Way Off Broadway Opens 2018 With SHREK the Musical

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, the area's only year-round producing theatre, kicks off its 2018 Mega-Mini Season with Shrek - The Musical. The hit Broadway production will mark the beginning of Way Off Broadway's 24th Season of bringing live Stage Entertainment to the region. Shrek opens January 12th.

Everyone's favorite ogre is back in the hilarious stage spectacle based on the Oscar-winning, smash hit film from Dreamworks Animation. "Once Upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek...." And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek.

Shrek first burst onto the scene in 2001 with the release of the Dreamworks Animation's feature film Shrek. Lending their voices to bring the characters to life were Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Fiona), and John Lithgow (Lord Farquaad). The film was an instant success, earning over $480 million worldwide. It also went on to win the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Film. The film's success spawned three sequels, two holiday specials, and a spin-off movie.

In 2008, Shrek and his friends made their live stage debut in a pre-Broadway try out in Seattle, Washington. The cast included Broadway veterans Brian d'Arcy James in the title role, Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona, and Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad. Following its Seattle engagement, Shrek - The Musical opened on Broadway December 14, 2008 at the Broadway Theatre. When the show closed in 2010, it had played 37 previews and 441 regular performances. The production was nominated for nine 2009 Tony Awards -- taking home the Tony for Best Costume Design -- and twelve Drama Desk Awards -- winning for Outstanding Actor (d'Arcy James), Outstanding Costume Design, and Outstanding Set Design.

Way Off Broadway's production will feature Jordan B. Stocksdale as Shrek, Aimee Conley as Princess Fiona, Joseph Waeyaert as Donkey, Brian Clarke as Lord Farquaad, and Laura Walling as Pinocchio. They'll be joined on stage by Jessica Billones, Matthew Crawford, Rachael DeMartino, Mateo Ferro, Patrick Ford, Savannah Humbertson, Jaydn Kelly, Erin Kopit, Olivia Manos, Pete Meyers, Michael Reid, Amanda Schrider, Tori Weaver, Megan E. West, Evan Williams, and Jeffrey Kirk Yutzy.

The show has music by Jeanine Tesori and a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. Shrek - The Musical is based on the Dreamworks Animation film and book by William Steig. Way Off Broadway's production is directed by Bill Kiska, assisted directed by Ariel Messeca, choreographed by Dee Buchanan, and music directed by Jordan B. Stocksdale.

Shrek will run from January 12 - March 10, 2018, with performances every Friday and Saturday evening and matinees on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sunday of each month. For evening performances, guests arrive for dinner at 6:00 p.m. with the show beginning at 8:00 p.m. For matinees, doors open at 12:30 p.m. for lunch with the show beginning at 2:15 p.m. Tickets for a Friday evening or Sunday matinee are $45; Saturday evenings, tickets are $48.

Shrek - The Musical will be followed by the classic comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in the spring and an extended run of Disney's Beauty and the Beast in the summer. To learn more about any of Way Off Broadway's productions, visit www.wayoffbroadway.com.

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, under the direction of the Kiska Family since 2002, will celebrate its 25th Silver Anniversary Season in 2019. Since it first opened in 1995, the theatre has been a leader in the area's theatre community, proudly bringing both classic musicals, as well as regional and area premieres to the Frederick stage. Productions have included Sister Act, Monty Python's Spamalot, Noises Off, The Addams Family, Les Misérable, Sunset Boulevard, Legally Blonde, Dolly Parton's 9 to 5: The Musical, The Music Man, Jekyll & Hyde, Hairspray, South Pacific, The Drowsy Chaperone, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty, Mel Brooks' The Producers, CATS, The Wedding Singer, Evita, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, La Cage aux Folles, Guys & Dolls, Steel Magnolias, Annie, Bye Bye, Birdie, The King & I, ...Forum, Lend Me a Tenor, Joseph..., Blood Brothers, Mame, and 42nd Street. In addition to its regular season, Way Off Broadway produces a number of special events throughout the year including an annual Breakfast with Santa (and Mrs. Claus) and an interactive mysteries series. www.wayoffbroadway.com

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