You may think you know the upside-down fairytale of Shrek the ogre in his lonely, muddy swamp thanks to the 2001 animated movie, but you’ve never seen his story come to life quite like this.
In “Shrek” the musical, which opened last weekend at Alhambra Theater & Dining, Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Lord Farquaad and the whole happily-ever-after crew jump out of the screen and onto the stage for roughly two hours of song and dance-filled entertainment.
You’ll meet a young Shrek, played by Kennedy Swartz, who’s forced to find a swamp of his own through the song “Big Bright Beautiful World.” Soon after, a time jump brings us back to present-day, where Shrek, now played by Alec Hadden, is living happily in his swamp until it’s bombarded by the banished fairytale creatures of Duloc in the song “Story of My Life.”
The musical follows much like the movie, where Shrek and his loyal companion, Donkey, played by Jereme Raickett, travel to Duloc and confront Lord Farquaad, played by Shain Stroff. From there, they embark on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona, played by Rachel Kocher, from the Dragon, played by Ashia Collins.
This family-friendly comedy is chock full of intricately costumed characters, complex set pieces and visual effects that span the entire theater. A full cast including Rodney Homes, Natalie Drake, Melvin Nash, Lisa Kidder Sandiford and many more bring the magic of the movie to the real world.
Chef DeJuan Roy pulls out a culinary menu fit for the fairytale creatures of Far-Far Away, including an appetizer of artichoke, leek and Brie soup or a watermelon feta salad. For the main course, guests can choose from roasted pork cutlet, barbecue chicken, lightly blackened salmon or a vegetarian garden medley. Dessert prepares guests for the swamp with options of the Shrek Swamp Mud Cup or Fiona’s Enchanted Apple Cheesecake.
You can catch “Shrek” the musical at Alhambra Theater & Dining now through Aug. 9, and don’t be surprised if you leave wishing everyday life was a little greener.
For ticket information, go to alhambrajax.com/tickets.
