap, empty crowd-pleasers. And there's so many songs like this! Plus, I don't think they manage to re-capture the comedic spirit of the movie.

Updated On: 3/1/21 at 10:39 AM