Fun and endearing on the big-screen, “Shrek: The Musical†however, at the Broadway theatre is practically void of the same personality that made the film so successful and ultimately feels like a depth-less rehash with a decent original score by Jeanine Tesori.
It’s almost as if you’d rather have the green-skinned ogre in the swamp end up with the Lord with a Napoleon complex. At least then it wouldn’t be predictable and boring as it is.
That’s not to say the entire performance is a wash, but for the most part, it feels stale.
Maybe this had to do more with the fact that Donkey [played this night by understudy Ryan Duncan] failed to be the comic relief he was supposed to be, a far cry from the funny and carefree animal with a great voice you’d expect to see. Feeling more like he was in love with Shrek, rather than being his best friend, Duncan offers a strange portrayal to say the least. This element alone makes the play come off weird to mature viewers, as he emotes in a way that makes you feel he is “in love†with his ogre best friend, rather than simply “loving†him.
With a fairy tale premise already to deal with, the last thing one needs to deal with is a case of bestiality.
If that wasn’t enough, Duncan comes off extremely annoying and will leave you kicking the back of the chair in front of you every time he speaks.
The portrayal of Princess Fiona, played by Haven Burton [another understudy] was fun and energetic, but also lacked the composure of a serious performer. Sometimes looking as if she was counting steps and beats, rather than playing a role, Burton was out of element. Nevertheless, her performance doesn’t hurt the production as much as it side steps it.
Speaking of side steps, Brian D’Arcy James’ portrayal of Shrek is fun, but isn’t as charismatic as it could have been. He’s not as funny, tough and conflicted as he could have been and despite a booming voice, isn’t compelling enough vocally to get a rouse out of the adults on stage. His dancing and antics are entertaining at times, but overall, he doesn’t make this title character as engaging as he is on the big screen.
On a positive note, the performances of John Tartaglia [playing Pinocchio] and Chris Sieber [Lord Farquaad] are stellar and totally capture the essence of their characters. Their singing is also solid and unlike the main characters of the performance, they have an uncanny ability to control the audience’s emotions. The fact that Sieber danced all over the stage while on his knees is an impressive feat by itself. The fact that he can do it extremely well makes him the real star of this show.
However, aside from the performances of Tartaglia and Sieber, the set production of this performance is the best on Broadway right now. The sense of traveling and being in a fairy tale world are totally captured, making this unbelievable atmosphere comfortable and a joy to look at.
A true shame when you take into consideration how mediocre most of the rest of the production is.
Ambiance aside, this performance of “Shrek: The Musical†flounders and isn’t in the same league as its source material. Perhaps it was the work of second-tier performances that day, but it’s highly doubtful that anyone working from a script this musty [which repeats way too many jokes from the DVD to be taken seriously by devoted fans] could generate more than a smirk.
While the sheer thrill of a Broadway performance alone is a worthwhile endeavor, recommending this performance over the inexpensive DVD and book it’s based on would require creating a separate and more elaborate fairy tale than what’s present on stage.
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