Shrek the Musical

Shrek, living alone in his swamp, takes the job Lord Farquaad offers to clear the fairy tale characters out of his home: fetching Princess Fiona from her tower. On the way he has to deal with a talkative donkey and with his own past. Michael John Warren directed. This is not an adaptation but a recording: one of the final Broadway performances of the musical, filmed on stage. Jeanine Tesori wrote the music, David Lindsay-Abaire the lyrics. The stage version departs from the animation in two places: Shrek and Fiona's pasts are opened through songs, and Farquaad is played entirely on the knees, with the actor crouched for the whole show. The recording technique matters: multiple cameras, room sound, audience reaction kept in. The sense of being in a theatre is left in on purpose. The makeup and costume design were the most praised element of the stage production. Who it is for: viewers who like musical theatre and the Shrek world. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a feature film; this is a stage recording and should be watched as one.