BWW Reviews: Is SHREK Drek? Not Totally

There has been Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and Peter Pan. All cartoons made into Broadway musicals.

But Shrek? The most redeeming value of the national tour playing at Baltimore's Hippodrome Theater through April 3 is that it brings in so many young people probably going to see their first Broadway musical in a big Broadway-style theater. There were even many who probably were too young to be there...but they were there and their parents were there. A lot can be said for that.

I certainly complement the talented cast starting with the terrific Eric Petersen in the leading role and, Alan Mingo, Jr. as the Donkey.

But, as in so many shows these days, it's the vigor and excitement of the ensemble that is the highlight of the evening. Whenever they are on stage playing the assorted roles of almost every fairytale character, the show comes to life.  When they are absent, especially in Act II, the show almost comes to a halt.

Maybe it's the incessant fart jokes that I just got tired of.  Maybe it's the classless and gratuitous use of the name Charlie Sheen as the name of horse ridden by Lord Farquaad (David F. M. Vaughn).  For those unfamiliar with the cartoon, you may wonder why the character spends the entire evening on his knees. Maybe it's the music that is just plain dull.

I would not recommend Shrek unless you bring young people to accompany you on the journey. You'll see nods to other Broadway shows like Wicked, Les Miserables The Lion King, A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, and films like "The Wizard of Oz", "Shaft".  But with children, you can see their wide smiles and excitement of live theater and see the spectacle of a live dragon cleverly done on stage.  Otherwise you may be saying, "What am I doing here?".

The fact that it garnered eight Tony nominations, including that of Best Musical, astounds me.

The best number in the entire show is the bow when the entire cast sings the Monkees' hit "I'm a Believer" which concluded the first "Shrek" movie.

For tickets, call 410-547-SEAT or online at www.broadwayacrossamerica.com. Also, visit www.shrektour.com.

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworold.com.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus