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Shrek The Musical Reviews
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| 31 |
Review by: OLIVIA, May 24, 2009 |
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MUSICAL THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!
THE BEGINNING PULLS YOU RIHGT IN AND THERE IS NOT A MOMNENT THAT YOU ARE BOARD I WOULD RECCOMEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO IS IN THE MOOD FOR A GOOD LAUGH AND A GREAT NIGHT OUT!!!!!!! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 32 |
Great if taking kids. Otherwise, see something else unless you're a major Shrek fan. Review by: , May 14, 2009 |
| We took our 11 yr old nephew to see it for his birthday. It was the first time he'd ever actually been in the city & this was his first Broadway show. It was a very cute play with a lot of fun going on. Excellent show if you're taking kids. For adults, unless you're a hge Shrek fanI'd say see something else for the money, but overall it was a cute & an enjoyable way to kill a couple hours |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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| 33 |
Loved it - so cute! Review by: , May 11, 2009 |
| My husband and I saw Shrek this past weekend. We both loved it. I am a huge fan of all the Shrek movies, so I was very curious to see how this play turned out. I was very pleasantly surprised! The play basically follows the storyline of the 1st movie - with a few things added here and there. The music was great and the stage sets were amazing. The acting, singing and dancing were excellent. We loved Lord Farquod - ... read more he did a great job and was very entertaining! I would recommend this play to people of all ages. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Tourists, Adults
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| 34 |
Pleasantly surprised! Review by: clan, May 11, 2009 |
| We went to the show with a large family group for Mother's day weekend and we were all pleasantly surprised. the kids enjoyed the humorous donkey character while the adults all loved Lord Farquaad (Christopher Sieber) - Funny, funny. Sutton Foster as Fiona was amazing and has an incredible voice. As a musical, you won't be disappointed. However, it is a long show and we wouldn't recommend it for children < 8yrs old. But overall, ... read more it was a very good show, different enough from original dreamworks movie to keep it entertaining. Recommend to discounted tickets when possible. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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| 35 |
Review by: Tom B., May 11, 2009 |
"Shrek The Musical"
Broadway Theatre
In the transition from animated film to ginormous Broadway production (and I love that "ginormous" has become an actual word, in that my spell checker doesn't highlight it), some projects become casualties of the process ("Tarzan" "The Little Mermaid"), while others go on to find a way to reinvent the film and let audiences experience the story in new, powerful ways, as happened with "The ... read more Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast."
Then there are the films that recycle their stories, losing some of the magic of the movie, but compensate with some new, stage magic, so the whole thing is a wash. You get a production that is better than the movie in some ways, worse in others, so that in the end the entertainment value kind of balances out. "Mary Poppins" is an example of this. The film is one of the most beloved of all time. The musical, still playing on Broadway, is a tour de force of stagecraft, but lacks the subversive heart of the movie.
"Shrek: The Musical" is another example of this film:Broadway show equivalence. I found much to love in the production: great performances by Sutton Foster, Brian D'Arcy James, Daniel Breaker, Christopher Sieber and John Tartaglia; a funny, ironic, smart book by David Lindsay-Abaire (one of my favorite contemporary playwrights); tons of witty pop culture references (including one to Siamese twins Chang and Eng, that I'm certain went over the heads of 99% of the audience); great costumes and plenty of new lines to make the experience fresh, even for those who have seen the film several times.
Yet there is an undercurrent to "Shrek: The Musical" that caused the show to lose traction and miss out on some of the vigor and vibrancy of the original. Hence, the equivalence. "Shrek: The Musical" is about as good as "Shrek" the film. Which, fortunately, is pretty good.
The basic story remains in place: Shrek, the ogre, is surprised to find "his" swamp overrun by fairy tale characters who have been expelled from the kingdom of Lord Farquaad. Except Lord Farquaad can't have a "kingdom" unless he's a king, which he can't be unless he marries a princess. So when Shrek comes to complain about his swamp being invaded, Farquaad sends him off to rescue Princess Fiona for him.
The underlying tone that beauty is in the eye of the beholder remains in place, as well, but it's brought even more to the surface here. The song "Let Your Freak Flag Fly" is a celebration of diversity, and Shrek cuts to the heart of the matter when he says, near the end of the show, "beautiful ain't always pretty." (In fact, "Shrek: The Musical" might make an interesting double bill with Neil LaBute's "reasons to be pretty.") Or, as Pinocchio says, "I'm wood, I'm good -- get used to it!"
There is also a sub-theme of despotism, control and torture (Farquaad breaks the legs off the Gingerbread Man) that resonate with our recent political past and our current attempts to deal with it.
