SHREK THE MUSICAL Opens 5/17 at BDT

Boulder's Dinner Theatre (BDT) will present Shrek the Musical, a song-and-dance- filled stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animated film series. Shrek the Musical brings the hilarious story of everyone's favorite ogre to life all summer long - playing May 17 through September 6, 2014 as part of BDT's Main Stage theatrical season.

In a faraway kingdom turned upside-down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre - not a handsome prince - shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won't shut up, a villain with a SHORT temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand...and his name is Shrek. With music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, this entertaining, family-friendly musical comedy features a terrific score, with 19 songs including "Travel Song" and "I Think I Got You Beat."

Shrek the Musical also draws from a 1990 children's book by famed New Yorker cartoonist William Steig. Like the first 2001 Shrek film, the musical stays true to Steig's fractured fairytale vision where dragons are friendly, swamps are better than castles, and the true hero isn't handsome or noble but a grouchy-on-the- outside, tender-on-the-inside ogre who is more or less content with himself and his life in a swamp.

After Shrek the Musical premiered on Broadway in 2008 as the most expensive show ever produced on Broadway, it played for more than a year and earned numerous Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations.

BDT directorial debut and choreography by Boulder's Dinner Theatre veteran Matthew D. Peters, Shrek the Musical features Seth Caikowski as Shrek, Norrell Moore as Fiona and Tyrell Rae as Donkey.

Tickets for Shrek the Musical are on sale now. Prices start at just $38, and include both the performance and dinner served by the stars of the show. All tickets for opening weekend (Saturday, May 17 - Sunday, May 18, 2014) are just $38. Group rate tickets and season subscriptions are available for all performances throughout the year. Call (303) 449-6000 or log on to www.bouldersdinnertheatre.com for reservations and/or additional details about the show.

Boulder's Dinner Theatre presents four Broadway-quality musicals each season, and has been recognized locally and nationally for theatrical excellence. Boulder's Daily Camera praises BDT's "consistency in technical achievement, performance and overall production level as it sets a high standard for theatrical professionalism in the Boulder area." BDT's 36th season concludes with Shrek the Musical opening on
May 17, 2014. BDT's 37th Season opens on September 17, 2014 with Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping, followed by the Broadway classic Fiddler on the Roof, opening November 14, 2014, Forever Plaid, opening March 6, 2015, and Mary Poppins, opening May 16, 2015.