SHREK Closes at the Tenessee Performing Arts Center, 1/30

SHREK THE MUSICAL with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, will close at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center on January 30.

The role of everyone's favorite swamp-dwelling ogre, Shrek, will be played by Eric Petersen, who joins the tour from the Broadway production.  He recently appeared as the socially challenged Barfee in the National tour of The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.  Haven Burton, also from the Broadway Company, will play the feisty Princess Fiona.  Haven previously played Margo the Dog Whisperer on Broadway in Legally Blonde and understudied Elle Woods.   Alan Mingo, Jr. is Shrek's lovably annoying best friend Donkey.  He was an original company member of The Little Mermaid where he played the role of Sebastian, and prior to that played the role of Tom Collins in RENT on Broadway.  David F. M. Vaughn plays the vertically challenged villain Lord Farquaad.  He, too, joins the tour from the Broadway Company.  He also has appeared in Les Misérables and Saturday Night Fever.

Rounding out the cast of misfit fairy tale characters, the peoples of Duloc and Far, Far Away are:  Joe Abraham, Kevin Boseman, Holly Ann Butler, Carrie Compere, Emily Cramer, Tyrone Davis, Jr., Sandra DeNise, Scarlett Diaz, David Foley, Aymee Garcia, Brian Gonzales, Justin Greer, Lisa Ho, Benjamin Howes, Madison Mullahey, Mara Newbery, Denny Paschall, Sarah Peak, Keven Quillon, Morgan Rose, Jason W. Shuffler and Blakely Slaybaugh.

"I had a great time when I saw SHREK THE MUSICAL on Broadway", said Kathleen O'Brien, TPAC's president and CEO. "I didn't know what to expect-other than the creative genius of Dreamworks-and I absolutely loved it.  It is so funny, in fact, that a member of our staff said her cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. The show is wholesome fun for family audiences, but it's not just for young people, adults will thoroughly enjoy it as well."

An entirely new musical, SHREK THE MUSICAL is 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.

 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 (Avenue Q) and Tony and Emmy Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Promises Promises).   SHREK THE MUSICAL has set and costume designs by Tony Award^® winner Tim Hatley (Private Lives, Spamalot), lighting design by Olivier Award winner Hugh Vanstone (A Steady Rain), sound design by Peter Hylenski (Rock of Ages); choreography by Josh Prince, music supervision by Tim Weil, music direction by Andy Grobengieser, and orchestrations by Danny Troob & John Clancy.

 SHREK THE MUSICAL 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 SHRED film was in production. The musical is produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (Bill Damaschke, President of DreamWorks Theatricals and Co-President of Production for Dreamworks Animation) and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. (principals Sam Mendes and Caro Newling).

SHREK THE MUSICAL Ticket prices range from $27.50 to $72.50 and are available at the TPAC box office 505 Deaderick Street (downtown). Order online by visiting tpac.org or by calling 615-782-4040. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 615-782-4060.

For more information, visit www.ShrekTheMusical.com or http://www.tpac.org/shrek

  Join the award-winning Shrekster.com, the Official Fan community of Shrek The Musical delivering news, media and exclusive contests to fans of the Shrek Series and Shrek the Musical.  Log in and join your city group for access to the most up to the date news, information and member's only exclusive content form Shrek and Donkey's first "whirlwind, big city adventure" across the country:  http://www.shrekster.com/nashville

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