Ultimately, though, "Shrek: The Musical" isn't about anything more important than having a good time. And on that level, it mostly delivers. |
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| 36 |
Cute show...but not worth full price ticket Review by: , May 6, 2009 |
I went w/ my son who is 9 1/2 yrs old. He enjoyed it & I had a good time mostly b/c my son had fun. A lot of toilet humor which the kids love. I didn't really laugh during the 1st few songs but it got better as it went along. I chuckled a few times but it was a CUTE musical.
I think there were about 2-3 songs, along w/ the choreography, that I really enjoyed.
I'd rec seeing this w/ your kids at a discounted price. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Tourists
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| 37 |
Excellent for Family or Fun Night on Broadway Review by: bird, May 6, 2009 |
| Shrek the Musical was great. My 8 year old loved it and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. The sets were amazing, and the cast was superb. If you have a sense of humor and enjoy quality singing and acting you'll enjoy this show. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Tourists, Anyone
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| 38 |
Liked it but too long. Review by: Terry, Apr 21, 2009 |
| I took my 13 yr old daughter to this play and although we really enjoyed it, I do have some comments. The scenery was excellent and the sining talent was awesome. You will not be disappointed by the music. However, the play is quite long and we both started to feel like we wanted it to END sooner than it did. I would caution bringing smaller children and would encourage a GOOD nap even for adults:) The costumes and stage direction were top notch.... read more. I can see a sequel if they are smart about the script. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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| 39 |
Shrek is a Quality Musical Review by: theatremom, Apr 20, 2009 |
| My husband and six year old son took in this show during spring break while mom and daughter went to Phantom. They both loved it. Hubby said it had plenty of sly adult humor without being inappropriate, the acting and singing were first rate, and the cast seemed to be having a terrific time. If we'd been there longer, I'd have taken the show in as well. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Kids
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family
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| 40 |
Great/Fun Show Review by: Rp, Apr 7, 2009 |
| This was an outstanding show. I went with my family and they loved it too. I could understand how this type of show might not appeal to everyone, but it is well worth the price of admission. Before I got my tickets I read some of the negative reviews here and was wondering if I had made a bad choice. Far from it!! Most of the music is original so dont go in expecting to hear the Shrek movie soundtrack or all the same lines. What I liked was this ... read more was different enough from the movie to keep us all entertained throughout the performance. All the leading roles were great, with my favorite being Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad (very funny). There isnt anything not to like about this show, from the performances to the set, it is all first rate. You can't got wrong with this Musical for a good time on Broadway. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Anyone
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| 41 |
Shrek-You gotta go!!! Review by: Broadwayfan, Mar 30, 2009 |
| My son and I saw Shrek the Musical 3/28/09. What a fun, fun show. We felt the actors were great, the singing and costumes exceptional. We would recommend this show highly. A very enjoyable evening. Shrek, Fiona (THE BEST), Donkey and Pinocchio were the STARS we thought they would be. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Anyone
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| 42 |
Overshadowed by the Movie Review by: Robin, Mar 24, 2009 |
My 10-y-o daughter and I have both seen the movie so many times that we've memorized the words, inflections, & facial expressions. We couldn't stop comparing the performers to the animated characters in the movie, & the live ones came up short, except for Sutton Foster, who is now our definitive Fiona. The parts we loved & rehashed aren't in the movie, like the rat dance. It was fun to see how they dealt with things that are easy to draw but not ... read more so easy to stage, like the bridge over the burning pit.
If you haven't seen the movie a lot, you may love this--it is a beautiful story. And it's totally fine for kids. (We saw in previews.) |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Tourists
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| 43 |
Wonderfully Entertaining Review by: Carol, Mar 20, 2009 |
| The show was a delight with interpretation on all levels, so it is appropriate for adults as well as children. The leads are fabulous as are the dances and supporting cast members. The sets are wonderful. This is pure Broadway magic and a good start for introducing children of 8 or older to theater at its best. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family
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| 44 |
A AN AWESOME SHOW AND AND A PHENOMAL CAST Review by: shrekfan09, Mar 19, 2009 |
| SHREK ROCKS I SAW IT YESTERDAY FOR MY 31ST BIRTHDAY AND OMG THIS SHOW ROCKS . THE CAST IS AWESOME AND VERRY NICE . SUTTON FORSTER IS PHENOMAL . I DEF WILL BE BACK VERRY SOON TO SEE THIS AGAIN ! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Tourists, Adults
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| 45 |
Disappointed Review by: , Mar 18, 2009 |
I've seen a bunch of broadway shows - Wicked, Les Mis, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Phantom, Avenue Q, Jersey Boys. I was generally disappointed with this show. When you leave a broadway show, you should be blown away by the performer's talent, and should not be able to get the songs out of your head. This was not the case. The best part of the show were the sets and staging.
The story was flat, and at times boring. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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