Review: SHREK THE MUSICAL at Capital One Hall

There were hordes of fairy tale characters running amok in Tysons on Friday night, along with a big, green, smelly ogre, and a talking donkey. And a wannabee king that ruled over his subjects with insults, tantrums and bullying. (Hmm...that last part sounds oddly familiar...)

Yes, the national tour of Shrek The Musical brought the magic of the Oscar-winning story to life on the stage at Capital One Hall for a brief, three-day run, with a polished and energetic production that was fun to watch, and a definite crowd pleaser.

For those not familiar with this fairy tale mash-up, Shrek is a classic "handsome prince rescues fairy princess" story with a "beauty and the beast" twist - the handsome prince is actually an ugly ogre (Shrek, played with a deft touch by Nicholas Hambruch), who has been sent on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona (Kelly Prendergast) by the unctuous and shallow Lord Farquaad (Timmy Lewis) who only seeks to marry a princess so that he can become a king. Shrek is aided in his quest by a talking Donkey (Naphtali Yaakov Curry) who serves as a philosophical, comic foil for the brooding, hulking ogre. It's a timeless love story, and a road trip buddy story, and a touching story of friendship, respect, love and acceptance, with witty book and a score full of catchy songs, all rolled into one.

There were some interesting creative wrinkles in this production. Puppets were used (very cleverly) to portray the younger Fionas, the dragon that protected the castle where Fiona was held captive was played by the beautifully costumed Tori Kocher, with a puppetry assist from one of the ensemble members, who maneuvered her tail in a way that was fascinating to watch.

All of the leads bring strong, layered performances to their characters, and the chemistry between Hambruch, Prendergast, and Curry was excellent. Lewis and director/choreographer Danny Mefford have taken Farquaad in a new direction, part of a larger reimagining of the original show by it's creators, Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (book), that gives the show a fresh look and feel that mostly works. Mefford has created a lot of new choreography for this updated production, and it is truly impressive - precise, powerful and exuberant, and all brilliantly executed by an incredibly talented ensemble. Standout ensemble performances were turned in by Ally Choe and Katherine Paladichuk (among others), who seemed to be everywhere, and in every scene.

Part of the charm of Shrek is that the basic story appeals to all ages, but it also borrows heavily from the kind of "nod and wink" adult jokes that were a staple of the "Fractured Fairy Tales" of the classic Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon shows, and the actors lean in to  both the subtle double entendres and the flatulence humor - the "fart battle" between Shrek and Fiona brings down the house.

The actors were well supported by a small, tight band, and the tech was uniformly solid. Show pacing was excellent, with running time of right around two hours, including a 15 minute intermission.

Capital One Hall is an excellent venue for music, and it's good to see it bringing in first rate, Broadway musical national tours. Hopefully musicals at Capital One will become well-established enough to warrant longer runs, and maybe even a few locally developed productions. Unlike some other theaters in the DC area, it's easy to get to, with lots of reasonably priced parking. It's exciting to see what is developing there, with upcoming productions of Dear Evan Hanson, Menopause The Musical 2, Come From Away, and Chicago scheduled throughout the next 12 months. Plan ahead to see them, because right now they're only booking three night runs.

For more information about Capital One Hall, click here.

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