It all began in a swamp in a mystical land where princesses in towers await rescue and gingerbread cookies come to life to warn travelers of danger. By the time the animated movie Shrek finished its first weekend in movie houses, everyone knew that something special had happened. It was just a matter of time until Shrek made the leap to a live stage near you, and it has.
Shrek the Musical, which opened on Broadway in 2008, is a live stage production that brings with it the hilarious twist on old fables the Shrek film franchise made popular: familiar characters who go through the motions of traditional storytelling but with a lot more attitude and creative detours. Here, the princess can take care of herself if she wants to, the dragon isn’t quite as dreadful as she seems, and that little gingerbread man? You’ll never break his spirit, even if you do break off his precious gumdrop buttons.
Shrek – the burly, green, swamp-dwelling ogre – sets off on a quest to get the fairy tale world off his doorstep. We all know where it goes from there, but you’ve yet to see it like this – with new songs, awesome scenery and costumes and a cast of bright talent.
Shrek the Musical comes to the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center, 701 S. Main St., Broken Arrow, for a 7:30 p.m. show on Sunday, Feb. 17. Tickets are $20-$60, available at the box office and online at www.thepacba.com. From there, Shrek goes into territory where theater rarely goes (and we’re not talking geography). Shrek the Musical plays at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18, at the Bartlesville Community Center, 300 S.E. Adams Blvd., Bartlesville. Although theaters around the world typically go dark on Mondays, the show goes on to entertain families and Shrek fans. For Bartlesville tickets, go to www.bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com to purchase.
