On Tuesday October 14th, the cast and creative team of the upcoming Broadway production of SHREK THE MUSICAL took a break from rehearsals and had a "Meet and Greet" with the press. The event took place at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers, 811 7th Ave. SHREK THE MUSICAL begins performances at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway @ 53rd St) on Saturday, November 8, 2008, with the official opening night on Sunday, December 14, 2008.
SHREK THE MUSICAL stars Tony Award® nominee
Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek, Tony Award® winner
Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona, Tony Award® nominee
Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad, Tony Award® nominee
Daniel Breaker as Donkey and Tony Award® nominee J
ohn Tartaglia as Pinocchio.
Joining these actors are
Haven Burton,
Jennifer Cody,
Ben Crawford,
Bobby Daye,
Ryan Duncan,
Sarah Jane Everman,
Aymee Garcia,
Leah Greenhaus,
Justin Greer, Lisa Ho,
Chris Hoch,
Danette Holden,
Jacob Ming-Trent,
Carolyn Ockert-Haythe,
Marissa O'Donnell,
Denny Paschall,
Greg Reuter,
Adam Riegler,
Noah Rivera,
Heather Jane Rolff,
Jennifer Simard,
Rachel Stern,
Dennis Stowe,
David F.M. Vaughn.
SHREK THE MUSICAL is an entirely new musical based on the story and characters from
William Steig's book Shrek!, as well as the
Dreamworks Animation film Shrek, the first chapter of the Shrek movie series.
SHREK THE MUSICAL features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize® winner,
David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), music by Olivier Award-winner
Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie & Caroline, or Change), and is directed by Tony Award® nominee
Jason Moore, who staged the Tony Award®-winning Best Musical,
Avenue Q and Jerry Springer - The Opera in Concert at
Carnegie Hall.
SHREK THE MUSICAL is
Dreamworks Animation's first venture in legitimate theater. The production was initiated when
Sam Mendes, a big fan of the first Shrek film, suggested the idea of creating a musical to
Dreamworks Animation's Jeffrey Katzenberg around the time the second film was in production. The musical is being produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (
Bill Damaschke, President) and Neal Street Productions, Ltd (principals
Sam Mendes and
Caro Newling).
Other members of the SHREK THE MUSICAL creative team include Tony Award®-winning set and costume designer,
Tim Hatley (
Monty Python's Spamalot, Private Lives, among others), three-time Olivier Award-winning lighting designer,
Hugh Vanstone, whose Broadway credits include
Monty Python's Spamalot,
Bombay Dreams, The Blue Room and Art, and sound designer
Peter Hylenski (
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and Cry-Baby). The choreography is by newcomer
Josh Prince, and
Tim Weil (Rent) is serving as music director.
SHREK THE MUSICAL is based on a popular 1990 book by
William Steig. The characters of Shrek, Donkey and Fiona, and the other inhabitants of "Far, Far Away," have been featured in three major animated films and a popular television special to date. The first Shrek feature film hit theaters in the summer of 2001, and went on to win the first-ever Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature. The 2004 sequel, Shrek 2, remains the third highest grossing movie of all time and highest grossing animated film of all time. The latest chapter of the Shrek story, Shrek the Third, is the 2nd highest grossing film of 2007. Shrek the Halls, the recent ABC television special, was one of the most watched TV programs of 2007.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for SHREK THE MUSICAL are available by calling Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200, (800) 432-7250 outside the NY metro area, or online at Telecharge.com. Group sales are available by contacting Telecharge Group Sales at 212-239-6262, or 800-432-7780. Chase credit card customers can log on at
www.shrekthemusical.com/chase to access tickets for preferred seating.
For more information, visit
www.shrekthemusical.com
