Review: SHREK THE MUSICAL at the Eccles Theater is Story Theatre for Young Audiences

The national tour of SHREK THE MUSICAL, currently playing at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City as part of the Live! at the Eccles series, is a reimagined telling of the saucy but ultimately moving story with a remarkable contemporary score.

SHREK THE MUSICAL (music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire) opened on Broadway in 2008 and was nominated for eight Tony Awards.  Shrek is a surly ogre who must save the Princess Fiona from a tower in order to reclaim his home from the small-statured tyrant Lord Farquaad. Along the way, he learns that things aren't always what they seem and that love can be found in the most unexpected places.

The creators used this non-equity tour as an opportunity to explore a more stripped-down version of their musical, cutting several songs, adding new reprises, sanitizing lyrics of anything that might be offensive, and shifting the dynamic of the storytelling. At times it works, but it never comes remotely close to reaching the dizzying heights of the original Broadway production, which received a live capture and is widely available to stream and purchase. 

The purposeful low-budget vibe and frenetic direction of this iteration certainly don’t help.  The unit set, garish costumes, and bold lighting (all uncredited, as there was no program at the reviewed performance) all play into the concept, finding varying degrees of success.  But if you adjust your expectations to “story theatre for young audiences,” it all makes more sense and you are less likely to be disappointed. At times you will be charmed, and by the glowing finale you may just find that it has ingratiated itself to you.

The energetic cast includes Nicholas Hambruch as Shrek, Kelly Prendergast as Fiona, Naphtali Yaakov Curry as Donkey, and Timmy Lewis as Lord Farquaad. 

SHREK THE MUSICAL plays the Eccles Theater for a limited engagement through Sunday, December 29, 2024.  For tickets, call ArtTix at 801-355-ARTS (2787) or visit www.artsaltlake.org. 

Photo Credit: CYorkPhoto & Jason Anderson/Pendleton Photography

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