RIALTO CHATTER: 'SHREK' Eyes 2010/2011 West End Bow

The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye reports that SHREK THE MUSICAL is eyeing a West End transfer for sometime around late 2010 or early 2011. 

Jeffrey Katzenberg, head of DreamWorks Theatricals and Dreamworks Animation told Bamigboye that the UK production won't open before the stage show tours the U.S. To read the full scoop in the Daily Mail, click here.

SHREK THE MUSICAL was nominated for eight 2009 Tony Awards® including Best Musical. It won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Costume Design. The show received three Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Brian d'Arcy James), Outstanding Set & Costume Design of a Musical (Tim Hatley); and four Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Brian d'Arcy James), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster), Outstanding Set & Costume Design (Tim Hatley). 

SHREK THE MUSICAL features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize® winner, David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Olivier Award-winner Jeanine Tesori, and is directed by Tony Award® nominee Jason Moore. The new show opened at the Broadway Theatre on Sunday, December 14.

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 John Tartaglia as Pinocchio. 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 tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues a feisty princess and learns that real friendship and true love aren't only found in fairy tales.

Tickets for SHREK THE MUSICAL are available by calling Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200, (800) 432-7250 outside the NY metro area, online at Telecharge.com, or in person at The Broadway Theatre box office (1681 Broadway @ 53rd St). Group sales are available by contacting Telecharge Group Sales at 212-239-6262, or 800-432-7780.

Tickets on Tuesdays through Thursdays range in price from $41.50 to $121.50, and tickets on Fridays through Sundays range in price from $51.50 to $126.50. All tickets include a $1.50 facility fee. Shrekthemusical.com.

Photo by Joan Marcus