To purchase the Original Broadway Cast Recording of SHREK, click on the image above.
Shrek, the monsterous musical adaptation of the DreamWorks film franchise, with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, has its sights set on London. This would be the next step in “montetizing” – the fancy term DreamWorks is using that basically means that they intend to milk the Shrek franchise for every cent it can, whether it’s worth it or not – the property and Baz Bamigboye is reporting in The Daily Mail that the show plans to open at the London Palladium in October 2010. One wrinkle that has yet to be ironed out is that Sister Act, the current tenant of that theatre, has already extended their run until December 2010 – so it seems that Sister Act will either have to close or move by then.
It’s like Shrek wants to become the Lord Farquaad of musical theatre productions. It’s uncanny – ironic, even – that Shrek has become the very thing it was satirizing in the first place.
Musical Cyberspace 
I would go and see it if it came to London!
Amanda Holden has been cast as Fiona and Richard Blackwood as Donkey.
WTF?
I hate this industry. I dislike Amanda Holden less than say Martine McCucheon, but I still dislike her enough to be really angry that they didn’t go with a more seasoned musical theatre performer like Julie Atherton or Summer Strallen. I don’t want to see a TV star/talent show judge play a lead in a West End musical – it’s icky.
Can she even sing anywhere near as well as Sutton?
Micheal Ball is top tip to take Shrek. I like the Ballster but does he have to take every high-profile role on the West End? A bit of variety puh-lease.
OK. Rant over.
They won’t get Michael Ball. Is he not doing Sweeney Todd next year with Imelda Staunton? Would probably be a bit impractical him doing both. In regard to Amanda Holden, at least she has the singing and dancing and acting experience so she won’t be a complete dead loss. I don’t deny she wasn’t my first top pick but they could have done a damn sight worse with Fiona. I really cannot comment on Richard Blackwood as I don’t know him at all.
Yes, that is correct. Michael Ball will be performing in Sweeney Todd next year, so it is unlikely that he will be playing Shrek.
Further casting news: Shrek will be played by Nigel Lyndsay and Lord Farquaad will be played by Nigel Harman
I’m interested to see how this will turn out!
Here’s the London cast( well the leads at least) singing “I’m a Believer”. Overall I really like it. 🙂
I went to see the London version last night with my little niece and I have to agree with you, it’s not what I hoped it would be! The last production I saw at the Theatre Royal was Oliver! and it was fantastic, a really great version of a classic, and Shrek just fell a bit flat. I wasn’t that impressed with the music and some of the acting was seriously questionable. I don’t know how the Broadway version compares but we got a Britain’s Got Talent judge and an aging comedian in two of the main roles – not exactly star power! I prefer real stage performers rather than faddy celebrities. The one thing I will say for it is that Sarah (my niece) loved seeing one of her favourite films on the stage and the humour was right on her level, but as an overall production not so great. We didn’t pay too much as we got cheap balcony tickets, but I would have been disappointed if we’d forked out for top seats.