SHREK SINGS
Beloved ogre takes stage at Globe Theatre
Stephanie Graham isn’t about to shy away from the success of Shrek.
Graham is in the director’s chair for Globe Theatre’s upcoming production of Shrek The Musical. Most people are familiar with the 2001 film from DreamWorks which captured an Academy Award for best animated feature and spawned three successful sequels.
Those achievements have also translated into success for the Globe production, as ticket sales have resulted in the musical being extended for an additional week. It’s also a safe assumption that everyone that has already bought tickets will have high expectations for the production.
“I’ll bet they do, but we’re going to meet them,” said Graham.
So do those expectations add pressure to Graham and the cast?
“I don’t think so. Every time we come into the building we try to create the best show possible and this show is no different,” explained Graham. “We’re having a really great time and we can’t wait to share it with everybody. If there’s one person in the audience or there’s 400, our cast is pretty committed to doing the best show possible each and every night.”
Written by William Steig and David Lindsay-Abaire, with lyrics by Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, Shrek The Musical tells the tale of a giant green ogre who finds his serene swamp overrun by a horde of uninvited fairytale characters. Shrek realizes the only way to return tranquillity to his swamp is to take matters into his own hands and solve the problems.
The movie, which starred Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and John Lithgow, is memorable for both its comedy and music. And while the musical contains both of those traits, it does differ from the film version.
“There’s a lot more songs in this version, but it still has all the characters you know and love,” said Graham. “The musical digs a little deeper into the characters, that’s for sure.”
The Globe production also differs from the original Broadway production which ran for 441 performances and 37 previews in 2009 and 2010.
The biggest difference is in the budget. The Broadway production had a budget of $25 million.
“Yes, their budget was huge because they had DreamWorks money behind them. It was a very big production,” said Graham.
“I saw it in New York actually and it was quite lavish. I don’t know what the number is for our production, but it’s nowhere close to that,” she added with a laugh. “I can say that it’s a production that is specially designed for Globe Theatre with beautiful, original costume and set design, so we’re pretty excited. It has a little special-to-the-Globe feel to it.
“Every costume is being built here, they aren’t rentals this time, with each being specifically designed for this production.”
Globe Theatre patrons will be familiar with Graham’s work as she previously directed The Little Mermaid (2017), Key Change (2017) and All Shook Up (2015).
Graham admitted this production is a little different for her.
“You approach them in the same way but this one is special because it’s specifically designed for this production,” said Graham. “The process is similar; you get your creative team together and then you start to work on it, so that part’s the same. But what makes this production different is the costume and set design. It’s was makes this production special.”
Globe Theatre will also host three special performances of Shrek The Musical — a relaxed performance will be held at 2 p.m. on June 2, an audio-described performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on June 12 and an American Sign Language interpreted performance slated for 7:30 p.m. on June 13.
The relaxed performance will cut down on noise and movement for the audience with less dramatic sound and lighting changes. These changes open the theatre experience for those with autism, other communication/sensory disorder and families with small children who may not be used to the traditional performance environment.
Returning to the topic of patron expectations, Graham is positive the musical will be well worth taking in.
“Whether you’re six or 60 or 600, you’re going to enjoy this show because there’s something for everybody in it,” said Graham.