I thought I'd try this out since it was on Netflix. I gave it the benefit of the doubt, but it's really it's just... no good.
They do very little to extend the backstory on either Shrek or Fiona. All you really learn is Shrek was abandoned at the age of 7 (way of the ogres, I guess) and that Fiona's been trapped in that tower for 20 years.
They use a LOT of dialog directly from the movie, but try to DISGUISE that fact by saying each quote differently or "in their own way". And all I can say to that is... nice try. We 90s kids have been quoting this movie word for word ever since we first saw it. We know what you're doing and we don't like it.
The only thing that could make up for a movie basically being reanimated onto stage would be clever, fun songs placed in between... which this does not have. I liked Fiona's first song and the "I Got You Beat" duet between Shrek and Fiona was fun... until it got weird at the end, when they started relishing in each other's bodily functions...
The romance between Shrek and Fiona is pretty much passed over in this, like it's not the most important part, for some reason. I know these characters, I know they love each other, and yet when they got to the end, I couldn't care less who Fiona ended up with.
And if you're looking for a play where second-rate fairytale creatures get MORE THAN ONE musical number, look no further. We never asked for it, but they made it happen anyway.
I will give this musical an extra star simply for the "Grumpy is Lord Farquad's dad" side storyline. I'll admit, it gave me a little chuckle. Plus the guy who played Farquad deserves an extra star for all the pain he goes through walking on his knees all day.
They do very little to extend the backstory on either Shrek or Fiona. All you really learn is Shrek was abandoned at the age of 7 (way of the ogres, I guess) and that Fiona's been trapped in that tower for 20 years.
They use a LOT of dialog directly from the movie, but try to DISGUISE that fact by saying each quote differently or "in their own way". And all I can say to that is... nice try. We 90s kids have been quoting this movie word for word ever since we first saw it. We know what you're doing and we don't like it.
The only thing that could make up for a movie basically being reanimated onto stage would be clever, fun songs placed in between... which this does not have. I liked Fiona's first song and the "I Got You Beat" duet between Shrek and Fiona was fun... until it got weird at the end, when they started relishing in each other's bodily functions...
The romance between Shrek and Fiona is pretty much passed over in this, like it's not the most important part, for some reason. I know these characters, I know they love each other, and yet when they got to the end, I couldn't care less who Fiona ended up with.
And if you're looking for a play where second-rate fairytale creatures get MORE THAN ONE musical number, look no further. We never asked for it, but they made it happen anyway.
I will give this musical an extra star simply for the "Grumpy is Lord Farquad's dad" side storyline. I'll admit, it gave me a little chuckle. Plus the guy who played Farquad deserves an extra star for all the pain he goes through walking on his knees all day.