‘Shrek’ comes to the isle stage

Broadway has been cashing in for years by staging musical adaptations of stories that have already racked up megabucks as animated feature films. Following the formula of Broadway’s versions of "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King," "Shrek the Musical," an adaption of the DreamWorks Animation films, ran on Broadway for more than a year to generally good reviews.

Hawaii has seen "Beauty and the Beast" done very well at Diamond Head Theatre in 2005, and road show productions of "Lion King" have been through Hawaii twice. Now Hawaii is getting its first look at "Shrek the Musical."

"Shrek" opens Friday at Diamond Head Theatre, and tickets have been selling so fast that the run has been extended twice.

LeGrand Lawrence stars as the sensitive, reclusive green ogre, with Leiney Rigg as Princess Fiona and Jonathan Causey as Donkey.

Guest director/choreographer Tammy Colucci, whose previous credits here include directing and choreographing DHT’s productions of "9 to 5: The Musical" and "Altar Boyz," says that "Shrek" really is a show for all ages.

"The children will relate to the favorite lines and jokes, and the adults will catch the added innuendos," Colucci said via email.

The "innuendos" include references to songs and characters in other musicals from "Les Miz" and "Dream Girls" to "Lion King" and "Little Mermaid." Puss in Boots’ role is reduced to a silent cameo appearance, while there are a few additions to the plot of the movie including a dish that runs away with a spoon and a cow jumping over the moon.

"‘Shrek the Musical’ is just as funny and clever as the movie," Colucci said. "It is basically the same plot but with some added musical numbers for the stage and a bit more adult humor than the movie. In addition, the musical adds more back story to the characters, especially the fairy-tale creatures."

Just in case you missed the movie, Shrek is living contentedly in an ugly swamp when his solitude is interrupted by a small army of unhappy fairy-tale characters —  Pinocchio, the Big Bad Wolf, Peter Pan, the Three Bears, the Three Little Pigs and the Ugly Duckling, among others. Lord Farquaad, tyrannical ruler of Duloc, has banished them for being freaks and will have them killed if they return from exile.

Shrek decides to go to Duloc and persuade Lord Farquaad that the fairy-tale characters don’t belong in his swamp. Donkey becomes his sidekick along the way.

Farquaad agrees to evict the fairy-tale creatures from the swamp and give Shrek the deed to the place if Shrek can rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona, prisoner of a fire-breathing dragon, so that Farquaad can marry her.

"The main message (of the story) is that everyone should be accepted for whom he or she is," Colucci said.

"Princess Fiona is also a positive role model for young girls because she doesn’t follow the typical princess stereotype. Each (character) is unique, yet we can all find someone or something in them to relate to."

This is particularly demonstrated in the musical number "Freak Flag," Colucci said.

"Seeing all of the fairy-tale creatures unite, take a stand for themselves and accept who they are is very exciting."